Guide Dogs NSW/ACT*: ‘tea for two’ appeal

The first page of the letter.

The outer envelope.

The tea bag that helped tell a story.

SOFII's view

Most fundraisers would agree that guide dogs, or seeing eye dogs, are wonderful for the people who need them and they are pretty good for fundraising as well: everyone loves them and photos of them with their owners have most of us reaching into our pockets. However, guide dogs are often only part of an organisation’s story, but everyone expects to see them, response could even fall if they are not there. So what to do? Easy: send a tea bag of course. Then your donor can take a break, put her feet up with a nice cuppa – and read the stories that you have to tell. If you read on, you’ll find out why peppermint tea is best.

Medium of communication:

Direct mail.

Type of charity:

Disabilities.

Target audience:

Individuals, single gift.

Country of origin:

Australia.

Creator/originator:

Ask²

Name of exhibitor:

Amel Bendeddouche , Ask².

Date of first appearance:

August, 2011.

Summary/objectives:

Guide Dogs New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory* wanted to focus on on their mobility and orientation programmes for children in their August appeal to their donors. Infants and young children are too young to benefit from a guide dog. The problem was that dogs sell and that without them response rates would drop. The solution turned out to be a simple bag of peppermint tea.

Background:

Everyone knows what a guide dog does and loves them. But they’re only part of the bigger picture for someone who is blind. You can’t get a guide dog in Australia until you’re 16. So what happens when you’re born without sight or you start to go blind as a child? In order to develop spatial awareness young children must be immersed in environments rich in sensory experiences such as touch, sound – and smell.

Special Characteristics:

The appeal provided the donor with a sensory experience through a peppermint tea bag and invited her or him to enjoy the wider impact of her giving through three case studies, each geared for a different stage in a child’s life.

Influence/Impact:

The pack broke previous results at the same time of year and broadened the donors’ understanding, appreciation and commitment for the full scope of the charity’s work.

Costs:

AUS $1.80 a piece.

Merits:

The pack provided an original way in which to promote Guide Dogs’ work with children and tackled head on the fact that lovable dogs were not the only way in which the charity could be portrayed.

Other relevant information:

The pack won the Fundraising Institute of Australia’s 2012 campaign of the year, the top honour awarded each year. This was after first winning the New South Wales Chapter’s award for the best direct mail appeal.