How Renewable World raised 29% above target for its flagship event

The story

About Renewable World

Founded in 2007 as the Koru Foundation, Renewable World focuses on energy access as the key to poverty alleviation and community building. Renewable World delivers sustainable energy such as solar or biogas to communities in need in Nepal and Kenya.

So far, the charity has reached more than 66,000 people with sustainable and transformative energy solutions which in turn have powered the electricity for homes, schools and businesses. Their work has also helped solve problems around water access and climate smart agriculture. By providing clean energy and income generation opportunities to impoverished parts of the world, Renewable World is making headway on its mission for a poverty-free and clean planet.

The challenge

Making a flagship physical event virtual

Earth Wind & Tyre is an important piece of annual income for Renewable World. The cycling event, which is a one-day, 100-mile, wind-themed challenge, has been running as an in-person event since 2015.

With the event being as popular and time-intensive to run as it is, the charity decided to take a year hiatus in 2020, a decision that proved to be sensible, with Covid materialising that same year.

In 2021, Renewable World knew it couldn’t run Earth Wind & Tyre as a physical event only, as many of its supporters were not yet comfortable taking part in person during the pandemic.

The charity entrusted Enthuse to help make the event hybrid and offer a virtual option for supporters with a branded, consistent fundraiser journey that could be completed over 30 days, anywhere in the world.

The more approach by Enthuse

Creating a seamless donor journey

Renewable World was keen for the latest Earth Wind & Tyre event to have a virtual option in light of the pandemic but wanted supporters to have the option to take part in person as well. As the charity was running the event itself, this meant a customisable event registration solution with a 100% fundraising page activation rate was important for making Earth Wind & Tyre a success.

The flexibility of the event registration function played a key role in the organisation of the event. Not only could Renewable World share key details such as the race description, campaign poster, the fees and the fundraising purpose, but it was able to set up different entrant categories as well.

Renewable World was able to show off its brand and campaign poster on its fundraising page

Participants signing up for the virtual event were able to select a free registration option whereas those joining the in-person equivalent could do so for an early bird price of £50. For those that missed the early bird offer, the regular price was £65. Renewable World was able to use the event registration page to inform its supporters that the cost of the registration would go towards a cycling jersey, finisher’s medal, feed stops and a mechanical repair team en-route, so it was clear what they were getting in return for the registration fee.

With participants offering their contact details through the event registration forms, Earth Wind & Tyre also represented a good opportunity for the charity to build those longer lasting relationships with supporters through custom marketing permissions. Prior to using Enthuse, the charity was having to log attendee sign-up information manually in a spreadsheet. By taking control of its data and running it through through one platform, reporting on fundraising campaigns has also become easier for the charity to manage.

Enthuse Event Registration forms could be tailored to the needs of those taking part in person and virtually – Photograph: Shahid Chohan Photography

Following registration for the event, every person who signed up had a fundraising page automatically created for them, branded in Renewable World’s colours to promote brand recognition, minimise the risk of drop off and encourage fundraising from the get go. And many teams did, with supporters creating their own wind-themed routes in Scotland and France in keeping with the spirit of the event.

Participants were also able to add their own fundraising story in words, as well as videos and images, which no doubt encouraged donations on their page. The built-in leaderboards for team and individuals also helped to create that healthy competition that you get on race day, with those taking part being able to see how they compared to the rest of the field.

Enthuse has made reporting easier because all the functions are interconnected and can be managed in one back office which is why it’s our preferred platform for running events.
Emily Jesshope – Fundraising and Events Manager at Renewable World

The results

Surpassing expectations by nearly a third

The incorporation of a virtual event into Earth Wind & Tyre proved to be a success. At a time of uncertainty, the virtual race meant that supporters who didn’t feel comfortable attending in person were able to take part and fundraise, maintaining the crucial income the charity has come to expect from its flagship event.

The end result was that the £55,000 overall fundraising goal was beaten by 29%, reaching £71,000 in total. The top fundraiser was able to contribute a fantastic £2,300 and the top team managed a very impressive £19,700. A strong result that could be put straight towards vital, sustainable work in Kenya and Nepal.

The first ever hybrid Earth Wind & Tyre event allowed Renewable World to cater to all supporters – Photograph: Shahid Chohan Photography

Having that central fundraising page that combined the efforts of physical and virtual participants was really nice. It helped to track progress and to keep a sense of collective purpose.
Emily Jesshope – Fundraising and Events Manager at Renewable World