Non-for-profit charity Barnardos Australia set to launch Christmas e-card appeal via DDB Remedy

Non-for-profit charity Barnardos Australia is set to launch a new Christmas e-card fundraising appeal via socially responsible agency DDB Remedy.

The idea involves tapping into the sizable budgets that most corporations put aside every year to send out Christmas cards and gifts to their clients. Organisations are invited to donate their budgets to Barnardos and send out the e-card instead, letting the recipients know their donation to Barnardos had helped change the future for the thousands of Australian children living through abuse and neglect each year.

Barnardos felt they needed help getting it off the ground, not only creatively but in how to execute it effectively.

Enter DDB, who originally approached Barnardos in February this year, wanting to get involved by hosting a fundraising event with their clients, or doing some skilled volunteering. Barnardos, however, hit the agency up for an even bigger ask. Luckily, John Bertolini of DDB Remedy was more than willing to help out.

Harnessing the creative and strategic power of the entire DDB Group, Bertolini’s team has set out to create a new digital Christmas e-card which will raise much needed funds for Barnardos Australia.

Says Bertolini: “Barnardos Australia believe every child deserves a safe and loving home, and sadly not all children have what many of us take for granted. This message is even more poignant at Christmas time, so it was important to us to visually and emotionally engage Australian businesses to share the Barnardos message with their networks.”

Barnardos Australia is thrilled with DDB’s creative concept, which is currently in production and will be ready for Barnardos corporate supporters to share with their clients in early December.

Says Manisha Amin, marketing and fundraising director: “We are extremely grateful to John and his team at DDB Remedy. We wanted to get our message out to the widest audience possible and thats where DDB Remedy came to our rescue with a campaign that will touch people’s hearts and that they will be moved to share. We are hoping to raise $250,000 for our programs to help protect Australian children.”

In return for donating their Christmas card budget, corporate supporters of the campaign will receive public recognition in national print spots – and the e-card will specify the corporate donation and clearly illustrate their support of Barnardos Australia. Depending on the size of the donation, corporate supporter packages range from $5000 for Bronze, right up to $50,000 for a Platinum partnership.

In keeping with its involvement with Barnardos Australia, the last school holidays saw members of the DDB Remedy team accompany some of Barnardos children to the Disney on Ice spectacular.

Bertolini says his team have got a lot out of the whole experience of giving back: “Its a great feeling to help such an important cause, and my team are really benefiting from being involved with Barnardos Australia on both a business and personal level.”