Pulling Power

Posters also were displayed with similar creative, asking shoppers not to forget the animals by making donations to the MSPCA-Angell and to attend the Tree Lighting Ceremony.

The mail package and posters were supplemented online through email, the e-newsletter, Twitter, Facebook, the website and the specific landing page, all of which used similar creative and messaging.

Results
Mailed at the end of October, the direct-mail package was rolled out to 60,000 donors, both current and lapsed up to 36 months. In addition, 88,642 emails went out through two blasts — and the results not only brought in nearly $140,000, but continued to keep donors active on the file.

The direct-mail component brought in $121,860 ($89,533 net) with a 6.02 percent response rate, $46.67 average gift and a cost per dollar raised of 26 cents. The email portion accounted for $17,045 more raised with an 11.26 percent open rate and 0.63 percent clickthrough rate.

Overall, 1,820 ornaments were purchased, and a financial services company was a corporate sponsor for the event, paying to have its ornament as one of the tree-toppers. Two other donors made larger donations to have their ornaments as tree-toppers as well. That led to $33,000 more raised overall in 2013 than 2012.

Of course, with such tremendous response and so many ornaments purchased, it was a bit of a challenge to get all the ornaments ready in time for the lighting. After all, the MSPCA-Angell manually makes each ornament. So to meet demand, the organization tapped volunteers, staff, local companies and colleges, and different groups that wanted to be involved to help in make the ornaments.

“Putting together the ornaments is fun because you get to look at people’s pets and names, and you cut them out and put them on. It really engages people. It’s a small aspect, but something that’s very important,” says Alice Bruce, vice president of development at MSPCA-Angell. “We’re finding it useful as a corporate community-building tool too.”