ifawConserving Trust

Engaging a new generation of donors who demand a better planet

In order to undertake its critical work improving the welfare of animals and people alike, IFAW needed to reach a younger and broader audience that shared its values and believed in its mission. Through new reportage-style messaging, documentary-esque imagery and more dialogue with its audience, the non-profit organization was able to significantly increase engagement and donations, so it can continue to save the world.

Trust, in this day and age, is a rare and invaluable commodity. And it’s one that NGOs like the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) are traditionally built upon, despite an opaque system that sees donors give, and organizations provide little information in return. While this monolinear approach might have worked in the past, young philanthropists are demanding more transparency and tangible results in exchange for their hard-earned cash.

To successfully meet the challenges of the next 50 years, Base strategically determined that organizations should be less monolithic, and instead increase dialogue with their constituents. For IFAW – which has explored new ways to improve conditions for animals and people across the globe for the past 50 year – this meant improving its messaging on population and habitat conservation, channeled through fact-driven activism rather than beautification or sensationalism.

The team saw the benefit in defining a set of clear principles to help guide its mission and engage the public in its causes. These ideas inform messaging in a tone that’s direct and to-the-point, using language and visual treatments that simply explain the issues being tackled, and calls to action that spell out how concerned parties can help.

Online, graphics take a back seat, but support the “bite-sized” informative texts in the form of animations that connect problems and solutions. A focus on documentary-style photography shows experts at work in the field – a departure from the pretty pictures or shocking scenes used by similar organizations. Along with interactive infographics and an explorable map, the immersive website is able to both present facts and tell stories.

Our work with IFAW provoked other NGOs to form similar bi-directional relationships with their audiences. This openness and transparency cultivated trust in a new generation of younger donors who are aligned with and feel passionate about IFAW’s mission to protect animals, people and the planet. This has allowed the organization to continue its vital work strongly and effectively – something we’re very proud to have contributed towards.

In order to undertake its critical work improving the welfare of animals and people alike, IFAW needed to reach a younger and broader audience that shared its values and believed in its mission. Through new reportage-style messaging, documentary-esque imagery and more dialogue with its audience, the non-profit organization was able to significantly increase engagement and donations, so it can continue to save the world.

Trust, in this day and age, is a rare and invaluable commodity. And it’s one that NGOs like the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) are traditionally built upon, despite an opaque system that sees donors give, and organizations provide little information in return. While this monolinear approach might have worked in the past, young philanthropists are demanding more transparency and tangible results in exchange for their hard-earned cash.

To successfully meet the challenges of the next 50 years, Base strategically determined that organizations should be less monolithic, and instead increase dialogue with their constituents. For IFAW – which has explored new ways to improve conditions for animals and people across the globe for the past 50 year – this meant improving its messaging on population and habitat conservation, channeled through fact-driven activism rather than beautification or sensationalism.

The team saw the benefit in defining a set of clear principles to help guide its mission and engage the public in its causes. These ideas inform messaging in a tone that’s direct and to-the-point, using language and visual treatments that simply explain the issues being tackled, and calls to action that spell out how concerned parties can help.

Online, graphics take a back seat, but support the “bite-sized” informative texts in the form of animations that connect problems and solutions. A focus on documentary-style photography shows experts at work in the field – a departure from the pretty pictures or shocking scenes used by similar organizations. Along with interactive infographics and an explorable map, the immersive website is able to both present facts and tell stories.

Our work with IFAW provoked other NGOs to form similar bi-directional relationships with their audiences. This openness and transparency cultivated trust in a new generation of younger donors who are aligned with and feel passionate about IFAW’s mission to protect animals, people and the planet. This has allowed the organization to continue its vital work strongly and effectively – something we’re very proud to have contributed towards.