the challenge
The Lost Dogs’ Home’s vision is to give animals the best chance of a happy and healthy life. Their purpose is to care for lost dogs, cats and other companion animals. To reunite lost pets with their families, find new homes for others, and always seek the best possible outcomes for all animals that come into their care.
In 2021, the Home had a well-established and mature appeals program that was sadly stagnating. The Home partnered with FED for its Tax appeal that year with the aim to arrest this decline and potentially even see net improvements over the next 12 months and beyond.
how we tackled it
FED provided full-service project management, which included strategic direction, creative development, data direction, and production management (and plenty of fun and laughs along the way!).
An integral component of the strategic recommendations was introducing a ‘top down’ approach: concentrating investment on the donor segments likely to yield the highest net return. We introduced new mid and high value treatment to make the Home’s top donors feel extra special.
Selected high value donors received a LDH ‘best friends’ tea towel wrapped and inserted in a C4 crème outer with handwritten address, postage stamp, and handwritten With Compliments Slip, along with an exclusive invite to a Shelter Tour and morning tea.
The mid value donors received the Shelter Tour and morning tea invite inserted in a C5 crème outer, computerised handwritten font on the outer envelope and postage stamp.
The overall creative focus for all segments was to feature a strong case study and case for support (including dollar handles) to reiterate the need. The letter and lifts featured Dolly, a 10-week-old puppy who needed emergency vet care to help save her life.
the result
The Lost Dogs’ Home’s 2021 Tax Appeal raised over $424,450 in gross income—over 30% and $100,000 in excess of the $321,875 target. This equated to over $102,000 in additional net income than originally projected and $105,000 more than 2020.
From its single appeal origins, the FED and LDH partnership has grown to encompass all cash appeals, newsletters, surveys, acquisition, bequest materials and Individual Giving Strategic Support. We couldn’t be prouder of how far their fundraising program has come in such a short time.
