Every summer, many donors go on vacation, and naturally, their attention drifts. Yet the animals in an animal-care setting don’t stop needing help. The Save Our Summer campaign was built around that reality, using urgency and seasonal messaging to keep donors engaged during the months when giving can soften.
This past year, we ran a test that pushed the Save Our Summer campaign further. We wanted to know whether the control mail package with three standalone remits was actually earning its keep. Could a leaner, less expensive package deliver comparable results?
The control package included three separate giving remits and three return envelopes labeled with June, July, and August deadlines to create urgency throughout the summer. The creative, ask, and package strategy was intentionally different from any other appeal during the year. Multiple return envelopes and remits added thickness to the package and signaled that it was not a routine ask, creating a distinct response experience for the donor.
The test package featured the same messaging and summer theme, but it took a different package approach and used a different ask: a traditional four-voucher gift string set up for a single-remit return with one return envelope.
The question was whether the simplified version with lower production costs could match the control on gross income per name and return on investment (ROI).
The control package produced a 4.36% initial response rate, which climbed to 6.39% once subsequent gifts were received. Nearly 30% of responding donors gave more than once, and those additional donations represented 31.6% of the total gifts received.
The test package began at a 3.91% response rate and finished at 3.98%. Only 1.66% of donors gave more than once, and additional gifts made up less than 2% of the total gifts received.
On gross income per name, the control package achieved $3.54, compared to $2.84 for the test. And for ROI, the control package outperformed the test with 5.0 versus 4.0.
The instinct to simplify is understandable. But this test is a good reminder that the cost of a package must be weighed against what it actually generates, not just what it saves.
The three-standalone-remits strategy works because it changes donor behavior. It gives people a reason to return in July and again in August. That repeat engagement is where the revenue lives. A donor who gives $25 in June, $25 in July, and $25 in August is more valuable than a donor who gives $55 once and moves on. Across our nonprofit partners, TrueSense data shows that donor value and loyalty typically increase through increased frequency.
For organizations deploying summer mail appeals, this test reinforces that the multi-remit ask and package approach is not just a creative choice. It’s a smart strategy for revenue and long-term donor value.