How a Multichannel Approach Revitalized Spring Fundraising for a Chapter-Based Nonprofit

Challenge

Direct mail results had softened for several years during the annual spring fundraising period for a chapter-based nonprofit. The control package had remained unchanged, and previous tests had not identified a stronger alternative, leaving limited opportunities to improve results. The chapters needed a refreshed approach that could lift performance without losing the authentic storytelling that donors responded to.

Solution

TrueSense Marketing saw an opportunity to break through by creating a truly integrated, multichannel experience. Rather than treating digital and direct mail as separate channels, the team developed a strategy centered on extending the emotional narrative across touchpoints to create a cohesive donor journey.

Digital assets including email, Meta ads, and display ads were designed to reach the same audience that received the direct mail piece. Visual consistency was ensured throughout the channels, with digital design elements deliberately reflecting the direct mail package design. The team also tested a direct mail package based on the digital wrap creative to determine whether the digitally optimized message could outperform the long-standing control.

Results

The integrated donor wrap campaign delivered measurable success across multiple metrics. The coordinated, multichannel effort produced a 14% lift in direct mail response rate and a 19% lift in average gift size. Most remarkably, the digital-inspired direct mail package outperformed a control that had been unbeatable for more than eight years.