Why Showing Up Matters: Lessons from Our New Zealand Client Visit

There’s something powerful about stepping out from behind the screen and into the world of the organisations you work with.

Last week, Xander and Jeremy headed across the ditch to New Zealand to spend time with two of our Bigfoot clients - long-standing client Malaghan Research Institute, and new client Wellington Hospitals Foundation. Part strategy, part immersion, and part relationship-building, the trip was a great example of why showing up for our clients beyond WIPs and emails matters.

Moving Beyond the Brief

At Bigfoot, we believe the best work doesn’t come from a brief alone.

It comes from understanding the people behind the organisation, the nuances of their challenges, and the real impact of their work. Being on the ground helped us create space for deeper, more honest conversations and unlocked opportunities that simply don’t surface over a video meeting. 

We hope that in a way it has helped shift our strategy from simply transactional to truly collaborative.

Deepening a Five-Year Partnership

A key focus of the trip was time spent with Malaghan Research Institute - our longest-standing client partnership, now in its fifth year.

Across a series of workshops, we worked closely with the team to map out the next phase of their digital fundraising program. Together, we explored:

• Opportunities to optimise appeals across the year

• How to strengthen always-on acquisition and donor growth

• Expanding activity across Gift in Wills (GIW) and community fundraising

• Forward planning for the next financial year and identifying new areas for scale

These sessions were designed to challenge thinking, align priorities, and ensure we’re continuing to evolve alongside the organisation.

Building from the Ground Up

We also spent time with our newest partner, Wellington Hospitals Foundation, laying the foundations for their digital fundraising program ahead of a planned launch in June.

Through a series of half-day workshops, we worked together to define the strategy, structure, and opportunities that will underpin their program; from acquisition through to long-term donor value.

A standout moment was being taken on a tour of the hospital, where we saw firsthand the areas their fundraising directly supports. From critical equipment to patient care initiatives, it brought the work into sharp focus and reinforced exactly why getting the strategy right matters.

Touring the hospital, thanks to Wellington Hospitals Foundation

The Value of Being There

Beyond the workshops and planning sessions, the trip was about connection.

Spending time face-to-face builds trust, accelerates alignment, and creates a shared sense of momentum that’s hard to replicate remotely. It allows us to ask better questions, challenge more constructively, and ultimately deliver stronger outcomes.

And yes, like any good agency trip there were coffees, conversations, a few beers and some moments where we got to take in Wellington in all its glory along the way.

A few drinks along the way

Looking Ahead

As fundraising continues to evolve, the organisations that will succeed are those investing in strong, strategic partnerships built on understanding, not just execution.

We’re excited about what’s ahead for both Malaghan Research Institute and Wellington Hospitals Foundation. From scaling digital programs to unlocking new growth opportunities, this trip has set the foundation for what comes next.

Because at the end of the day, the best results don’t come from working for our clients, they come from working alongside them.