We wanted to share with you a couple more case studies from Avalon’s MAXI Award submissions – the first is a direct mail donor acquisition test, and the second a multi-channel campaign.

 

While our primary objective was to acquire new and valuable donors for our client Farm Sanctuary, it was also important to know if an acquisition audience would be more responsive to tragic or cute animal images on the carrier. The control package focused heavily on the cruelty of the factory farming system and featured a bleak image of a downed pig on the carrier. Conversely, we had had much success with an email campaign featuring a cute animal.

We’re pleased to announce Avalon’s involvement in the first-ever Integrated Marketing Advisory Board (IMAB) for the nonprofit sector. Avalon is one of 12 organizations that have come together to form the IMAB, which is launching January 31.

Campaign Spotlight: Sustainer Recruitment

Challenge: At Avalon, we’ve always touted telemarketing as the most effective channel for sustainer invitations. One of our clients, a progressive advocacy nonprofit, asked us to confirm that telemarketing is the way to go, before they further invested in a channel that can be more expensive than direct mail.

Held October 3-5 in Baltimore, the Convio Summit brought together hundreds of nonprofits and vendors to share what’s happening in the online space.  Geared towards touting the benefits of integrating mail, phone, web, mobile, and other channels, the Summit offered numerous sessions on how best to coordinate direct marketing channels while staying on message.

Two noteworthy accomplishments from the National Parks Conservation Association and the National Breast Cancer Coalition – two Avalon clients that have recently been in the news.  Their success stories are worth sharing …

Target Analytics has just released its 2011 donorCentrics™ Internet and Multichannel Giving Benchmark Report … and I wonder how much traction it will get in the direct marketing community.  Integrated marketing, multi-channel giving, cross-channel communication … we all talk about it and assume that if we provide donors various options they will simply give in the way in which we ask.  But is this true?  Do Internet acquired donors prefer to always give online or will they jump readily to the direct mail piece waiting in the mailbox?  And what about our trusty direct mail acquired donors – will they promptly go online to renew or respond to a special appeal when asked?  And, most importantly … are their differences in retention vis-à-vis method of acquisition?

It was great to see so many of our colleagues and friends at NTEN’s Nonprofit Technology Conference … and to take part in some incredible breakout sessions and trainings.  I’ve always known that when used effectively, technology is critical to tapping into donor bases – but I’m always amazed at how cutting edge our industry is.  I think we’re really at the forefront of some exciting advances in providing donors user-friendly choices in making giving not only rewarding but also easy.

Three “must-read” online benchmarking reports have been keeping me busy!  In addition to the recently released Convio Online Marketing Nonprofit Benchmark Index™ Study, the Blackbaud 2010 Online Giving Report and the 2011 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study from M+R and NTEN have also just come out.  So – what’s what?  What online metrics should you focus on?  How are you doing compared to your peers?  What expectations are realistic?

After spending three days at the NTEN Technology Conference, I came away with the undeniable sense that integrated, multi-channel fundraising is truly in focus for nonprofits and political campaigns.  Though still far from reaching its fullest potential, a slew of results were vibrantly discussed throughout the conference.   

In 2008, the Obama campaign used a team of six analysts to empirically test and fine tune every nuance of its fundraising and organizing program by pouring over results garnered from one billion email sends.  By contrast, not every result shared at the conference came certified with degrees of statistical significance or control group results, nonetheless, one thing was abundantly clear: an integrated, multi-channel approach works.

Ready or not, the 2012 election cycle is upon us.  And it’s not just presidential jabs from Sarah Palin … in the House and Senate game plans are well underway.  Though it may still seem early to some, there is no better time than now for political campaigns to start building, or rebuilding, their email lists for when things really get hot in 2012.