Direct Mail Campaign Grows Donor Base and Donations

Challenge:

A small, Midwestern educational institution entrusted Darwill to develop a direct mail campaign that would lead to growth in their donor base as well as increase donations. To cultivate new donors, Darwill needed to devise a plan that would get both past and potential new donors excited to contribute to the institutions’ fund-raising efforts.

Solutions:

Darwill launched an annual direct mail campaign which mailed twice a year with targeted messaging and creative formats to build excitement and engagement around donating. These campaigns would consistently run twice a year, one in the Fall and Spring of the school year. Both campaigns would target past donors, those who have not previously donated, and anyone connected to the institution including students, parents or grandparents of students, and alumni.

Strategy:

•  Craft communication around the two annual donation campaigns.
•  Build the Fall campaign with the theme of "kicking off the new school year" and the Spring campaign themed "Giving Day."
•  Utilize direct mail letter pack format which contains an envelope, letter, donation slip, buckslip, and a business reply envelope (BRE). This mail format gives the donor all the information they need with easy access to fill out their donation and return it in the mail.

Results:

The addition of these campaigns increased donations to the institution by 10% each year since implementation. Moreover, client happiness was positively affected by the introduction of the two campaigns, and they have continued to run these campaigns thanks to the results seen from the first year.