2014 Gold Awards for Fundraising Excellence Direct Mail (Less Than $10 million) Winners
Direct Mail (Less than $10 million)
The Fund for Iona College
Iona College
(Submitted by Iona College)
The Numbers
Recipients: 427
Response rate: 16.16 percent
Total cost: $4,168
Income generated: $175,865
Average gift: $2,548.77
Cost to raise a dollar: $0.02
There are times when less is more. Such is the case with this letter from Iona College, intended to attract members to its President’s Club
and encourage existing members to renew. The effort is simple and classy, with a definite formal allure. Our judges liked that, as well as the real-pen addressing on the outer envelope.
Iona managed to pack a trifold card with President’s Club information, details about the college’s strategic plan and a note from the college’s president; a letter from the chair of the President’s Club; and the usual reply device into a comparatively tiny envelope, without it feeling cramped or stuffy. But the judges also were impressed that the college realized it was time to shake up the President’s Club appeal — previously, it had never sent anything other than a standard letter.
“This was something the college did that was not part of its previous practices,” writes Jill Krueger, senior director of annual giving and advancement services at the college. “The results of this piece exceeded our expectations.”
Additional Direct Mail (less than $10 million) Winners
SILVER: World Jewish Congress — Major Donor Urgent Year-End Appeal (Submitted by Chapman Cubine Adams + Hussey)
The Numbers
Recipients: 2.115
Response rate: 15.89 percent
Total cost: $13,976
Income generated: $179,494
Average gift: $534.21
Cost to raise a dollar: $0.07
In December 2013, World Jewish Congress found itself having to play a game of catch-up. The organization established a budget goal of $2.5 million net for the year. Typically, the majority of net revenue comes in during the last three months of the calendar. However, 2013 was unusual in many aspects. Due to the changeover to WJC, American Section, no mailing began until late February 2013, so almost two months of potential income was lost. So the fourth quarter of the year took on even greater fundraising significance.
