The Reality: UNICEF Country Offices across East Asia and the Pacific were drowning in good intentions and manual processes. Eleven markets—Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam, Aotearoa New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, and Korea—each with their own payment quirks, cultural nuances, and “that’s how we’ve always done it” energy.
What We Actually Did: Forget cookie-cutter solutions. We implemented UNICEF’s Global Digital Revenue Strategy, but made it work for each market’s reality. That meant understanding why WhatsApp works in some places and WeChat in others, why certain colors are unlucky, and how to navigate everything from Australia’s sophisticated digital landscape to emerging mobile payment systems across Southeast Asia.
The Numbers That Matter:
- 15.7% increase in digital revenue across the EAP region (that’s real money for real programs)
- 131% growth in emergency fundraising revenue (because crises don’t wait for perfect timing)
- 327% improvement in Return on Ad Spend (your budget goes 4x further)
- 15% increase in 12-month donor retention in India (donors who stick around = sustainable funding)
Beyond the Spreadsheets: Led a regional community of practice that became so valuable, global teams started crashing our calls. Ran training sessions in Bangkok where one participant said, “I can’t believe you made a session about digital data collection fun”—because if learning isn’t engaging, it’s not sticking.
What This Means for You: Whether you’re launching your first digital campaign or optimizing an existing one, we know how to navigate the gap between what headquarters wants and what actually works on the ground.
Shannon possesses a diverse skill set, excelling in the realm of digital fundraising. Her leadership approach centers around empowering individuals, fostering a collaborative environment. I found our brainstorming sessions to be highly productive, as we explored innovative ideas and strategies to achieve our shared objective of raising funds for children in need.
Ju Lee Wong — UNICEF Malaysia