Overview

Previous End of Financial Year Appeals had always done well for IHC NZ. To improve on that required a meaningful change to the offer – and a matched gift offer proved to be the meaningful change they needed.

Solution

A unique matched gift offer – DOUBLE your impact, DOUBLE the number of Family Community Liaison staff like Jim – which focussed on your impact for children, not amount of funds to be raised.

• A unique matched gift offer – DOUBLE your impact, DOUBLE the number of Family Community Liaison staff like Jim – which focussed on your impact for children, not amount of funds to be raised.

• A unique ‘stamp’ to give our Appeal its own unique visual identity

• Highly personalised 4pp letter with strong, repeated asks throughout the copy.

• Urgent Deadline – donate and get your gift doubled before the matching funds run out.

• Two lifts – How the impact funds works, featuring engaging photos that capture the eye and make an emotional connection. And a personal lift letter from one of the Whanau Liaisons donors help provide to families with their donation.

• Separate full-page response mechanism with a bounce back engagement device designed to connect the donor with the families they help with their donation. Supporters were encouraged to write a special message of encouragement and best wishes to another family like Sam’s living with a disability and return it with their donation.

• Mailed a follow up letter to capitalise on the strong deadline and increase net income

Results

The results were overwhelming. $132,171 increase on the previous years’ income, up 51%, making it their best performing Appeal ever. Average gift increased by 8%.

Matched giving is now a key tool in their overall fundraising strategy and will be used again in 2022.