“What do we do with this year’s summer campaign?”
When Tenna Kristiansen and her fundraising colleagues at Kirkens Korshær (DanChurchSocial) faced this question in 2024, they decided to shake things up. By introducing two fresh concepts to their strategy, the team made it easier than ever for the public to say “yes” to giving, while smoothly guiding new supporters from a small one-time gift to long-term commitment.
The results didn’t just impress the sector—they blew expectations out of the water. The innovative campaign earned the Kirkens Korshær team the ultimate recognition when ISOBRO named them the winner of the 2024 Fundraising Award in Denmark.
Small Steps, Big Commitment
The ultimate goal of the summer campaign was to secure recurring donors. To get there without overwhelming potential supporters, the team built a low-pressure, three-step journey:
- Step 1: Buy an Ice Cream (Micro-donation): First, people were asked for a very low, accessible amount (30 DKK / approx. €4) to lower the barrier to entry.
- Step 2: Become a “Holiday Friend” (Trial Subscription): Donors were then invited to upgrade to a 3-month trial subscription of 100 DKK per month.
- Step 3: Become a “Childhood Friend” (Recurring Support): The final step on the journey turned summer donors into permanent, long-term supporters for vulnerable children throughout their entire childhood.
While micro-donations and trial models are established tools in global fundraising, this was a first-time experiment for Kirkens Korshær. The gamble paid off spectacularly.
The Psychology of “Donation Freedom”
Interestingly, throughout the summer, the average donation trickled in at three times the amount requested. But why did people give more when they were asked for so little?
“With micro-donations, we wanted to remove the psychological barrier and the
hesitation of whether to give or not. The data shows we succeeded.”
— Tenna Kristiansen, Fundraiser at Kirkens Korshær
The team attributes this to a psychological phenomenon they call donation freedom. When faced with “open-ended” donation amounts, people often feel anxious (“What do they expect? Is my gift too small?”). By explicitly stating that “an ice cream costs 30 DKK,” the charity removed the guesswork.
By giving people a tangible, low number to relate to, donors felt financially empowered to go above and beyond. Technically, the donor remains in complete control, allowing them to think, “I’ll buy three ice creams instead,” and donate 90 DKK. It gives supporters the immediate, rewarding feeling of doing something extra good.
Finding the Perfect Tangible Appeal
In fundraising, concrete concepts work best; donors want to see exactly where their money goes. However, Kirkens Korshær’s local family work is highly tailored to specific community needs and budgets, making a “one-size-fits-all” campaign difficult to design.
The breakthrough came when the team looked at the small pocket money allowances given to families during charity camp trips. Local leaders emphasized how much it means for parents to have the dignity of buying their own child an ice cream or a juice, rather than having the charity hand it out.
By framing the micro-donation around buying a child an ice cream, Kirkens Korshær found a concept that was universally relatable to the public, deeply respectful to the families, and an absolute triumph for summer fundraising.
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