Case Study at a Glance

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

Cure Rare Disease is a non-profit biotechnology company working to create individualized therapeutics for people living with rare diseases

founded

2017

why ben

Expertise in organizing charity streams

Creator relationship built on trust and understanding of fit

company location

Boston, Massachusetts

THE BLUEPRINT

Increase awareness around Cure Rare Disease through a fresh, engaging medium

Raise funds while providing viewers with a fun experience

THE PLATFORMS

Twitch, Youtube, Facebook

The Company

25 years: that’s the current life expectancy for someone diagnosed with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy. But Cure Rare Disease founder and CEO Rich Horgan is working to change those odds for everyone living with this deadly illness—especially his 26-year-old brother.

Though Horgan has been able to consistently secure donations since the organization’s founding in 2017, funds typically trickle in slowly. To supercharge the effort and accelerate research, Horgan sought a way to quickly reach a massive, engaged audience, raise awareness, and secure funds. He knew influencer marketing could help Cure Rare Disease reach its goal—he just needed the right partner to actualize the campaign.

The Creator

Curating a Stream for a Cure

Working with a social media influencer to launch a charity stream requires more than just securing creative talent. There are other factors to consider too, from selecting a platform for the stream to determining the best tool for collecting and routing donations. BEN’s experience in navigating these choices and setting up streams for organizations such as Gusto and Red Nose made it a clear, reliable partner for Cure Rare Disease.

As the campaign took off, BEN recommended a Twitch stream hosted by MoistCr1tical, an edgy e-sports content creator known for his deadpan game commentary on YouTube. His audience of 3 million followers doesn’t just tune in to watch him play video games though—they expect risque jokes and antics, which means that not every charity presents the right partnership opportunity. But BEN was confident in its recommendation. Through past collaborations with MoistCr1tical, BEN had developed a deep understanding of his lighthearted yet professional approach, and knew he’d be the perfect person to tackle a serious goal in a fun, unique way.

Though MoistCr1tical’s unpredictability required a leap of faith, for Horgan, the potential for massive reach made the risk worth it. In February 2021, the two teamed up.

The Creator

A Fundraising Telethon: Twitch Edition

With MoistCr1tical at the helm, Cure Rare Disease’s fundraising stream took the traditional telethon to a new platform—and raised the ante.

To drive donations, BEN worked with MoistCr1tical to determine the right on-screen incentives. Participants that donated $100 earned spots on MoistCr1tical’s wall—the creator wrote their names on the drywall in his new recording studio. Higher donations earned other rewards, including a one-on-one chess match with MoistCr1itical, or a personalized care package from him. And, for every $10,000 raised, Streamlabs, the donation collection platform that BEN recommended for the stream, matched the contribution.

Not every element of the event was quite this tame—from surprise cameos and a table read of an R-rated film script, to a live auction of nude prints and some rolling around in paint, the stream was classic Cr1tical: funny, unexpected and highly engaging.

From Fun to Funds

The stream not only raised awareness, but also collected over $150,000 from over 1,500 individual participants for the cause, reaching 192,000 CCVs. At the end of the day, Horgan dubbed it a success: “We do fundraising in a bunch of different buckets,” he said, “and e-sports is by far our favorite. When you look at the community it’s obvious today that these people care. They come out and donate.”

This won’t be the last fundraising event for Cure Rare Disease—the organization has already signed on for an ongoing partnership with BEN, with more collaborations to come.

12 HOURS STREAMED

192,000

CCV’s

1,508

ENGAGEMENTS

“We do fundraising in a bunch of different buckets and e-sports is by far our favorite. When you look at the community it’s obvious today that these people care. They come out and donate.”

RICH HORGAN, CEO, CURE RARE DISEASE