Case Study: Human Rights Campaign Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal, Part 4

In all, HRC sent 19 million e-mails to members and supporters to take action, 625,000 e-mails to members of Congress, and recruited 20,000 pro-repeal veterans. It really doesn't get any more integrated and multichannel than that.

Results
The results of the campaign definitely justified the intensive work the HRC put forth for the repeal DADT campaign. Donors responded with donations that met fundraising goals, activists took action in large numbers, HRC was able to raise awareness for both the cause and the organization, and ultimately, the DADT legislation was repealed. In December, President Barack Obama signed the repeal of DADT into law.

The repeal DADT website was a big part in the success. It generated a ton of traffic and clickthroughs for HRC, and the organization fundraised really well on the site with donation links, says Lott.

Another huge success was HRC mobilizing canvassers down to Washington, D.C., during Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity and Stephen Colbert's Rally to Keep Fear Alive in order to get people to sign petitions and raise awareness for DADT repeal. The canvassers used iPads to sign up people to receive communications on the spot. It was so successful with its clickthroughs and e-mail open rates for those who signed up via the iPads that HRC plans to expand its use of them in its field efforts going forward. The telemarketing also reactivated a good number of deeply lapsed donors.

The April direct mailer worked really well to the targeted audience as well, but it wasn't all rosy for HRC. The DADT-focused direct mail didn't do so well to a broader audience; it resonated best with HRC's top direct-mail donors. And timing proved crucial with the appeals.

"As far as direct mail, we figured that if we could nail the timing right it can be very successful," Lott says. "Direct mail appeals aren't always successful for us for that reason … but the one that went out in April was very successful whereas the one that we did in June wasn't as successful. The timing was just slightly off because it ended up hitting right after the House voted [on the DADT repeal]. That one didn't do as well; timing is just critical."