How to plan and deliver successful campaigns: a guide for voluntary organisations

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Campaigns are a powerful way to raise awareness, influence behaviour, and drive action. Whether you’re promoting a local initiative, recruiting volunteers, or fundraising, a well-planned campaign can make all the difference. But successful campaigns don’t happen by chance, they’re built on research, planning, and clear objectives. 

This guide walks you through a proven approach to campaign planning and delivery, using the Double Diamond process: Discover, Define, Develop, Deliver. 

 

Researching for a campaign

Every great campaign starts with understanding your audience and their needs. The Discovery phase helps you explore feasibility, requirements, and objectives so you can build on a solid foundation of insights. 

 

Key steps in discovery 

• Speak to stakeholders to identify requirements. 

• Analyse existing research and data. 

• Understand the purpose, history, and context of your campaign. 

• Learn about your target audience and their behaviours. 

• Review similar campaigns for lessons learned. 

• Assess resources, budget, and whether the campaign is necessary.

 

Conducting research 

Once you’ve identified gaps, fill them with targeted research. Start by engaging stakeholders and subject matter experts. 

 

Types of research 

• Primary research: Collect new data through surveys, interviews, or observations. 

• Secondary research: Analyse existing reports, studies, and insights. 

 

Approaches 

• Qualitative: Explore opinions, experiences, and motivations through interviews or focus groups. 

• Quantitative: Gather measurable data via surveys or analytics to identify trends and patterns. 

 

Planning your campaign 

With your research complete, move to the Define phase—where you set the direction for your campaign. 

Your plan should include: 

• Clear objectives and key messages. 

• Defined target audiences. 

• Resource allocation and budget splits. 

• Briefs for external suppliers (design, PR, media buying, digital, photography, etc.).

 

Choosing the right template 

Two widely used frameworks can help structure your plan: 

• OASIS ideal for behaviour change, awareness, or recruitment campaigns. 

• SOSTAC best for income generation or commercially focused campaigns. 

 

Planning your channels 

Use the PESO model (Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned) to create an integrated channel strategy that reaches your audience effectively. 

 

Developing your campaign 

Once your plan is approved, it’s time to bring it to life in the Develop phase. 

This includes: 

• Creating content for social media, newsletters, websites, and video. 

• Designing creative concepts (logos, campaign assets, style guides). 

• Writing ad copy and scripts. 

• Planning events and testing concepts for effectiveness. 

Consistency is key—ensure all content aligns with your organisation’s brand and tone. 

 

Delivering your campaign 

The Deliver phase is where everything comes together. 

What to cover 

• A detailed campaign timeline for implementation. 

• A communication plan to keep your team and stakeholders informed. 

• Launch activities across all planned channels. 

• Monitoring and optimisation during the campaign. 

Tools like a RACI matrix (Responsible, Approve, Consult, Inform) can help clarify roles and responsibilities. 

 

Evaluating your campaign 

Evaluation isn’t an afterthought. It starts in the planning stage. Define what success looks like and how you’ll measure it. 

Best practices 

• Set SMART objectives. 

• Identify relevant metrics and benchmarks. 

• Use dashboards and analytics tools to track performance. 

• Report regularly to stakeholders. 

• Calculate ROI and capture lessons learned for future campaigns. 

Evaluation ensures you understand the impact of your work and continuously improve. 

 

Campaigning can feel complex, but with the right process, it becomes manageable and can deliver great results. Start small, build confidence, and use these steps to create campaigns that truly make a difference. 

 

Written by: Sammy Inkpen – LinkedIn