5 Cancer Organizations, 5 Holiday Campaign Results, 1 Chart
Pulling data and holiday campaign info from 5 different cancer related organizations, we put together a chart to see what makes a successful holiday campaign, and we wanted to look at what was happening throughout the industry. After all, comparing and contrasting always helps to make improvements! As you take a look at the chart, keep in mind that variables such as size and quality of list, timing, etc. will all affect results as well.
| Cancer Organization | Organization #1 | Organization #2 | Organization #3 | Organization #4 | Organization #5 |
| Creative concept | Focus on DM (non -holiday message) and matching gift (National) | Letter from a child who fundraised for the organization, thanking them for fighting cancer. (Regional) | Quick win holiday campaign, updates to donation form and email stationary. Opportunity to send an eCard to a loved one. (Regional) | Focused on personal stories, included videos and photos. Integrated this with their DM piece. Also people can share a “holiday wish” (Regional) | Focus on list building through online dedications to loved ones. (Regional) |
| # of emails | 4 | 4 | 3 (plus 1 EOY) | 4 holiday emails, 2 EOY emails | 3 (plus 3 EOY) |
| # e-cards | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Dedications were sent via email |
| Email event individuals | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes | 3 year lapsed event donors |
| Size of event e-list | N/A | 70,000 | 42,324 (including volunteers) | 30,000 | 115,000 |
| Size of total holiday e-list | 9,000 | 80,000 | 121,679 | 35,000 | 120,000 |
| Online marketing support | Google Adwords | Google Adwords | Google Adwords | Google adwords, Facebook ads | Google Adwords, Facebook, print, list rental, Blogger outreach |
| Total dollars raised | $14,335 | $282,259 | $51,426 | $35,000 | $76,000 |
The chart shows a number of cancer related organizations that hjc worked with over the holidays. From the chart you can see some common trends:
- Organizations that were able to access their event participant/donor lists did much better than ones that did not.
- Generally, the larger the list the more funds are raised – but it is also the quality of the list that matters as displayed in Organization #2.
- End of Year appeals added a significant amount to the overall total raised.
- Overall, online advertising helped increase revenue, but what is not shown on this chart is the ROI for online advertising. Some organizations saw over 3000% ROI for their online advertising budgets. Worth it? Without a doubt!
Found your 5 Holiday Campaign Chart very interesting, but would like some additional background information on the campaigns. I’m also interested in some of the services you offer as they may be applicable to a few of our clients. I have a fairly strong background in planning and direct response, but have only dabbled in online technologies and social media solutions with respect to individual giving. Perhaps we can meet to discuss possible collaborations in the future.
Thank you!
Peter