Strategic shifts drive global lift in direct response results

Challenge

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) has a young direct response program with a “digital-first,” omnichannel mindset. 

Before our partnership began, PanCAN set a series of bold goals to achieve by 2030, including to raise $80M annually, which is a critical step in their mission to accelerate research, early detection and better outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients. 

They came to RKD looking for a partner who could help them reach their goals by amplifying the growth of their direct response fundraising program.

Our Role

Multichannel Strategy

Data Governance

Segmentation & Selection

Direct Mail Strategy


With this in mind, our team approached our partnership with three strategic imperatives to shift the course of their long-term growth: 

Increase acquisition of new donors and strategic reactivation of lapsed donors 

  • Implemented an always-on digital acquisition strategy, including paid media prospecting efforts that targeted new donors and conversion efforts targeting active donors, lookalike audiences and retargeting. 
  • Expanded direct mail acquisition volume and made strategic adjustments to list strategy and seasonal cadence. 
  • Increased participation in co-ops. 
  • Leveraged Velocity, RKD’s predictive intelligence tool, to strategically target lapsed donors with the highest likelihood of recapture. 

Lift retention with better donor experiences 

  • Rolled out Velocity to precisely identify and target audiences with the highest ROI for the organization. 
  • Used Velocity to drive cadence optimizations at the individual level to optimize mail frequency. 
  • Segmented email audiences to customize gift arrays based on past giving history 
  • Continuously tested direct mail packages and offers to make strategic optimizations for stronger performance.  

Move donors up the pyramid 

  • Identified prime leads in the mid, major and sustainer categories to craft tailored journeys that speak to their personal preferences and behaviors. 
  • Deployed a one-to-one, personalized stewardship program to lift retention of high value donors 

In just nine months, PanCAN has seen a global lift in direct response performance, including a 15% increase in gross revenue. Additionally, active donors increased by 10%, new donors lifted by 15% and recaptured lapsed donors by 32%.

15%

Lift in gross revenue

15%

Increase in new donors

10%

Lift in active donors

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