Since 1978, Food Bank of the Rockies (FBR) has provided more than 668 million meals for people in need. In 2018, FBR distributed nearly 66 million pounds of food, enough to provide more than 145,000 meals each day to children, seniors and families in need.
RKD Group tested holiday labels, which resulted in:
56%
response rate increase among lapsed donors for label package
44%
response rate increase among new donors for label package
$58.59
average gift among both groups for label package
56%
response rate increase among lapsed donors for label package
44%
response rate increase among new donors for label package
$58.59
average gift among both groups for label package
The Challenge
Boost new donor acquisition and lapsed donor reactivation response
Nonprofits can raise as much as 50 percent of their annual revenue during their year-end ask, so the holiday season is a crucial time. The response rate for Food Bank of the Rockies had been decreasing in recent years, so they turned to RKD Group to help both recapture lapsed donors and acquire new donors.
The Solution
Label testing
RKD Group implemented a direct mail testing strategy involving holiday labels for two mailing lists: lapsed donors and potential new donors. Each mailing list was split in two, with half receiving free holiday mailing address labels and the other half receiving a “‘Tis the Season” donation ask message.
Breakthrough
Labels lead the way to more acquisition/ reactivation
The impact of the holiday labels was clear. Among lapsed donors, the response rate and average gift ($56.91) were both higher in the labels group, and the total number of gifts was 56 percent higher. Among new donors, the response rate and average gift ($62.19) were both roughly 44 percent higher in the labels group, along with the total number of gifts.
