The Food Bank of Northern Indiana serves Elkhart, LaPorte, Kosciusko, Marshall, Starke and St. Joseph counties. They actively partner with local and national manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, food growers, packers and brokers to procure food.
RKD’s One-Year Anniversary package resulted in:
13.2%
response rate
$198.71
average gift
13.2%
response rate
$198.71
average gift
“I was intrigued when my RKD team discussed a COVID-19 One-Year Anniversary piece. I thought it could resonate with our donors and share how their support really got us through the darkest days but kept my expectations low because of donor and COVID fatigue. I was blown away by the results of this campaign and grateful for the guidance and support from my amazing RKD team.”
Marijo Martinec, CEO
THE CHALLENGE
Retaining COVID donors
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Food Bank of Northern Indiana welcomed an influx of new, reactivating and upgrading donors. The food bank was looking for a way to retain these new donors and thank them for stepping up in the midst of a pandemic.
THE SOLUTION
Creating an anniversary appeal
A year after the start of the pandemic, we decided to send an anniversary appeal that focused on the good that donors had made happen in such a devastating year. The piece included a letter from the CEO and an impact report that shared high-level stats since the pandemic hit and individual stories of the people their donations had helped. The package was sent to their 0-24 month $10+ audience, including all new COVID donors.
breakthrough
Sharing impact drives response rate
The anniversary package appealed to donors’ emotions, resulting in an overall response rate of 13.2%. With a high average gift of $198.71, this package brought in approximately three times what any other appeal had historically brought in during that time.
