As we move into an increasingly digital world, organizations now find they must adapt to donors’ changing behaviors. While direct mail still is a powerful and effective medium, more organizations are seeing first-hand the effectiveness of multichannel campaigns.
At NextGen, we are effectively implementing campaigns that combine the ease of online donations with the longstanding success of traditional direct mail campaigns.
The Client
The Bay Area’s Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA (PHS/SPCA) is a local, private, nonprofit organization dedicated to animal welfare. PHS/SPCA is truly an open admission shelter, not only accepting many pet animals who might be refused at other shelters, but also caring for injured and orphaned native wildlife from San Francisco to San Mateo and the northern half of Santa Clara County. They are one of the few shelters in California accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association.
The Challenge
Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA’s Spay/Neuter Campaign is a longstanding appeal theme that has resonated with local supporters. This past year presented a unique opportunity to ratchet up the campaign’s call-to-action. A change in PHS/SPCA’s contract with the county resulted in significantly more new spay/neuter costs that the organization would now have to cover.
NextGen worked closely with PHS/SPCA to deploy a targeted, multi-channel campaign to highlight the urgency of the ask and provide as many touch points as possible.
The Results
The campaign included a postcard with a QR code test, a direct mail letter, an email appeal series, social media advertising, and organic social posts.
NextGen found this campaign really resonated with donors. Revenue from the multichannel campaign raised an additional $22,770 with 190 additional gifts YoY. The QR code that we tested in the lead effort garnered more revenue than the control, despite the response not yielding statistically significant results.
