The Acquisition Advantage:

How We Turned Interest into Impact for ADRA Canada

In the fall of 2022, our client ADRA Canada wanted to find new donors who shared their passion for helping people all over the world. Considering the average donor retention rate is only 45%, acquisition is critical to gain new donors and grow an effective fundraising Program.

ADRA Canada has been doing vital developmental and emergency response work all over the globe for nearly 40 years. They’re in over 100 countries, and they’re excellent at what they do.

But here’s the predicament. Outside of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, they’re relatively unknown in Canada.

They faced a daunting challenge… What was the best way to find new donors?

The Approach? 

First, we conducted an in-depth analysis, looking closely at their giving history and donor composition, comparing their past campaigns and previous approaches with the latest in fundraising best practices. This audit informed our approach.

Our strategy was aimed at donor acquisition and list-building, targeting potential donors who would be enthusiastic about supporting ADRA Canada’s work. Here's how we made that happen:

The Story Behind The Story:

At first, ADRA Canada wanted to focus on the global hunger crisis through the story of a young girl named Zola in Kenya. But our plans took a turn when we were informed that their Executive Director was visiting Ukraine and would be able to provide on-the-ground updates. You see, with offices already stationed in Ukraine, ADRA was among the first to respond to the invasion, helping refugees displaced due to the conflict.

With the war in Ukraine dominating news cycles and capturing Canadian attention, we recognized an opportunity to pivot to a cause that resonated deeply with our audience's concerns.

This decision was crucial because the campaign coincided with the year-end giving season, a peak period for donor generosity.

To capitalize on this heightened awareness and potential for increased engagement, we conducted an A/B test. This approach allowed us to assess whether developmental or emergency response messaging connected more deeply with potential donors.

The letter shared a powerful firsthand narrative from ADRA Canada’s Executive Director to underscore the urgent need for support. This ensured our appeal was both timely and compelling in a time when empathy and action could produce a significant increase in donations.

The Acquisition List: Utilizing a carefully selected rental list that mirrored ADRA Canada’s existing donors, we sent letters across Canada to individuals who were likely to support their work.

The Reply Card Design: We designed a full-page Reply Card that was easy to read and fill out, especially for donors over 60, featuring metrics that explained exactly what their gift amount would accomplish for a straightforward giving process.

The Design: Ensuring a seamless experience from the appeal letter to the digital landing module, we integrated the design of the Reply Card to reflect the campaign’s visual theme, emphasizing our strategic and cohesive approach.

The Digital Element: Bridging print and digital, we created a dedicated donation checkout portal and incorporated QR codes into our materials for a quick, effortless transition to online giving.

The Results

The response to the Ukraine mailer has been remarkable, with engagement far exceeding the standard expectations, setting a new benchmark for what we can achieve together.

1. It attracted a large number of high-quality new donors, the majority of whom have continued their support beyond their initial contribution.
   
   

2. The appeal's response rate was three times higher than the industry average for acquisition mailers, indicating a strong engagement from the target audience.
   
   

3. Following their initial donations, these new donors have doubled their giving, demonstrating a deepening commitment to ADRA Canada's work.

Key Performance Highlights

Our approach expanded ADRA Canada's supporter base. Beyond the incredible responses, donations often require multiple touchpoints, and now thousands more Canadians have become familiar with ADRA Canada and the life saving work they do.

By increasing the average donation across a broader group of donors, we're guiding ADRA Canada towards a more resilient fundraising model, reducing dependence on significant contributions from a few high-value donors.