Proof Positive:
Work that works
How’s the thinking? What’s the creative like? Does it get the job done?
Here are just a few of our success stories. And how we made them happen. If you’ve got a specific issue you don’t see represented, contact us. With over four decades of fundraising leadership, we’ve created winning approaches for all kinds of challenges. Maybe one a lot like yours.
Of course, that’s just the jumping-off point. The real answers we’ll find together.
proof positive #4: Direct Mail Acquisition
“Brown Bag” appeal revolutionizes fundraising for Denver’s homeless
Opportunity
For more than 115 years, Denver Rescue Mission has been helping hungry and homeless men, women and children in the community. The majority of the organization’s funds are typically raised during a small window of time between September and December. And it is during this time that we depend on their donors to stay fully engaged and willing to give at multiple times. As a result package fatigue is a constant challenge, driving us to continue to test new, attention-grabbing approaches to secure those donations that are so greatly needed.
Approach
The control package and preceding appeals had been in the fall mailing schedule for several years, and DRM was seeing a decline in results. To help re-engage donors and keep the mission top of mind, we mailed a new package unlike any other they had done before. It was a simple, brown sandwich bag with the entire offer printed on one side. This compelled donors to respond and to reuse the bag for their own lunch as a reminder of the meals they were giving to others.
Results
The brown bag was a gangbuster success that:
• Cut through mailbox clutter and captured donors’ interest
• Out-pulled the control by nearly 51%
• Increased net yield per thousand by $487—a 24% increase
• Was recognized as a Gold ECHO Award winner
• Was recognized as a USPS Gold Mailbox Award winner