Putting Integration to the Test

As an integrated agency, Mal Warwick Donordigital has always believed in the power of multi-channel fundraising strategies to enhance campaigns and drive giving. But how do we prove that integration is an effective tactic? 

One tried and true integration effort we use frequently is sending a complimentary email to donors who’ve recently received a mail piece — this allows us to reinforce messaging and remind potential donors about their opportunity to give. 

Partnering with one of our incredible environmental clients, we set out to prove the value of this multi-channel approach.  

Before we got started, we recommended an e-append to increase the number of mail donors we could reach through email. This greatly increased the potential audience for our test. 

Then we got to work! We identified three consecutive mailings to include in our test. Using three mailings – rather than one – allowed us to view the long-term impact of giving in the mail. And with three opportunities, donors would be more likely to view one of the offers – whether it was in their mailbox or email inbox. 

We created randomly split control and test groups to ensure our test was accurate. Both groups received the same three mailings in May, June, and July. The control group received no email integration. The test group received an integrated email message each month. 

Each integrated email had the same sender as the signer of the direct mail packages. They referenced the mail piece that arrived in the donor’s home, included an image of the outer envelope, and urged the donor to make a gift online or through the mail.  

The results are in! 

Across three mailings the control group converted 448 donors … the test group converted 495 direct donors — a 10.5% increase. 

Even better, the donors in the test group showed a greater likelihood to give monthly. Among the contacts who received the control mailings, 14 donors started monthly gifts. Contacts who received the test (mail and integrated email) 22 became monthly donors — a 57% increase. 

When we combined these results, we realized a difference in revenue of over $13,000 between the control and test – a 53% increase! 

Our test showed the power of multi-channel giving and our client is eager to find more opportunities to integrate their messaging. With so many channels in our fundraising toolkit; email, mail, social media, ads, CTV, texting, and more, this test shows the benefit of thoughtful integration to fuel success.