And The Winners Are. (Echo Awards).

Nonprofits shined during the Direct Marketing Association's 72nd Annual International ECHO Awards ceremony. Charitable organizations captured 20 of the prestigious awards, a considerable increase from nine bestowed last year.

This year, the awards were given out during the October ceremony held in Chicago, and emceed by actor/comedian John Henson of E! Entertainment Television's Talk Soup.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation For Parkinson's Research and McCann Relationship Marketing should be commended for the work they did together on three ECHO award-winning campaigns, and the Henry Hoke Award. While last year's award winners relied primarily on direct mail, this year was a return to various media, including TV and print. The Internet is also becoming a successful medium for nonprofits.

The Barcelona City Council won several awards for its recycling awareness campaigns. Because of tight space those campaigns are not reviewed below.

Gold Echo Award and USPS Gold Mailbox Denver Rescue Mission -- Thanksgiving Dinner Bag Flat Mail

The Denver Rescue Mission competes for the same donor audience with at least five other organizations serving the homeless in the Denver market. Some 80 percent of the funds that support these year-round programs are raised from September through December. A combination of direct mail, space ads, and alternate response media is used to reach nearly every household in the market area. However, the market was becoming saturated, and donations were falling off.

The control package and preceding mailings were inexpensive buck-slip mailings containing only a response device and outer envelope. All had the same proven offer: Provide a meal or a night's shelter.

The strategy behind this award-winning mailing was to retain the basic offer, but create a unique package to help distinguish the mission from competing organizations, and creatively support the proposition that for a small donation, recipients can give a complete Thanksgiving dinner.

The package was dropped three to four weeks prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, when donors are most apt to give gifts to feed homeless people.

Under the guidance of the Russ Reid Company, the entire offer was placed on the outer envelope - a brown paper bag - to make it simple and easy to understand. Responding was easy: simply remove the label and affix it to the response devise and write a check. People were also encouraged to give the bag a second life and make it more than a direct mail piece by reusing it for their own lunch. It also served as a reminder of the meals they were giving others.

The test proved worthwhile. The paper bag envelope beat the three-year control by 51 percent, and increased the mission's net yield per thousand by $487, or 24 percent.

The Denver Rescue Mission and the Russ Reid Company also received the USPS Gold Mailbox award, which is given to the campaign exhibiting the best use of direct mail.

Gold ECHO Awards Covenant House -- Bed and Blanket Appeal Flat Mail

The cold weather in the winter presents an extraordinary challenge for shelters like Covenant House and the more than 60,000 street kids they serve every year. Once the temperature drops, the number of kids seeking help rises tremendously. Plus, September has historically been a difficult time period to raise money as many donors "hold" their gift until the Christmas appeal comes in early December. Covenant House needed to give donors a new and compelling reason to give immediately.

Working with Epsilon, Covenant House mailed donors a distinct but not flashy, stand-alone appeal. It was meant to feel and look like an old fashioned drive, much like one which might take place at a local church. The mailing was delivered in a #10 envelope with first-class postage, a personalized letter, and a stamped return envelope.

To make this appeal feel like a true "drive" the agency also included an additional envelope in the package and asked the donor to pass it on to a friend. Northern donors were told to give because kids were freezing outside. Southern donors were asked to give because a lot more kids were migrating south in the winter, making Covenant House's shelters even more crowded.

This one appeal generated $3,341,831 gross revenue and $3,154,550 net - by far the most successful fall mailing in Covenant House's 30-year history. More than 92,690 donors chose to give to this appeal at a very high average gift of $36.05.

Democratic National Committee -- From The Desk of James Carville Major Donor Appeal Flat Mail

The Democratic Party needed to raise money. Unfortunately, the election was over seven month's prior to the campaign and was no longer on the minds of the prospective mailing audience: Democratic National Committee Presidential Leadership Council members. In addition, previous major donor appeals to this group had been receiving lower response rates.

To combat these challenges the Democratic National Committee (DNC), along with Adams Hussey & Associates, utilized three specific marketing strategies in a single direct mail piece.

First, they targeted the mailing to individuals who were predisposed to higher giving levels. They also provided special internal DNC briefing documents detailing the opposing views and actions of the Republican Party, its candidates, and alliances with special groups. These kinds of details appeal to this information-drive audience.

Lastly, they had James Carville sign the package. Carville is well known and adored by DNC donors. The majority of mailing recipients donated in the 1996 cycle, when Carville played an important and visible role in the presidential election.

Carville's plea was very personal. It was typed on yellow lined paper and spoke in harsh words (as only James Carville can) about the threat of a Republican controlled Congress. White House briefing documents containing information about Bush's record and GOP views were included, along with a note handwritten in the margins, further bolstering the points made in Carville's letter.

This mailing generated $152,556, exceeding projections by 187 percent. That's more gross income than the three previous major donor solicitations combined, netting an impressive $578.57 per response. The innovative high-touch personal approach of the package was unique and surely paid off.

Dresdner Bank AG -- Adoption of Parts of the "Frauenkirche"

Church

Catalog

Frauenkirche Dresden was the largest, most important Protestant church until its destruction during World War II. In 1990, a private initiative started to reconstruct the church. Ali of the funds are raised from private and corporate donors. Currently, the Dresdner Bank not only supports the reconstruction initiative, but also acts as a fundraiser itself.

Money was previously raised through several activities, attracting 35,000 donors. The goal for this campaign was to obtain high donations from the top 500 former donors and corporate institutions.

High-ranking representatives of the Dresdner Bank visited potential donors and offered them a chance to adopt a part of the church. A specially designed, limited-edition catalog served as a visual aid for the representatives. It included illustrations and descriptions of all parts of the church that are offered for adoption.

Of the 25 parts of the Frauenkirche being offered, nine were "sold" within the first six months of the campaign bringing in $3.5 million. This is the highest amount of money brought in throughout the church's fundraising history.

Silver ECHO Awards

The Salvation Army-- Christmas

Multimedia Campaign

Multimedia/Integrated Media

Research supported the strongly held anecdotal view that goodwill toward the Salvation Army was most keenly apparent at Christmas when the brass band and bonnet image is at its strongest. To maximize this benefit, a multimedia recruitment campaign was developed to run in November and December, 2000.

The nonprofit also wanted to maximize the lifetime value of the new recruits. All of this was to be done through a realistic portrayal of the Salvation Army.

The media plans were designed to reach people in their 30s and 40s, as well as the core charity audience of adults 55 and older.

There were 25 creative tests. There was diversity among propositions, but a strong theme ran throughout the campaign: the work is described and solutions are evident.

The media chosen was based on research into the media use of the target audience and successful recruitment from pervious campaigns. The complex campaign included direct response TV, radio, direct mail, door-drops and inserts. This mix delivered messages in high volumes to the desired audience.

The TV spots were particularly interesting because they broke some advertising rules. Some TV spots did not carry voice-overs, but instead relied on pictures and music to "sell" the Salvation Army. This silent version out-pulled the equivalent ads with voiceovers by a considerable amount.

The objective of the campaign was to recruit 67,065 new cash donors at a return on investment (ROT) of 1.43:1, with a target average gift of $27.37. The actual results brought in an ROI across all media of 2.53:1. And; this was in spite of extensive testing of new creative and media in preparation for the 2001 campaign. Every single medium produced positive ROIs. A mailpack produced a 9.14 percent response with an average gift of $29.47 across a range of lists. An insert in 2 million various magazines produced an ROT of 4.36:1. Both radio and TV produced ROIs of nearly 2:1.

Fundacion SALES -- ePHILANTHROPY: Aborigines of the Misiones Jungle

Multimedia & Integrated Media

Mid-2000 was a dim time for Argentine groups seeking to increase fundraising. The country was in the depths of a recession, and unemployment was greater than 15 percent. Even those few habitual donors in a country where the giving habit has still not caught on were starting to reduce or terminate their pledges.

Fundacion SALES was about to carry out its annual fundraising drive to raise money for its fight against cancer of the uterus among women of Mbya Guarari tribe in jungle areas of the Misiones Province. Traditionally the nonprofit has looked only for consumer support in its direct response fundraising campaigns. In 2000, SALES decided to expand its reach to include the business sector.

SALES obtained the cooperation of several Argentine Internet e-commerce sites on which consumers could register their pledges and pay online with credit cards. One of these sites, Mercadolibre.com, an auction portal, suggested that not only money, but also auctionable goods and services could be accepted as donations.

SALES decided to try this innovative strategy when it approached the business donor segment. In the midst of a recession, most firms were hard-pressed to donate funds, but many did have slow-moving merchandise, end-of-line products, and other surplus products/services that they could donate to SALES at book value.

SALEs launched its first ever telemarketing campaign aimed at selected businesses in Buenos Aires requesting donations in money or in-kind. SALES segmented a list of companies in commerce and industries that might have surplus goods conducive to auctions such as appliances, electronics, and clothing. Because cancer of the uterus is a "woman's cause," the first target at each company was the secretary of the CEO, who also is often the decision-maker or influencer for small donations.

This was a trailblazing campaign in Argentina where fundraising is in its infancy and the Internet is an immature medium. The return on investment for this campaign rang in at 765 percent.

Save the Children -- Esponsorhip

Web site

Internet/Interactive Media

Creating a Web site was quite a challenge for Save the Children. The organization needed to engage the visitor, provide a robust, database-driyen site that would allow the individual visitor to select a child to sponsor, and encourage the user to make a $24 monthly sponsorship commitment.

With this in mind, executives at the nonprofit and its agency, Burnett Kuhn Varner Inc., created a site that incorporates three strategies. First, the site has interactive features where visitors can submit preferences for the child they would like to sponsor based on country, gender and age. Secondly, a robust database was designed to allow visitors to "meet" the child they were considering and make their contribution comment. Lastly, a simple drop-down menu makes the sign up process easy for the sponsor to navigate.

This site has much visual appeal with the use of bright colors. It also has a vast amount of information to answer any questions a visitor might have about the organization, sponsorship, or the specific child they are interested in sponsoring and the region where they live.

From November 2000 through March 31, 2001, Save the Children recorded 295,322 visitor sessions. Visitors converting to sponsors totaled 1,506, each of which has committed to donating $210 annually. This conversion rate rivals that of direct mail at a much lower cost for the media.

Covenant House -- Christmas Appeal

Flat Mail

More than 85 percent of Covenant House's income is generated from direct mail. The challenge every Christmas is to create a personal, compelling and arresting appeal that breaks through the clutter and generates dollars that are urgently needed at year-end. This appeal has historically generated about $4.4 million, but they needed a stronger appeal at the end of 2000.

The strategy was to create an extremely personal package that had the look, feel and tone of a personalized letter from Covenant House president, Sister Mary Rose. The closed-face envelope was stamped with first-class postage to break through the clutter.

The letter contained a direct and urgent plea to help the kids, as well as a handwritten P.S. inviting recipients to join Sister Mary Rose for midnight mass on Christmas Eve. The reply slip featured spiritual copy regarding the things that the kids go through every year at Christmas.

The reply envelope included a first-class return postage as well. The mailing also included a handsome holiday ornament to recognize and thank the donor.

This one old-fashioned letter generated more than $5.73 million -- which was 30 percent more than the nonprofit's goal. The average gift was $46.31, the highest in Covenant House's 32-year history.

World Relief -- Fall 2000 Major Donor Renewal Campaign

Dimensional Mail

A target group of World Relief donors regularly receives mail from the organization, and also has occasional personal contact by a field representative. Because World Relief is an organization that does a lot of relief, many of the fundraising offers focus on disaster response. The challenge here was to persuade donors to participate in a development project for an ongoing rebuilding effort in Mozambique following disastrous floods.

With the guidance of Direct Response Marketing, a compelling package was mailed just prior to Thanksgiving last year to active donors dating back to October, 1998 who have given a one-time gift of $1,000 or have cumulative giving of more than $10,000. The timing was selected to capitalize on the "giving season"--both the natural compulsion to help less fortunate people created by the Thanksgiving focus on being grateful; and the year-end giving surge for tax benefits.

The offer was tagged to the donor's largest gift -- a specific dollar that defined the number of families to receive housing, water, medical care, and community support by that specific amount. The package also offered the name and telephone number of a personal representative who could provide additional information.

The mailing was sent in a clear tube with a colorful map showing through, which surely made it stand out and enticing to open.

The goal was to exceed an average gift of $1,000 and maintain a 10 percent or better response rate. In the end, this package pulled a 15.52 percent response rate and an average gift of $1,021.02. Net income totaled $104,488.

New Hampshire Humane Society--Furr Ball

Flat Mail

Nonprofits are always trying to find ways to create direct mail pieces that stand out and capture the attention of recipients. The New Hampshire Humane Society did just that with a clever and creative self-mailer.

A simple invitation was created for a "non-event" called The Furr Ball. Recipients were asked to make donations to benefit the animals without having to go to a fancy event. The black-and-white piece stood out because of its simplicity with clip art illustrations and fun copy. For example, the piece listed reasons humans never go to the Furr Ball, including "you might be allergic to the DJ" and "the bouncer has a lot of teeth and doesn't like strangers."

The mailing was sent to 2,000 people, including members of the society, as well as people who have previously donated. The campaign's cost was minimized by support in the form of donated creative work from Sullivan Creative, and printing services from Sant Bani Press. While the recipients were mainly a working class audience, the society received 343 responses for a 17.16 percent response rate, which brought in $10,408.

Democratic National Committee -- State of the Union Presidential Photograph Appeal

Flat Mail

This direct mail package needed to set the stage for the upcoming presidential elections with the Democratic National Committee (DNC) seeking higher dollar donors. It needed to make the donor feel special and important, and make a strong case for contributions. It was designed to be the official kick-off to an aggressive fundraising schedule for the remainder of the year. However, Vice President Gore and Sen. Bill Bradley were still battling for the Democratic presidential nomination. Until the nomination was official, there could be no mention of them in the package.

President Clinton's approval rating among DNC donors was never as high as it was after his final State of the Union Address in 2000. So, the DNC decided to capitalize on this opportunity, and created a Clinton legacy package.

A highly personalized mailing was created by Adams Hussey & Associates that centered on Clinton's final address. The major focus of this legacy package was a photograph of the president, with a personal inscription to the donor. All of the internal components were encased in a gold embossed portfolio that converted to a matte (suitable for framing) for the picture. In addition, a personal bound copy of the actual address was enclosed. Special attention was paid to every detail in the package's design and production to ensure that it was true to the exclusive nature of the DNC's high-level giving club -- The Presidential Leadership Circle.

Fueled by an exceptionally high average gift of $544.86, this campaign shattered all projections and grossed $112, 241 -- 81 percent more than projections. It also net $99,002 from only 206 gifts.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation For Parkinson's Research -- Auction

DRTV/Radio

Every nonprofit looks for innovative ways to raise money. In August, 2000, the foundation convinced the ABC network to donate the actor's personal affects from his hit television show, Spin City. Amazon.com agreed to host a 10-day online auction and donate the proceeds to the foundation. Unfortunately, Amazon wasn't going to promote the "event," except for a message buried on its home page. It was up to the foundation to drive traffic to the site.

The foundation and its agency, McCann Relationship Marketing (MRM), agreed that television was the best way to spread the word. MRM donated much of the services required to pull off this timely task.The 30-second public service announcements were created portraying Fox as the consummate auctioneer, selling off his own wares to the highest bidder.

Using his own brand of humor, he turned what could have been a rather boring action (auctioning) into something entertaining and memorable. Serious throughout most of the spot, Fox throws in a joke at the end, leaving viewers with a smile and feeling of hope. While the spot could have focused on the items for auction, it focused more on the man, which was inherently more interesting to the audience. Tactically, McCann also knew that using Fox would dramatically increase the chances of the spot making it on air, because the agency had no control over when and where the PSA would run.

Amazon.com reported large spikes in Web traffic to the auction immediately following each PSA airing. The average item received 24 bids, compared to three bids for an average item. Bidding extended 45 to 50 minutes beyond the scheduled time because people kept increasing their bids, which rarely happens on the site. The auction raised $125,000 with a return on investment of 1,305 percent.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation For Parkinson's Research -- Launch Print

After going public with his illness, Michael J. Fox left his hit television show to devote his time and energy to creating a foundation to find a cure within 10 years.

The strategy was twofold: capitalize on a media event -- Fox's departure from Spin City, and give credibility and branding to the foundation so that it would stand Out from better-known organizations.

A print campaign was designed with two marketing objectives: generate immediate donations via the Web or toll-free number, and raise credibility for, and awareness of, the foundation. The piece was carefully crafted to create a heartfelt appeal without looking for pity. And, it wanted to make it clear that with sufficient help, a cure is possible in less than 10 years.

Print ads ran in a variety of publications that donated space, including New York magazine, The New York Times Magazine, Vogue, Men's Health, and Inside magazine. In addition, 10-, 15-, and 30-second PSAs were used, which tied to this campaign. All ads included clear, strong calls to action with a toll-free number and Web site.

The central message throughout was that a cure for Parkinson's is close at hand. And with help, it could be as few as 10 years. This theme was chosen because all involved knew that people are more apt to give if they believe their money will make a difference soon.

The results were well beyond everyone s expectations. In less than nine months, this campaign raised $1,982,034 in private donations, with a ROI of 22,914 percent, or $229.14 for every dollar spent. The average donation has consistently risen from $97.25 during the summer to the current $421.26, netting an overall average $244.70.

World Vision -- Easter Bounceback Flat Mail

World Vision research has shown that the more connected each of its sponsors feels toward the child overseas, the longer the person is likely to remain faithful in their monthly giving commitment of $22 to $26. Each year as Easter approaches, the challenge has been to produce an attractive card for the sponsor to send to the child overseas, and motivate them to give a special gift above their normal monthly contribution.

World Vision and its agency, Russ Reid Company, chose to strengthen the sponsor/child connection by creating an inspirational package that unabashedly proclaimed the Christian message of Easter throughout and connected the celebratory Easter season with an appeal to help children who face emergency situations.

The outer envelope graphics of the direct mail piece featured fields of spring flowers and children praising and celebrating. The letter proclaimed that Easter was coming, a perfect time to share the message of God's love with the sponsor's child overseas. The letter explained how an enclosed Easter storybook can provide a spiritual blessing in the sponsor's child's life. Donors were urged to sign and return the storybook, and invited them to send an extra gift to help other children in need, as well as provide Christian teaching, camps, and crisis counseling.

A special version of the Storybook was created for children living in countries where it is not appropriate to send an overtly Christian storybook. A buckslip insert reinstated how much a sponsored child treasures greetings from a sponsor.

An impressive 68.9 percent of sponsors returned the book with a special gift. This was a 5 percent increase in response compared to the previous year, and a 31.8 percent increase in income for a total of $1,886,690.

Bronze ECHO Award And Henry Hoke Award Michael J. Fox Foundation For Parkinson's Research

Multimedia

Michael J. Fox approached McCann in April, 2000 with the goal of tying his foundation launch with the final episode of Spin City, which gave the agency just over one month to create, execute and deliver. Compounding the challenge, the Screen Actor's Guild went on strike in May. A SAG board member, Fox couldn't shoot any commercials.

So the agency designed a series of print and broadcast public service announcements. The creative strategy was simply to be true to the man, and let him "speak" from the heart in his charming and funny way.

By using a touch of humor, the ads could also ask for money without people feeling pity for Fox because sympathy was the last thing he wanted.

Creative copy delivered the message while infusing a touch of humor. Considering the fact that the foundation had no control over whether or not the ads aired, except for the one 30-second spot that ran on the final episode of Spin City, the campaign achieved incredible results.

The "Soap Box" spot run during the season finale of the show pulled in 2,200 donations totaling more than $100,000 in one night.

In less than nine months the foundation raised $1,982,034. The ROI was 22,914 percent, or $229.14 for every dollar spent. And, the average donation has been $244.70 compared to $25 for a new or young charitable foundation.

Bronze ECHO Award

Save The Children -- Holiday Card

Flat Mail

Save The Children and its agency Bennett Kuhn Varner captured their second ECHO Award for their work on the nonprofit's annual Holiday Card mailing.

There were many challenges. The organization wanted to raise funds for special "extras" among an audience that already make significant donations. They also wanted to encourage sponsors to write to their child and further cement their relationship. At the time, only 18 percent of sponsors were writing to their sponsored child. But, research showed that those who write to their child are most likely to become long-term supporters. Most importantly, they needed to overcome a declining trend in responses to the holiday card appeal.

A special mailing was created for individuals who regularly contribute $24 per month to support Save The Children's projects in the neediest communities around the world. The Holiday Card campaign was centered around a six-by-nine-inch direct mail package.

The key message was "Send your love and a special holiday card to your sponsored child." The package offered a personalized holiday card featuring exclusive Save The Children artwork. The card was laser printed with both the sponsor and their child's name.

There was a special poem inside the card, a place to write a personal message and stickers featuring artwork that the recipient could keep or send to the child. The simple letter focused on the beauty of the holiday season and how Save The Children wants to help "spread day cheer around the world." The mailing also offered the sponsors the opportunity to enclose special contribution with their card to help pay for special "extras" during the holiday season.

The mailing was sent in October, giving sponsors enough time to meet the November 20th deadline to make sure the responses could be distributed to the field in time for the holidays.

A total 61,930 pieces were mailed with a response of 20.2 percent. Gross income reached $243,303, up 66 percent from the prior year.

Oregon Museum of Science & Industry -- Membership Drive, 2000

Flat Mail

The Oregon Museum of Science & Industry had a series of hurdles to overcome to successfully implement its 2000 membership drive. The organization has had a shaky financial status that has been well covered by the regional news media. The cash flow situation at the museum required that there could be no investment in new members. All excess revenue is used to pay down a large debt. Thus, membership campaigns must break even from the start.

The museum worked with its agency, Lewis Kennedy Associates, to embark on a series of direct mail package. Because of strict budget limitations, they were restricted to using spot color, stock images or photos, uncoated recycled paper stock, window envelopes and minimal personalization. Instead they relied on the innovative use of type, simple graphics and lively spot color.

In addition to strong writing skills, they created eye-catching packages that stand apart from the more "traditional" mailings sent by similar organizations throughout the region. Given the public's sensitivity to perceived wastefulness of financially strapped nonprofits, they needed to remain sensitive to the importance of achieving a careful balance between eye-catching packages and not looking as though they were wasting excessive amounts of money.

One of the most successful tactics of the campaign was the introduction of a 15 percent discount on many of the popular membership levels with an emphasis on the $100 level and the special benefits involved. Copy and design were based on upcoming exhibits whenever possible.

OMSI put this creative strategy in place two years ago, changing the face of the museum's largely institutional direct mail program by giving it a fun, fresh edge. The response rates prove it. During the second year of the new membership campaign, the response rate averaged 1.35 percent, bringing in 3,304 new and rejoining members.

The Dixon Gallery and Gardens -- Visualizing The Blues Invitation

Flat Mail

The Dixon Gallery and Gardens is one of two art museums in the Memphis area. However, the other museum is not its only competition. All areas of the arts, including theatres, the ballet, and the opera compete for "leisure dollars" and donations from the city's patrons.

The first exhibition of the season is a time when it sells the vast majority of memberships and receive the highest level of donations. The planned exhibition of southern photography titled "Visualizing the Blues" was an impressive one slated for a national tour following its run at the Dixon.

In recent history, the Dixon's openings garnered a ho-hum reputation, and attendance was hovering in the low hundreds. Membership and fundraising were falling. The organization needed to draw new supporters and energize long-time backers.

In an effort to dispel the stereotypical "wine and cheese" art opening, the gallery and its agency, Archer/Malmo knew they couldn't send out the typical invitation that museum supporters were used to seeing.

Considering the objective and the fact that they were planning a photography exhibit, they created an invitation on acetate to resemble an old photograph negative.

The invitation arrived in a six-by-nine-inch envelope with the intriguing teaser, "Photographic Material Enclosed: DO NOT BEND." Once inside, recipients found the large negative. The visually arresting photo negative was selected from the exhibition itself:

A little boy standing on the bumper of an old car. More than 850 people attended the event, a record number in recent museum history and a response rate of just over 14 percent. The museum surpassed its $100,000 fundraising goal by 50 percent.