2012 Washington Nonprofit Conference

I Think I Can... I Know I Can: Beating a Long-Standing Control Package

Friday, March 2 - 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.

The performance of Amnesty International USA’s acquisition control package—versions of which had been mailed for over 20 years—had been waning, and the effects were particularly acute when the recession hit. Dozens of packages had been tested for years, but none were declared a winner. During this session, you’ll learn how Amnesty, in partnership with its consultant, Chapman, Cubine Adams + Hussey, turned it all around by rethinking package size, format, copy, art and analytics—and creating a package that increased response by over 50%.

Freedom from Hunger has mailed their “Loan Approved” acquisition for more than 10 years. Other packages were tried—and many performed well—but nothing could ever beat the control. The organization also uses a variety of program names in all their materials and we became concerned that these additional names would be confusing or distracting to the donors. In conjunction with Freedom from Hunger, Sanky Communications conducted a series of tests using the control letter with and without the program names. In this session you will learn how we have increased percent return and average gift by rethinking how the organization’s programs are presented to donors.

Intended Audience: All levels of direct response fundraising professionals.

Learning Outcomes — At the conclusion of this session, participants will:
1) Understand the thinking required to “move the needle” in direct response acquisition
2) Learn about the marriage of creative and analytics in driving breakthrough results
4) See the direct impact that a robust client/agency partnership has on results.

Speaker(s):
Jenny Allen, Principal & Senior Vice President, Chapman Cubine Adams + Hussey
Catherine Carley, Vice President, Sanky Communications
Vivianne Potter, Managing Director for Direct Response, Amnesty International USA

Vivianne Potter serves as Managing Director of Direct Response for Amnesty International USA, where she is responsible for strategic management of a $23 million fundraising program including direct mail, telephone (in-bound and out-bound), face-to-face, workplace giving and affinity programs. Vivianne oversees the department’s member services and database and development operations teams, and leads Amnesty’s fundraising and communications integration efforts.

Vivianne came to Amnesty in 1998 following thirteen years with Whitney Associates, a direct response fundraising consulting agency on the West Coast, where as Vice President for Fundraising and Account Management she managed complex, multi-million dollar fundraising programs for a wide range of major national nonprofit advocacy organizations. Vivianne is a graduate of Stanford University and UCLA where she completed an MBA in NonProfit/Arts Management. She has served on the board of directors for the Direct Marketing Fundraising Association (DMFA) in New York, and has been a speaker at a variety of fundraising events and conferences, including the DMA Nonprofit Federation, the DMAW, the DMCNY, the AFP FRDNY and the DMFA.

Moderator(s):
Bonnie Catena, Deputy Director, Direct Response, Amnesty International USA

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