Historically, the Cat Protection Society of Victoria’s fundraising approach was similar to many small charities: direct mail supported by some paid socials. While this delivered results, we felt our growth was limited by repeatedly asking the same audience for support.

Without the budget for a large-scale acquisition campaign, we needed more people to know who we were, what we stood for and why our work mattered.

This session will share how we used an integrated PR, marketing and fundraising approach to build awareness, acquire donors and grow income, offering practical lessons that other small charities can adapt to their own resources. In 2025, we made a significant shift. We began treating fundraising as a broader marketing, brand-building and donor acquisition opportunity. PR became a core part of every appeal, with media releases developed and pitched for each campaign, alongside proactive media outreach between appeals to keep us visible year-round.