The main areas of fundraising
United Way: the impact calculator
by SOFII
The calculator allows donors to put in an amount and it lets them know the impact of their donation. This is a simple tool that any organisation with a website can easily do. It’s a great way for engaging donors.
Read moreGreenpeace UK: their cycle of renewal and reactivation mailings, the ‘countdown’ and ‘please and thank-you’ packs
by SOFII
The two mailings shown here form part of Greenpeace UK’s renewal mailings cycle from the late 1980s. Each pack is short, punchy and based around a simple theme, encapsulated in a single word (each of which involves a powerful call to action and which are presented in a very Greenpeace way).
Read moreThe Dogs Trust: sponsor a dog scheme, television commercials
by SOFII
These television commercials are really part of the Dogs Trust sponsor a dog exhibit but they show such good use of DRTV they are worth an additional airing here. Unusually for nonprofit DRTV in the United Kingdom these ads made a profit from their first showing. Quite exceptionally, the early ads achieved a return on investment of five to one.
Read moreUNHCR’s goodwill ambassador
by SOFII
Goodwill ambassadors have become the accepted public face of many INGOs, particularly those in the UN system. But UNHCR’s selection, recruitment and deployment of their public celebrity is a textbook example of how to do it. UNHCR has managed to engage a major celebrity with very simple means at virtually no cost.
Read moreGoderich medical clinic campaign
by SOFII
A really lovely appeal, which shows that it pays to have a couple of direct mail professionals living in your town. In this case, holiday residents Mary Attfield and Steve Thomas set about organising a simple but effective local appeal to make sure local people could have access to their own doctors.
Read moreGrannies’ Pizzas for Vishranthi Old People’s Home
by SOFII
How can two ladies, in their seventies, collect over 10 million rupees to build an old age home? It would be difficult for anyone to answer that question, particularly when the correct answer is – by selling pizzas. The case is an inspiration for anyone who believes in following their dreams.
Read moreThe Chilean Bible Society: mobile phone texting campaign
by SOFII
SOFII's first exhibit from Chile. This is a very clever use of text messaging with an intriguing involvement device built in, in the form of a Bible knowledge quiz. Each text generates a small donation and increases the sender's bible knowledge, which must suit the Chilean Bible Society very well.
Read moreGive India’s Joy of Giving Week
by SOFII
This is a truly great initiative and one that we're sure will be a big success. The Joy of Giving week is a first of its kind in India, and rather than being an individual fundraising activity, it acts as a platform for many NGOs across the country to raise funds for their operations.
Read moreSense’s brilliant style for face-to-face fundraising
by SOFII
Imagine the dark and silent world of a deaf and blind child. That's what Sense's street fundraisers asked passers-by to do. Those who stopped to listen were treated to a charming, evocative story that eased them effortlessly into the charity's case for support.
Read moreGiveIndia’s electronic newsletters: opening a door to effective giving in India
by SOFII
E-mailed newsletters are common nowadays but few have the simple directness and sheer appeal of this example from GiveIndia. GiveIndia's October 2008 newsletter starkly presents the great social challenges that face the sub-continent, but then it succinctly encourages donors by showing them how they can get involved and make a difference.
Read moreAustralian Conservation Foundation: end of year appeal
by SOFII
By changing the way that donors were asked for support, ACF was able to triple income and response with this mailing. It is a brilliant example of a credible, compelling and engaging direct mail piece to a warm audience.
Read moreBritish Heart Foundation: the ‘calculate the cost of heart disease’ mailing
by SOFII
This is irresistible. How could any cost-conscious businessman or woman resist playing with this gadget to get an idea of what heart disease is costing his or her bottom line each year?
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