Survival Gifts : Turning Donations into Life‑Saving Supplies

Since its inception, UNICEF Canada’s Survival Gifts program has offered over 40 specific “gifts”—from water‑purification tablets and therapeutic food to vaccines and emergency relief packs—so donors know exactly how their contributions help. In Toronto, supporters purchased 4,599 Survival Gifts totaling nearly $203,000, providing items such as baby blankets, water pumps, and malaria bed nets to children in crisis. The most popular items often reflect urgent needs: in recent years, “Urgent Aid for Gaza” packs and “Girls’ Education” kits have seen rapid uptake, underscoring donors’ desire to address both immediate emergencies and long‑term development.

In my role at UNICEF Canada, I led the digital promotion of Survival Gifts by designing and optimizing PPC, paid social, and display campaigns for key giving seasons. Using Google Analytics and Data Studio, I tracked every user interaction, from impressions to completed donations, and then applied A/B testing to headlines and creative elements. That process increased click-through rates by 18 percent and boosted overall conversions by 12 percent. I generated detailed performance reports for stakeholders, presented actionable insights, and worked closely with creative and media‑buying partners to refresh assets within 24 hours of each test cycle. To ensure strict budget control, I managed invoice reconciliation for Google Ads and Facebook Ads Manager, keeping ROI on target and financials accurate.

By combining the emotional appeal of Survival Gifts with a rigorous, data-driven approach, we exceeded our fundraising goal by 30% and strengthened donor loyalty. The seamless integration of real‑time dashboards and agile campaign tweaks ensured that every dollar translated into maximum impact for children in 190 countries.