Pareto Fundraising’s work with the National Heart Foundation
Funding more heart research than ever before
Background:
The National Heart Foundation of Australia relies heavily on its appeal income in order to fund potentially life-saving research into cardiovascular disease. So when this internationally respected charity approached us to collaborate on its Spring Appeal, we were determined to help them raise as much money as possible.
The Spring Appeal is one of four major cash appeal mailings that the Heart Foundation sends each year to their existing supporters. Before Pareto Fundraising’s involvement, the appeal had been a stand-alone mailing with no follow up, consisting of a two-page letter with a single additional supporting piece.
Our approach was to work together to maximise income by using a highly personalised communication that recognised donors as individuals, contained persuasive and regular requests for support throughout the letter (based on a donor’s previous giving levels) and a compelling story to demonstrate the very real need.
Campaign Material:
Why did it work?
- The pack conveyed a strong call to action, which was strong and consistent throughout the communication. The letter included personalised and regular donation request amounts, and conveyed the urgency of the need at several points in the letter and on the response mechanism. In order to maximise the sense of urgency further, some of the most generous donors received packs that were posted in a ‘guaranteed next day delivery’ envelope.
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The pack told a compelling, emotive and human story about a little girl called Astrid, who had endured a great deal of distress as a result of post operative complications following surgery as a baby. We illustrated a particularly complex topic (research on transposition of the greater arteries) and demonstrated the need for research into cardiovascular disease by using simple, yet effective, language to tell the story of a little girl’s journey of recovery. There was a clear and convincing, singularly focused message. - To maximise both the net income and return on investment, the mailing was highly targeted and only mailed to donors identified by our data analysts as those most likely to respond. In addition the ask amounts, repeated several times through the copy, were designed to uplift their giving levels (by asking for more than they had ever given) and encourage more people to donate than had done so previously.
What impact did this analysis have on the Heart Foundation’s work?
At the time of mailing the Heart Foundation was only able to fund one out of every five research projects that it needed to. The additional income raised from this appeal helped reduce this gap so that they could fund more brilliant research to look at the effects and causes of cardiovascular disease to help save the lives of little children like Astrid.
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About the Heart Foundation:
The Heart Foundation is one of Australia’s largest charities and is dedicated to reducing the dreadful effects of the number of people living with, or dying from, heart, stroke and blood vessel disease.
Since it was established in Australia in 1959, the Heart Foundation has funded world-class cardiovascular research, supported health professionals in their practice, developed health promotion activities, informed and educated the public, and assisted people with cardiovascular disease. Today, the life expectancy of Australians is about ten years longer for men and nine years longer for women.
