Oxfam INTERNATIONAL
Fundraising proposition

JOIN THE
FIGHTBACK
FOR A
FAIRER WORLD

Fundraising has the power to inspire, engage, and mobilise people – but it can also support negative stereotypes and assumptions, damaging the aims and objectives of people and organisations pushing for change.

This isn’t a new conversation. But there’s a groundswell of support building, driven by a growing disconnect between traditional fundraising narratives and the values and beliefs of supporters, communities, service users and staff alike.

It’s in this context, and as part of a competitive global pitching process that Oxfam International appointed Optimist Works as their strategic creative partner to develop a first-of-its kind global fundraising proposition and toolkit. They chose OW because of three characteristics:

1. an openness to question convention balanced with decades of practical creative fundraising expertise;

2. a unique creative leadership background inside and agency-side for some of the world’s largest non-profits;

3. our experience of running and designing Participative Creative processes that bring together stakeholder communities to help solve strategic creative problems.

The OW team designed a collaborative process using a combination of interviews, desk research and, crucially, a carefully designed collaboration platform. This bespoke digital tool was translated into multiple languages and emailed out to almost 300 contributors in seven countries: the questions and stimulus designed to draw out motivations, beliefs and values shared by supporters, staff and partners alike.

The project delivered a bold new global fundraising proposition and supporting narrative playbook, built around shared aims, beliefs and values found during the process.

This practical toolkit, narrative and set of off-the-shelf resources, is helping to support Oxfam fundraising teams worldwide as they make a shift away from traditional solely supporter-centric stories and strategies, towards more equal citizens approach: centring ideas of agency, unity and justice in their fundraising and framing asks around the shared objectives of people who want to play their part in a fairer, more equal world.