Case Study: Grey Bruce Regional Health Centre Foundation

Grey Bruce Regional Health Centre Foundation,
Owen Sound, ON
2007 Fall Donor Campaign

Client Background:
B&A began working with GBRHCF in 2007. Up until that time, all direct mail (donor and patient acquisition) was being done in-house with limited outside assistance with lettershop activities.

The Challenge:
GBRHCF had conducted successful spring and holiday direct mail donor and householder campaigns for a number of years but wished to grow its annual program.

Recommended Solution:
B&A recommended implementing a Fall campaign in order to provide donors with an additional opportunity to support the Foundation, hence increasing frequency of giving.

Campaign Development:
The Foundation needed to raise more than $100,000 to fund an immunostainer and microtomes for the histology lab, both of which are used by pathologists in the identification of cancerous tissue.

In order to intrigue donors and make the complex technology relatable, the package was designed to immediately challenge the recipient's assumptions of what a "stain" is. Instead of something that needs to be removed, a stain in this context can literally change lives. It was decided this could best be done by using purple ink splatters splashed randomly across the front of the envelope and on the letter itself.

Results Achieved:
The campaign exceeded all expectations, achieving 200% of its revenue goal, a 12.7% response rate (vs. budget of 9.5%) and an average gift of $75.

Not only was this campaign a great success, but introducing an additional campaign did not impact negatively on the subsequent holiday campaign, and contributed to a successful year where frequency was positively impacted.