From the Nominator

"The primary goal of this marketing piece was to motivate eligible donors to make IRA Charitable Rollover gifts. We were intentional with timing our marketing piece to arrive before year-end income tax decisions were made and by capturing our audience’s attention with pictures of a Goldendoodle rolling over while wearing a Lamar University t-shirt. 

We compared the numbers and dollar amounts of IRA Charitable Rollover gifts we received in the months after mailing until year-end in 2021 to those in 2019 (since comparing to 2020 when RMDs were suspended would skew results): 18% increase in the number and 46% increase in the dollar amount! We also improved our email open rate to 31.2%, compared to 25.2% in 2019 and 25.4% in 2017. 

In an effort to meet the diverse preferences of our target audience, we used different methods for delivering information. We mailed a printed piece that included a QR code for our tech-savvy donors, as well as our Gift and Estate Planning website address and the phone number and email address to directly contact the Director. We added Crescendo’s widget to our website, which allows donors to search for their IRA custodian to initiate a rollover gift. Two weeks after the postcards were mailed, we emailed a similar message to the same audience and included hyperlinks to our website along with a comparison chart illustrating the impact of taking the required minimum distribution (RMD) versus the benefits of making an IRA Charitable Rollover."

From the Judges

Good use of creativity for a not creative topic! The entry received improved results, both in hard numbers and in new education and conversations. The use of different communications tactics demonstrated thinking from a donor point of view and an understanding of the target market.