Bringing Diversity to One of Canada’s Oldest Charities
	Posted by Chris McKinley at Mar 14, 2013 07:01 AM CDT

For many people, The Salvation Army shield is an iconic emblem of hope for those in need. At no point is that more apparent than during the holiday season when the charity receives a significant amount of public support.

A national direct mail program at Salvation Army Canada has been the bread and butter of their annual fundraising program, which is complemented by a strong donor retention strategy. As the charitable marketplace becomes increasingly competitive, Salvation Army Canada understood that they would need to add new strategies for donor acquisition to their fundraising toolkit.

Why? Because Canada has grown increasingly diverse ethnically and culturally, and many newer Canadians are not as familiar with the Salvation Army brand. The explosion of media channels and advertising competition has made it more complicated to engage with diverse audiences, and the cost of a mail program is only getting higher (Canada does not have a nonprofit postage rate, only bulk mail discounts).

To overcome the natural attrition among existing donors, a direct mail channel could not be ignored. But in order to add a sizeable group of new diverse donors, a complex integrated marketing campaign was the only solution held together by a powerful opportunity for Canadians to help their neighbors at Christmastime.

This integrated campaign included:

• Direct mail
• Out-of-home transit/bus shelter ads
• Movie screen ads
• Radio traffic sponsorships
• Newspaper space ads
• Freestanding inserts (FSIs) in newspapers
• Online ads in newspaper websites
• Imagery reflecting the ethnic diversity of the country

The campaign during Christmas 2011 focused specifically on the Toronto market, and yielded some impressive results:

• 16% increase in new donor revenue
• 27% increase in website traffic
• 15% increase in online donations
• 8% increase in new donors

Based on the campaign’s success, it was rolled out again in 2012 and enhanced with a Chinese-language integrated campaign. Overall, this campaign proved that adding an integrated marketing strategy to an existing direct mail program can dramatically boost results – especially where it matters most, the acquisition of new donors.

For more information, watch the Salvation Army case study video.