2014 Gold Awards for Fundraising Excellence Telefundraising ($10 Million and Over) Winners

In its 2012 cycle, EMILY’s List donors gave in unprecedented numbers. Going into 2013, CCAH recognized that midlevel donors would need a highly targeted, high-touch approach to get energized for the next giving cycle. This campaign was conducted by callers who were highly skilled at communicating with high-level donors and who dialed the leads by hand. While scripts varied throughout the year, the messaging consistently emphasized the “danger” of the GOP agenda and the importance of early giving to help elect pro-choice Democratic women to all levels of government.

Roughly 1,200 midlevel donors were solicited at least once a quarter, and over the course of 10 months, they generated $235,000 with a 12 percent conversion rate. More than $200,000 of the revenue was raised on credit card, so more than 80 percent of the dollars raised was available the next day. This campaign is an example of some of the most important components of any successful telefundraising campaign — meticulously tested messaging, intensive training for callers, and ongoing monitoring and feedback.