More behind the story
At Hope College, direct mail has become a fundraising powerhouse. The “Gift Anniversary Card” campaign, led by Amy Borgman, Director of Annual Giving and Operations, has consistently delivered impressive results.
The primary goal of the Gift Anniversary Card campaign was twofold: to retain and upgrade gifts from loyal donors (LYBUNTS) and to reactivate one-year lapsed donors (SYBUNTS). This required a donor-centric approach that could resonate with their supporters and encourage renewed giving.
Amy and her team needed a partner who could simplify the process and make it easy to upload data and send out cards promptly, and Pledgemine by EverTrue fit the bill. Hope College partnered with Pledgemine recognizing it was a fulfillment solution that allowed Hope College to choose the perfect timing for their mailings. But the key was turning the A2 format into an effective appeal, and our team worked closely with Amy to make it happen.
The Gift Anniversary Card campaign primarily targeted LYBUNTS (Alumni, Parents, and Friends who had given in the previous year) and one-year lapsed SYBUNTS. Segmenting their audience helped tailor their message and approach.
So, did they achieve their objectives with this mailing? Absolutely! The Gift Anniversary Card campaign has become one of Hope College’s top-performing direct mail efforts. Their cost per dollar raised is incredibly low, typically falling between 1 and 2 cents.
The return on investment? It’s off the charts, exceeding 100:1. This project has been consistently successful over the years, and they plan to continue using this approach for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, this success has inspired Amy to explore timely appeal efforts for different donor segments, highlighting the ever-evolving challenges and creative opportunities in the world of Annual Giving at Hope College.
That’s a true direct mail success story, if you ask us!
