2012 DMFA Midlevel Renewal Package of the Year: ASPCA Memo Mailing

The memo describes the program and its need, shares stories and stresses the importance of the donor.

The other contents include an image of an animal in need of transport, an insert about how the Transport Program is saving lives, a reply device that describes what certain levels of the donor's Founder's gift can provide and the return envelope.

This package was mailed in 2011 and then updated with small tweaks for 2012.

"There was a sublet change inside from 2011," O'Brien says. "There is no direct ask, but it highlighted the funding need and really brought across the feeling of the donor as a partner."

As it turns out, this little tweak significantly increased the average gift and brought in about $200,000 overall, also besting the 2011 total, showing the power of making donors feel like partners in the cause.