Camillus House

Celebrity Chef Thanksgiving Recipes Control Package

Sectors: Hunger/Poverty | Channels & Tactics: Direct Mail, Email Marketing

Challenge

Create a strong control package that delivers results at Thanksgiving time when so many human service orgs and nonprofit orgs are competing for donor gifts.

Solution

Begin by emphasizing Camillus House’s efficiency in providing low-cost meals for hungry individuals and families, but don’t stop there – give donors something special and mission-oriented to enrich their own Thanksgiving experience. We called on the best local chefs from Miami’s most celebrated restaurants to contribute special holiday recipes and we shared these with donors as an inexpensive, on-topic premium with high perceived value. Some of the contributing chefs also donate their time and culinary expertise to preparing meals at Camillus House, making the premium tie-in even more authentic with donors. The campaign also includes a chaser email the week before Thanksgiving that features an additional desert or appetizer recipe that reminds donors to help the hungry and homeless as an act of kindness that will enrich the donor’s own holiday feast.

Results

The Thanksgiving Recipes package continues to resonate with donors as one of the strongest performers of the year. Each year we feature new recipes from top local chefs to keep repeat donors engaged. We also recently added a UV coating to the recipe cards to make them more durable in the kitchen which added additional perceived value to the cards – and bumped response.

Questions About Our Services Or Approach To Fundraising?