As Social AF launches its new Supporter Experience services, we chat with our CEO Helen Alderson to talk about why now, what it means for charities, and how this fits into Social AF’s long-term vision.
Q. What prompted Social AF to expand beyond Community Management into Supporter Experience?
A few different things, actually.
First and foremost, every time we introduce a new service, it has to be a natural fit, both for our charity partners and for us. We were approached by a couple of our existing partners who asked whether we would consider delivering these services for them. That was a huge compliment.
They recognise that our team aren’t just moderators, they’re experienced fundraising and communications professionals. For example, we have a team of 30 fundraisers whose bread and butter is speaking directly to supporters. So when a charity needs additional capacity for supporter calls, it makes complete sense for us to step in.
The other driver was what we were seeing across the sector. Every charity wants to give supporters an incredible experience but capacity is often stretched. You might have 100 marathon runners and only two fundraisers supporting them. That’s tough.
We realised we could help charities extend their team in a way that feels seamless, trusted and cost-effective, while making sure supporters still receive an exceptional experience.
Q. Were there gaps in the sector that led to this decision?
What we know for certain is that there’s a gap in specialist expertise combined with genuine sector experience.
Every single person we hire has at least three years’ experience working within the charity sector. That means our team understands fundraising platforms, supporter motivations, compliance requirements, all of it.
When a charity outsources supporter communications, it’s a huge privilege. You’re being trusted to speak to their donors. So they need complete confidence that they’re in safe hands.
Ultimately, what you want when outsourcing is peace of mind and our aim is always that a charity looks at what we’ve delivered and thinks, “We couldn’t have done that better ourselves.”
Q. Was there a specific moment that made you realise it was time to expand?
The idea of offering phone support has actually been in my head for about two years.
But we’re very intentional about growth. We’d rather do a few things exceptionally well than lots of things badly. At the time, Social Media Moderation was still a relatively new service for us, and we were focused on getting that absolutely right.
What accelerated things was a conversation with Pancreatic Cancer UK, who approached us to ask whether we’d consider delivering these services. That prompted us to explore the practicalities properly.
We also began trialling extended services, alongside forum moderation, with Parkinson’s UK over the past six to eight months. It’s been a hugely positive experience. Communicating with supporters across different channels has strengthened engagement for both the charity and the supporters themselves.
So while the idea had been there for a while, that was the moment it became the right time.
Q. What does “Supporter Experience” mean and why is it so important?
Supporter experience is arguably one of the most important elements in fundraising.
People will make their second donation based on the experience they had with the charity the first time round, regardless of how strong their connection to the cause is.
If someone donates in memory of a loved one but has a poor experience, why would they come back? On the flip side, if their experience exceeds expectations, they’ll remain engaged.
Whether it’s someone taking part in a marathon, a virtual challenge, or making a Christmas donation, retention is where long-term growth comes from. Creating moments that make people feel valued and supported is how charities stand out in a crowded landscape.
Q. How will adding phone, email, SMS and WhatsApp change the way charities operate day to day?
Supporters all have different preferences for how they want to engage.
Some love being part of a Facebook group. Others prefer one-to-one SMS conversations. Some are genuinely bowled over by receiving a personal thank-you phone call.
What we’ve seen during virtual challenges is that the people engaging deeply via SMS are often completely different to those posting in Facebook groups. If you only offer one channel, you’re potentially missing an opportunity to support and encourage others.
By adding multiple communication channels, charities can meet supporters where they are – giving them the praise, encouragement and guidance that ultimately helps maximise their fundraising.
Q. What does great Supporter Experience look like in measurable terms?
There’s both a short-term and long-term view.
In the short term, you might look at income uplift – are supporters raising more when they receive additional support?
But the more valuable metric is lifetime value.
Have we inspired that marathon runner to take on another challenge next year? Has that Christmas donor become a regular giver? Are they staying engaged over time?
Recruiting new supporters is expensive. Retaining and nurturing the right supporters, and giving them an exceptional experience, is a far more shrewd investment.
Q. How does this expansion align with Social AF’s long-term vision?
At our core, Social AF is about delivering outstanding experiences, both for the charities we work with and for their supporters.
We hire experienced sector professionals. We embed ourselves as an extension of charity teams. And we hold ourselves to a very high standard.
Long term, we want charities to think: “We need to speak to our supporters, but we don’t have the capacity, let’s call Social AF.”
Because they know we’ll do them proud. They know their supporters are in safe hands. And they know we’ll deliver a service that feels as good as, or even better than, if they’d done it themselves.
Q. What are you most proud of about this launch?
The thing I’m most proud of is that a valued charity partner approached us, even though we weren’t yet offering these services.
There are agencies out there who already do this work. But they wanted us.
That level of trust says everything.
And what excites me most is the impact this can have. Fundraising is tough. It’s always about finding those extra one percents. Raising more with less. Creating bigger impact.
I truly believe these services will help charities take their supporter experience and their fundraising to the next level.
