Multichannel Campaigns of the Year: People for the American Way and Christian Appalachian Project

GOLD AWARD
People for the American Way
Early Renewal: 2012 Election Head Start
Submitted by Chapman Cubine Adams + Hussey

The Numbers
Number of Recipients: 70,919
Response Rate: 6.68 percent
Total Cost: $25,877
Income Generated: $354,957
Average Gift: $61.12
Cost to Raise a Dollar: $0.07

With the 2012 election looming on the horizon, PFAW was under pressure to renew as many supporters as early as possible to gear up for the coming election year. The organization sent e-mails to all current donors and all online nondonor activists, as well as mail pieces to its entire donor universe, using slightly different language for each.

Our judges liked that the appeals were simple and straightforward with no special bells and whistles. They kick off with a punch — a reminder that “The 2012 election may be one of the most important in modern history, so much is at stake.” And after a short explanation why that’s so, the copy includes the donor by asking a “major favor: Will you renew your 2012 PFAW membership early, to provide our organization with the financial boost necessary to get our campaign under way?”

“2011 was the first time PFAW ever ran an early renewal campaign,” wrote CCAH’s Lon Chapman. “It doubled its online response rate, renewed 604 members and attracted 1,332 new members.”

The donor group also had an amazing average response rate of 1.75 percent, more than three times its usual response rate to special appeals.

GOLD AWARD
Christian Appalachian Project
Summer Hunger Campaign
Submitted by CDR Fundraising Group

The Numbers
Number of Recipients: 303,445
Response Rate: 7.15 percent
Total Cost: $263,439
Income Generated: $805,107
Average Gift: $37.09
Cost to Raise a Dollar: $0.33

Our judges were really thrilled with the results of this package, which underscore the value of a well-structured multichannel appeal. According to CDR’s Alisdair Sewell, “The results far exceeded our team’s expectations.”