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The Solution

In our first year of partnership, our goal was to “do no harm.” We examined their current fundraising plan and used a similar cadence of touchpoints to their previous agency.

However, we noticed a few areas that needed immediate attention, and we started:

• Expanding their major donor program with high-end touchpoints to increase average gift
• Growing their new donor pipeline through additional acquisition touchpoints
• Upgrading and converting mid-level donors, as well as cultivating planned giving prospects

The Northeast Tennessee team made internal changes as well. They created a Donor Relations Senior Manager role to focus on high-value donors. And to help cultivate major and mid-major donors and prospects, the team began inserting handwritten notes in their newsletters. These notes included each recipient’s giving history and their impact, measured in meals provided.

In our second year of partnership, we continued to expand with new acquisition efforts, stewardship postcards, and high-end touchpoints for mid and major donors.

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The Result

The results of these changes were incredible. In the first year with RKD Group, Second Harvest exceeded revenue projections by 49%—at a time when most food banks were seeing a decline from pandemic giving. In the next year, they blew past projections again, this time by 60%. From FY23 to FY24, Second Harvest increased its direct mail revenue by 28%, and the average gift grew to $150.

This exceptional growth is a testament to the impact of open-mindedness and trust in new fundraising tactics and relationships. With the Northeast Tennessee team’s belief in RKD Group as their new agency partner, we developed great confidence in working together and excitement for this program.

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