(Our Movember participants, from left to right. Top row: Shane Holmes, Martin McClorey, Paul Dhillon. Middle row: Ron Dunstan, Graham Budd, Mike Kassar. Bottom row: Brian Ross, Rich Fortin, Patrick Robinson. Photographed by Todd McLellan, Sugino Studios.)

Another Movember has come and gone. And for those of you who were wondering about the sharp increase in moustaches per capita last month, Movember is one of the fastest growing fundraising events on the planet – both in terms of participation and almighty dollars. The month-long tribute to moustaches (”Mos” for short) started in 2004 in Australia and raised a grand total of nada in year one (it wasn’t actually a fundraiser that year). In the five years since then, it has become a worldwide phenomenon, raising more $35 millon this year alone for the fight against prostate cancer.

Many agencies, including Grip, love this fundraiser. And it’s not just for the pleasure of satisfying our urge to look like 70s porn-stars. Movember is a veritable case study in best practices on fundraising and non-profit marketing.

How did they do it?

1. Simple method of participation.
All you have to do is not shave your upper lip for one month, nothing else. The only stipulations are that it can’t connect to your sideburns (a beard), nor can you have any hair on your chin (a goatee). Dead easy.

2. Highly visible and conversational awareness tool (a.k.a. a moustache).

We’ve all seen the yellow Livestrong bracelet and every possible colour of ribbon, and sure, these are decent awareness tools. The moustache functions in the same way – and then some. Not only is the face the first thing you look at when meeting someone (so everyone is going to notice, regardless of what you are wearing), but a new moustache coming in is an immediate trigger for starting conversations about the cause. Don’t believe me? Consider a typical Mo conversation: “What the hell is that on your face, Bob?” “Well Steve, glad you asked. It’s for Movember, in support of prostate cancer research by…” Raising awareness through conversation just comes that much easier.

3. Personal expression.
You can grow a Mo to suit your personality. Wanna look like Hulk Hogan? Go for the bleached-blonde handlebar. Magnum PI? How about a thick classic moustache (with floral print shirt). Ok, not really a marketing tactic per say, but it makes participation that much more fun, especially when you dress up to match your Mo at one of the many Gala parties.

4. Painless donations (with instant tax receipts).
Becoming the norm for fundraisers, but cannot be overlooked – instant tax receipts by email when people donate online.

5. Social functions all built in to the donation pages.
Donations pages that allow you to post pictures and comments of your Mo and donation progress, allow donors to comment and vote on your Mo, and links to tweet and post to your Facebook status.

6. Tagline.
“Changing the face of men’s health.” Nuff said, right? It’s smart and just works really well for the event.

7. Motivating the fundraisers.
Above and beyond wanting to do good for the cause, fundraisers are rewarded for their hard work. Leveraging sponsor-provided prizing and Gala tickets, fundraisers receive prizing for hitting certain fundraising levels. Larger scale individual and team fundraising prizes. Plain old best moustache prizes. All this adds up to one motivated fundraising force.

8. Great themed experiential events.
Gala parties in major cities in all participating countries. Dress up to match your Mo, and win prizes. They are super fun, draw huge crowds, and add another great layer to the overall event.

All in all, a great fundraising and communications success story, and definitely a fundraiser to track in the coming years.

Are there any other keys to Movember’s success you would add?