Decade-long partnership leads to dramatic omnichannel growth
Challenge
When we began our partnership in 2010, the Coast Guard Foundation was in the beginning stages of their direct response program. With 1,600 active donors on their file and $163,000 in direct response revenue, they were looking for a strategic partnership that could help them grow their program.
Our Role
Creative Development
Multichannel Strategic Planning
Mid-Level Program Management
Data & Analytics
1,618%
Increase in revenue
1,062%
Lift in donor counts
58.7%
Rise in retention rates
A focus on best practices
In the early stages of our collaboration, we adopted a strategic approach that focused on fundraising best practices, including:
- Building their donor pipeline through acquisition focused on high-value donors
- Launching a mid-level program
- Optimizing their list strategy
- Adding co-operative databases into the mix
- Robust testing to find what works best for their donors and their market
Our efforts quickly paid off. By 2015, Coast Guard Foundation closed the year with more than $1.1 million in revenue raised and 11,212 active donors on their file.
Targeted program expansion
From there, we began expanding their program even further. Over the next few years, we began focused efforts in:
- Digital optimization and building into strategic oversight of paid media, paid social, digital-only campaigns and more
- Deep dive data analysis to uncover new expansion audiences
- Continuous testing, including changes in offers and new package formats
- Expanding their mid-level program with additional touches throughout the year
- Investing even further in acquisition across all channels
- Refining segmentation strategies
Exponential growth
Thanks to Coast Guard Foundation’s partnership, flexibility and adaptability, we were able to work together to strategically grow their program across all channels.
In 2021, all direct response fundraising topped $2.8 million in revenue—a 1,618% increase since the start of our partnership. Total donor counts reached 18,598, a 1,062.4% lift over 2010. In addition, retention rates are at an all-time high, reaching 58.7% in 2021.
Now, 13 years into our partnership, we’re still working together to identify new opportunities for growth in acquisition, renewal, personalized donor experiences and much more.