Rhino Peak Challenge

25 Mar

Time: 2019 - 2021
Project: Digital fundraising, email marketing, social media, event coverage
Impact: Achieved 231% fundraising growth and raised over R3 million for conservation programs in the Southern Drakensberg

The Rhino Peak Challenge is an annual fundraising event where 36 invitees climb the 3,056m Rhino Peak in the Southern Drakensberg to raise funds for three beneficiaries: Wildlife ACT, Endangered Wildlife Trust, and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.

I began working with the event in June 2019, with responsibilities including social media, paid media, email marketing, and event coverage. I also served as media liaison for all stakeholders, ensuring that participants and beneficiaries had content and materials to effectively promote the event.

From my very first year, I introduced a structured system to better support participants in their fundraising efforts. One such example was creating an Online Share Pack for each participant, containing a curated selection of images, graphics, and facts about the species and organisations they were fundraising for, along with branded Rhino Peak Challenge assets and a variety of pre-written posts they could pair with imagery of their choice. I also created an information booklet for participants, outlining the event’s history and with practical tips on how to fundraise online.

I started the event’s Instagram account and a priority was creating content introducing the participants. This gave runners ready-made, shareable content for their own feeds, particularly valuable for those who felt shy about posting themselves. Altogether, these tools helped participants to confidently tell the story, personalise their campaigns, and maximise donations.

In the three years leading communications, the event achieved 231% fundraising growth and raised over R3 million for conservation.