You can’t save souls in an empty church
…or mosque, synagogue, temple or even bingo hall. Similarly, you can't raise money unless you have attracted your potential donor’s interest and engaged his or her attention. That’s what involvement devices are for. If you want ot raise funds from anyone, you first have to make sure that they are listening to you and just to you, which in this busy, noisy world can be a real challenge. So an effective and appropriate involvement device will be a great asset .
Genuine involvement device, or mere cheap gimmick?
There’s a world of difference between the two and it will pay any fundraiser to be very well aware of the distinction, so he or she can recognise which is which.
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.
DMI 283 The Steel Yard ‘one day at a time’
A small organisation raises money imaginatively to cover its general running costs.
CC 279 Mith Samlanh Cambodia ‘Buy a brick’ campaign
Ah, that great fundraising stalwart, the brick! How a standard product and colourful involvement device saved a splendid children’s home from having to close its doors.
BI 272 McPherson Assoc/WPBT2’s ‘Surprise us’ tick box.
What happened when McPherson Associates changed the paradigm and let the donors choose.
SC 267 Akshaya Patra’s mission to feed the world
A prize-winning initiative from India is undertaking the world's largest feeding programme, providing more than one million school meals every day.
EF 254 The Immortality Auction
How to live forever in literature and help a favourite cause too – the Medical Foundation for the Care of the Victims of Torture. An event well worth copying.
DMI240 Story-telling from Children’s Wish Foundation
A great letter and a powerful, moving story combine to produce a very effective and engaging direct mail appeal for CWF.
VG213 I CAN adopt a word campaign
By creating an easy to understand, on mission proposition, children’s speech charity I CAN were able to pursue a low-risk, low-cost route to acquire new donors through the seasonal gift market.
ID188 University of Southern Carolina search for the ‘Face of Y’ALL’ 2008
Join the search to find the face that will front the Y’ALL campaign this coming year. Only USC graduates can apply, but that won't stop the rest of us from wanting to.
DMC115 British Heart Foundation’s ‘Calculate the cost of heart disease to your business’ mailing
How could any businessman or woman resist playing with this simple calculator, the easy way to work out what heart disease is costing to his or her company’s bottom line? Is this or is this not the kind of involvement device that might really work?
ID45 Casa Speranti Edelweiss appeal
Building on local church support this Romanian hospice used a unique and very appealing involvement device to engage thousands of new donors.
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.
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.
DMI121 Help The Aged ‘you have this gift’ mailing
A cracker from Help the Aged, the involvement device that almost every other good UK mailing with an effective involvement device is based upon. It was also, for many years, one of the best of all control packs.
LM71 Greenpeace legacy beer mat
Smile at the audacity behind this amusing approach but then ask yourself, did it work? Would we all be a bit more successful at raising money from legacies if we took a leaf or two out of Greenpeace’s book.
New exhibits coming soon
Lots more exhibits are currently in preparation and will be on display on SOFII shortly.
New exhibits coming soon
Lots more exhibits are currently in preparation and will be on display on SOFII shortly.
