A Few Small Changes Deliver a Big Return
	Posted by Guest Blogger at Aug 02, 2013 07:00 AM CDT

This article was written by guest blogger Brock Warner. Brock is a fundraiser for War Child Canada & US, as well as a TEDx speaker on philanthropy, a blogger, and volunteer with the AFP Greater Toronto Area chapter.

“Match Day” appeals are a proven motivator in the fundraising world, providing an attractive offer that can pull even some of the most reluctant lapsed donors back into the annual giving stream. But even campaigns that have been successful in the past have room to improve. In fact, most charities can’t rely on a campaign’s success from one year to the next.

The Second Harvest Food Bank (SHFB) of East Tennessee understood that in 2012 their Match Day had to be the best yet. Their community depends on it. SHFB of East Tennessee is the region’s largest hunger-relief charity, and the demand for services does not cease. Local businesses were ready to match the support of their community, which put the pressure on the SHFB team to deliver the message in as effective a manner as possible.

To get the extra fundraising boost, the team invested in software and outside support that would assist in the delivery of the campaign, and in record time -- approximately two months -- the team at SHFB of East Tennessee was prepared to launch with an impressive integrated marketing strategy that included:

• A custom, branded web portal new to this campaign
• A teaser postcard had been mailed in advance of the day as a reminder
• Three emails ready to be sent on the day of the campaign
• Social media content prepared and at the ready
• Local media (primarily radio) was on board to spread the word

As you would expect, the results were remarkable. Considerably more was raised this year than in previous years. Here are some highlights:

• $28,000 was raised from the emails alone
• $150,000 online, from what were previously considered “off-line” donors
• 16% open rate for the emails
• $2.90 revenue per email address
• $107 average gift
• $26,000 through new sources: radio, social media, etc.

Kudos to SHFB of East Tennessee! A job well done, for a great cause, and to their agency partner Amergent as well.