Events

I was at the Women’s March in D.C., and as I went through the experience, I couldn’t help but think about the psychological principles we apply each day in the course of our work. We figure out how to use natural human biases to create conditions in which people are likely to say “yes” to our ask for fundraising, volunteerism or donations. The biggest bias at work at the Women’s March was ingroup bias. Here's what that means...

Phoenix Rescue Mission’s website was stuck 
in the past. Inconsistent design. Too much 
copy. No mobile responsiveness. The old site (pictured left) was outdated—or worse, cold. “One example is the ‘Homelessness’ page,” said Eric Himes, account director for Grizzard Communications Group, who submitted the entry. “The previous page was full of vital and relevant information, but it read a bit like a term paper.”...

Cara Schmidt, development officer for Camphill Special School, wanted to build upon the school’s #GivingTuesday success in 2014 with a bigger, better 2015 campaign. The catch? She wanted to do it entirely via social media. It’s easy to reach people on social media. It’s much harder to get them engaged...

“A challenge has been made.” Those are the big, bold words written across the front of this Barnes Foundation upgrade appeal’s oversized envelope, practically daring donors to open the package. The mailing—inviting the foundation’s closest and most dedicated supporters to advance their memberships to a higher level—was designed inside and out to make recipients feel special...

When Congress passed legislation in December 2014 to establish a congressional commission to study the feasibility of and recommend a site for the National Women’s History Museum, there was a catch. The commission and museum would both need to be financed with private money. No Washington, D.C, 
museum had ever been asked to underwrite its own congressional commission...

As endorsers go, the pope is about as good as it gets. So when Pope Francis visited Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington for a church service in 2015, the organization saw a major fundraising opportunity. The charity worked with DaVinci Direct on a follow-
up mailing that would turn residual momentum from the visit into donation dollars...

Monthly giving is the lifeblood of many nonprofit organizations, but it’s no easy task to pile up sustainers. It’s even tougher when you’re championing a less-than-sexy cause—say, drug policy. But that didn’t stop Drug Policy Alliance and Sanky Communications Inc. from combining for a remarkable monthly giving campaign...

The numbers listed for this multichannel effort reflect only the final calendar mailing, and they are certainly solid—especially the 6.39 percent response rate. But it was the way the interactive campaign engaged both online and offline audiences that made it the clear winner in this category...

When Farm Sanctuary learned about horrific conditions on a rural New York farm, the animal protection organization knew it had to act fast. And it knew it would need a huge influx of funding to rescue and care for 120 mistreated animals. Mere days before the rescue, Farm Sanctuary turned to Avalon Consulting Group to get the job done...

It’s that magical time when we get to recognize the best, most memorable, most innovative fundraising campaigns. It’s a big responsibility, and choosing the winners is no easy task. All of these entries are just so good—our judges had their hands full. But boy is it rewarding seeing the work of all you fundraisers out there, and the massive impact you help nonprofits achieve. Here are the winners of the 2016 Gold Awards for Fundraising Excellence, presented by Turnkey...