How Creative Differentiation Powered a University Foundation's Special Anniversary Giving Days

Challenge

A nonprofit university foundation needed to make its anniversary Giving Days stand out from traditional fundraising appeals while inspiring community participation and driving significant growth across digital and direct mail channels.

Solution

TrueSense Marketing developed a multichannel campaign featuring distinctive creative elements that broke from standard fundraising approaches. The strategy included direct mail, email, digital ads, and website assets, all branded consistently with the nonprofit’s logo. Key creative innovations included celebration-focused design, energetic copy, oversized calls to action, and imagery emphasizing community connections.

Results

The campaign delivered remarkable outcomes across channels:

• 35% increase in total gifts
• 46% overall revenue growth
• Direct mail: 47% increase in gifts, 110% revenue increase
• Digital channels: 31% gift increase, 37% revenue growth
• Email drove 76% of gifts and 74% of revenue
• Both digital and direct mail channels achieved strong ROI (1.53 and 1.56, respectively)