2018 Year-End Multi-Channel Campaign

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59.9% ^

in response rate

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10/60

10 impressions per donor in 60 days

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50% higher

largest gift received

Central Texas Food Bank

The Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB) is the largest hunger-relief charity in Central Texas. CTFB fulfills its mission to nourish hungry people and lead the community in the fight against hunger by partnering with nearly 300 agencies in 21 counties to serve over 39 million meals each year.

Situation

Year-end is the most important season for online giving. In order to capitalize on every available fundraising channel in November and December, a full-scale, multi-channel campaign was needed to maximize results for Central Texas Food Bank during this crucial fundraising window.

BCA Strategy/Approach

BCA incorporated a multi-channel appeal in an effort to maximize the reach of Central Texas Food Bank and the effectiveness of their message. The campaign consisted of the following coordinated and strategically executed components:

  • Direct mail appeals
  • Direct mail acquisition
  • Print and online newsletter
  • Email appeal series
  • Highly targeted social media ads,
  • Retargeting ads
  • Search ads
  • IP-match display ads
  • Homepage lightboxes

Each of these elements were tied together with consistent creative and messaging. This means a donor could see the year-end appeals in their various forms 10+ times over the course of the 60-day campaign.

(IMAGE: 2-3 examples of pieces from the campaign; maybe email, lightbox and social media ad, depending on space)

Results

Response rates were significantly higher for donors who received both direct mail AND display ads:

  • Those who received direct mail pieces AND display ads had a 59.9% higher response rate and higher average gift than those who only received the direct mail pieces.
  • The largest gift received was 50% higher in the mail and display ad category vs. direct mail only.

Those who were unresponsive to the eAppeals but also received social media ads had much higher average gifts and made up a large portion of overall year-end online gifts:

  • 15.3% of the overall number of gifts and 23.5% of the overall income came from this targeted group.
  • The average gift among this group was 54.4% higher than those who opened and/or clicked the emails because of highly targeted social media ads.

(SIDEBAR: Higher response from targeted display and social media ads)

Key Takeaways

  • Reinforced creative and messaging across multiple channels ultimately generates more significant response from donors.
  • Targeted social media ads lift otherwise unresponsive donor segments and raise overall income.
  • For year-end giving, an increased response rate in online gifts is seen as donors find it easier to make last minute gifts online.

Get in Touch

Contact Matthew Slay, Vice President of Client Service, for more information on how Brad Cecil & Associates can help your organization plan and execute a multi-channel campaign!