Gold Awards Flashback: Ronald McDonald House Charities (2013 Campaign of the Year)

As FundRaising Success gears up for the ninth annual Gold Awards for Fundraising Excellence, take a look back at last year's Campaign of the Year from Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC).

RMHC worked with TrueSense Marketing on its Preemie Baby Hat Appeal, which stood out for its unusual package and incredibly emotional tie-in:

The front of this white, plain-as-can-be No. 10 envelope doesn’t look like anything special — until you notice the word “Fragile” scrawled across the front, just to the side of the address window, “hand-printed” and underlined in blue.

Holding it in your hand, you realize there’s something in the envelope aside from paper; it’s tactile. But whatever that something is, it’s soft and squishy. And it certainly doesn’t feel fragile.

You definitely want to open it. And knowing it’s from Ronald McDonald House, you know it’s an ask and you know it’s an opportunity to help sick kids. But what’s inside, and what’s so fragile about it?

Once inside, you realize the bumpy bits are actually a hat. Like the ones hospital nurseries put on newborns.
A tiny hat. Like they put on really tiny newborns. Preemies — the most fragile little lives you can imagine.

Read more about the 2013 Campaign of the Year here.

Then, get your submissions ready for the 2014 Gold Awards. The deadline is Aug. 22. For an entry to be eligible, the campaign must have taken place sometime between Jan. 1, 2013, and Dec. 31, 2013.

Download the entry form here. There is a $125 entry fee for the first entry from a company and/or nonprofit organization, and each additional entry costs $75 apiece.

Each entry must be submitted individually and be accompanied by its own entry form, tracking sheet and check. Please submit two copies of each entry.

Entries should be mailed to:

FundRaising Success Gold Awards
1500 Spring Garden St., 12th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19130
Attn: Joe Boland

You can get an entry form, tracking sheet and additional information here, then get moving! We look forward to reviewing your entries and engrossing ourselves in these wonderful campaigns.