Campaign: Nothing But Nets
Winner: United Nations Foundation
To raise awareness and increase donations to provide insecticide-treated bed nets for malaria prevention in Africa, the UN Foundation launched Nothing But Nets campaign in
November 2006.
It was a venerable mission, but it wasn't without challenges: The nonprofit didn't have a list of donors to draw upon for solicitations, and its budget further limited options.
To overcome these hurdles, the Foundation team opted for a grassroots approach to secure partnerships with high-profile organizations, including the NBA and the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation. Then, a multi-city tour targeted local communities, where events were held to raise money.
"We kept the message very simple, made it easy for people to help and built a fun place for them to keep track of the campaign (nothingbutnets.net)," says Katherine Miller,
director of communications for the UN Foundation.
Since the program's inception, millions of dollars have been raised. The Foundation has also distributed over 150,000 bed nets.
Honorable Mentions
Gish, Sherwood and Friends: "Join the 10,000" Bashville Area Red Cross--To educate Nashville residents in case of disaster, Red Cross and Gish, Sherwood and Friends created
Join the 10,000 to help prepare for disasters. By advertising on several levels, they were able to get the word out to people in the counties they served.
Cone, LLC, Make-A-Wish:Destination Joy--Make-A-Wish Foundation launched Destination Joy to empower Americans to donate their time and resources need to grant the wishes of
children diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions. A comprehensive Web site, coupled with aggressive outreach, has led to thousands of children's wishes being
granted.
Central Virginia Foodbank, Meals on Wheel Serving Central Virginia: Community Kitchen--Central Virginia Foodbank and Meals on Wheels Serving Central Virginia increased
awareness of hunger plights facing the state. The partners researched not only the number of people they needed to feed but the market for potential donors, and were able to
tailor their efforts as a result.
Martz Agency: All-Star Miracle Home in Houston and Dallas--Martz Agency ran a raffle campaign for a $500,000 house to raise money for a local children's hospital. They wanted
to get as many people as possible to tour the home and purchase a raffle ticket.