Direct mail is alive and kicking
Despite
constant streams of prophesies predicting the death of printed
communication, fundraising by direct mail remains on the up and
up with annual volumes continuing their remorseless increase in
developed markets, year on year.. Even in new markets direct mail
is often the communication method of choice for recruitment as
well as ongoing development and motivation.
The range of exhibits on display here is huge, from early examples
of the fundraiser’s art through to some of the most detailed and
complex communications ever devised. Few areas of activity demonstrate the fundraising communicator’s craft as well as does direct mail.
Here's a selection of SOFII’s latest additions:
DMI 283 The Steel Yard ‘one day at a time’
A small organisation raises money imaginatively to cover its general running costs.
E182 Emergency fundraising for ANC’s 1992 election
This campaign pioneered professional political fundraising in the UK and involved the British public in playing an active role in getting rid of apartheid forever.
DMI247 Defenders of Wildlife coordinated communications
The inside story on integrated, multi-channel, multi-level fundraising.
DMI240 Story-telling from Children’s Wish Foundation
A great letter and a powerful, moving story combine to produce an effective and engaging direct mail appeal for CWF.
DMI 73 Greenpeace’s optimistic tick box for £250,000
A cheeky ask that raised a lot of money. But also a textbook example of building donors’ trust and respect by being honest. So, a new addition to SOFII’s hall of fame, ‘The Best of the Best’.
DMI 237 Longwood Gardens direct mail member acquisition pack
A complex and colourful package delivers extraordinary results.
DMI66 Greenpeace UK’s reactivation series, from 1991
Reactivation may seem old hat nowadays but you've got to be impressed by how determinedly, resourcefully and succesfully these guys hung on to their donors.
DMI235 Seeing Eye Dogs Australia ‘Sponsor a guide dog’ mailing
A creative adaptation of a tradional theme that excels in its use of simple, plain English to talk to readers in language they’ll readily understand and relate to.
DMI221 Lawrence Park Community Church
When the preacher at LPCC wanted a sign he didn't turn to God, instead he made a pitch to his already very generous parishioners. But he did ask very nicely.
DMI229 RSPCA New South Wales Guardian Angels
Brilliant fundraising from some creative Australians ensured that dogs like Milo, opposite, found a safe home over one of their most dangerous periods.
PO222 Jewish Care’s Post-it notes campaign
A well-deserved award winner, through press and direct mail this creative approach sensitively, memorably and effectively addresses an issue that might be relevant to any of us.
DMI179 How Oceans Conservancy beat their own banker.
This Ocean Conservancy pack exemplifies dm fundraising best practice but it also beat an established original control pack.
DMI180 The ‘Wall of Tolerance’ appeal
Southern Poverty Law Center’s campaign to build a special commemorative wall in Montgomery, Alabama, USA as a lasting symbol of America’s tolerance movement.
DMI178 Nature Conservancy USA’s launch of its Science Council
How setting up a special donor club also launched a major donor recruitment initiative seeking $1,000 plus gifts from a general donor file for the first time.
DMI74 Greenpeace Frontline
How do you successfully introduce high value monthly giving to a largely flat donor file, then get the idea copied by offices around the world?
MD165 Common Cause major donor upgrade
Everyone wants to find cost-effective ways to upgrade supporters from small gifts to true major donor status. Here’s how one organisation from the USA did it.
DMI167 Hannah’s inspirational direct mail
See how seven year-old Hannah’s first ever attempt at writing and designing a direct mail appeal letter is brimming over with lessons for today’s professional.
DMI174 Jesse Jackson’s bid for the White House, 1988
Twenty years before the world had heard of Barack Obama here’s bold, engaging direct mail fundraising helping to make possible America’s first serious bid for the White House by an African American.
DMI175 Make a Wish Foundation’s upgrade proposal
How individually personalised proposals accompanied by brilliant feedback on what past giving had achieved encouraged new levels of giving for many donors
DMI121 Help The Aged ‘you have this gift’ mailing
An intriguing cover line works every time. Add in a great involvement device and you have a classic on your hands, possibly even, one of the best control packs of all time.
DMI172 Fund for a Free South Africa high value direct mail
A colourful, beautifully-crafted direct mail appeal package designed to create maximum impact from a carefully targeted group of potential major donors.
DMI173 International Campaign for Tibet
Successful use of a distinctive front-end premium.
DMI134 Botton Village’s ‘Frances’ donor acquisition pack
Find out why this brilliant direct mail package became the ‘control’ (also known as ‘the banker’) recruitment tool for one of Britain’s best and most loved fundraisers.
DMI142 WOMANKIND acquisition mailing
How to engage donors in a personal way in providing solidarity and support to women whose rights are threatened. And at the same time recruit new donors effectively, in volume.
DMI43 National Asthma Campaign straws mailing
The UK’s National Asthma campaign came up trumps when they went looking for an effective ‘banker’ direct mail donor recruitment pack and came up with a truly relevant and stunningly effective involvement device.
DMI116 Jerry Falwell’s emergency appeal
A stunningly direct appeal for funds from a cash-strapped campaign.
DMI100 Handicap International’s donor relationship-building from the field of action
As this exhibit shows, mailings from the field are very effective and appropriate fundraising. They are not copied enough.
RB118 Botton Village giving donors choices
This simple experiment, which became progressively more sophisticated, is one of the most important steps in donor relationship development in the history of fundraising.
DMI27 Mencap Christmas Appeal
How inclusion of a simple cardboard decoration boosted results in a crucial annual appeal mailing.
DMI29 Muscular Dystrophy Group’s envelope test
A brave and potentially instructive test designed to help fundraisers understand how donors wish to receive their direct mail.
FA14 Eihei Dogen’s fabulous dm letter from 1235
Is this really the world's oldest fundraising letter? Maybe or maybe not but it certainly repays study because though it is nearly 800 years old it still shows better practice in targeting and thanking donors than many contemporary examples.
FA16 Dr Barnardo's historic mailing from 1882
Brilliant direct mail from when Jack the Ripper was around. Sadly few modern direct mail appeals are this personal or anywhere near so passionate and sincere.
DMI 18 The
Lost Dogs’ Home, Melbourne, acquisition campaign
A great acquisition pack from one of Australia’s foremost advocates of relationship fundraising.
DMI 17 Ryton
Gardens recyclable mailing
This pack raised more than 10 times its target but more importantly, people loved it, wrote in to praise it and even reused it in their own gardens.
DMI24 CPAR 'Plant a tree in Ethiopia' mailing
Ethiopia has to be one of the most difficult fundraising markets in the world. Yet this pack produced results that most more sophisticated fundraisers can only dream of.
DMI113 Princess Margaret’s Hospital Wings of Hope appeal
How to raise donor loyalty and increasing funds for the cause while providing a way of linking donors to patients.
DMI137 Habitat for Humanity UK guarantee pack
Would a money-back guarantee help your direct mail? Habitat for Humanity tried it, and the results were as interesting and instructive as were their reasons for doing it.
RG40 MSF conversion to regular giving pack
Without doubt all fundraisers want regular givers and lots of them. This is a great example of how to convert your existing supporters from random one-off gifts to planned regular giving.
DMI136 Australian Conservation Foundation’s Christmas warm appeal
By changing the way that donors were asked for support, ACF was able to quadruple income and response with this mailing.
DMI62 Amnesty International’s pen pack
This is the mailing that launched more than 1,000 copycat packs. But it's worth studying for other reasons to. Find out why this is the standard all direct mail copywriters should aspire to.
DMI136 Handgun Control acquisition
This hard-working, professionally produced pack was designed not just to influence opinions but also to bring in fighting funds by the sackload.
DMI148 Habitat ‘Hungary’ mail pack
Find out how a dream came true for Hungarian expatriate who used brilliant direct mail to help build homes for his fellow countrymen and women.
…and many more.
Exhibits in
this section
NB. Please remember this site is still being built. In coming months we will be considerably expanding the number and range of exhibits presented here.
Direct
mail–individuals
