Anatomy of a Direct Mail Control: American Foundation for the Blind

Art illustrates a personal story that goes to the heart of this nonprofit’s mission in this direct mail package.

Mailer Name: American Foundation for the Blind
Date Mailed: January 2014 to January 2017

Founded in 1921, the American Foundation for the Blind serves individuals with vision loss. Author and activist Helen Keller worked for the organization for over 40 years.

This direct mail campaign has been in the mail for over three years. This qualifies it as a very successful fundraising effort as tracked by Who’s Mailing What!, the world’s most complete library of direct mail and email.

The front of the 6”x9-1/2” envelope teases: “INSIDE: The remarkable work of a blind artist.”

Inside, a four-page letter from Kirk Adams, the AFB’s president and CEO, tells the story of John Lewis and ties it into the art on the enclosed cards.

Lewis’s paintings—shown on the cards—were a result of his twin passion for the outdoors and his art. He has been able to build a life for himself thanks to programs run by AFB.

Adams details how the group provides both technology and training to the visually impaired.

In his lift note, Lewis talks about the technique he used to create the artwork adorning the greeting cards. He connects the skills and determination he used to the values of the AFB and its work.

One of the cards is from a painting that represents his experience of Retinitis Pigmentosa, the disease that robbed him of his eyesight.

You can get a free PDF of this mailing, as well as a more in-depth analysis, courtesy of Who’s Mailing What!

The Takeaway
Your organization’s beneficiaries have powerful stories to tell.