2021 DMFA Award Winners

Runner Up—Mid-Level Renewal Appeal Category

Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma Package Creator(s): TrueSense Marketing Package Name: Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma Mid-Level Campaign
Description: We reached RFBO's mid level donors by phone with an affirmational check-in call, during which we were able to determine their specific areas of funding interest. We then used that information to tailor messaging in the subsequent direct mail Impact Report Campaign.

Winner—Direct Mail Acquisition Category

National Park Foundation Package Creator(s): Eidolon Communications Package Name: National Park Foundation Calendar Acquisition
Description: Amidst a global pandemic, with prospective new donor attention fully captivated, the National Park Foundation proceeded with one of its workhorse acquisition controls — an up-front annual calendar — with a fair amount of angst about performance. Arriving in a 9 X 12 bagkraft carrier, adorned with national park stamps, the package announces its contents — a beautiful full-sized wall calendar, filled with vibrant photos of some of the 400+ national parks, each taken by visitors. It showcases over a dozen parks while educating readers about their history and significance.

Runner Up—Direct Mail Acquisition Category

Doctors Without Borders USA Package Creator(s): Lautman Maska Neill & Company Package Name: Face Mask Acquisition
Description: While the Doctors Without Borders longstanding tote bag control package was still garnering an impressive 0.80% response rate, it has seen a significant decline in recent years from its heyday response rate of over 1% – and expenses have continued to go up impacting the net/donor and overall investment in Acquisition. The problem … what could Doctors Without Borders do to help boost performance and beat this longstanding control? The solution … develop a new package around a premium that rivaled the tote bag given the current state of the world – a branded face mask!

Winner—Direct Mail Renewal

Heifer International Package Creator(s): Lautman Maska Neill & Company Package Name: Heifer Wagalog
Description: Heifer International needed to help the growing number of people facing hunger due to the pandemic, and that meant raising more money for its programs. One area that had been seeing declining revenue results was the Fall issue of its quarterly magazine, World Ark. The challenge was, could Heifer revamp its strategy for the publication and raise more money while still providing valuable stewardship to its donors? The answer was a resounding YES!

Runner Up—Direct Mail Renewal

American Farmland Trust Package Creator(s): Eidolon Communications Package Name: Farmer Relief Fund Urgentgram and Follow-Up
Description: Last spring, American Farmland Trust worked to weather the pandemic and its unprecedented disruptions to the nation’s food system. They launched a Farmer Relief Fund to provide grants to small and mid-sized family farmers suddenly without restaurant, institutional and other customers for their harvests.

Winner—Digital Category

Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma Package Creator(s): TrueSense Marketing Package Name: #GiveFromHomeDay
Description: This is one participating organization’s example of the larger story of #GiveFromHomeDay. The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma was one of the 250+ nonprofit organizations that participated in #GiveFromHomeDay on April 21, 2020. At the dawn of the pandemic, a group of professionals at TrueSense Marketing decided we needed to do something to address the impending crisis surrounding COVID-19. The entire industry was suffering from canceled events, no volunteers, and an increased need for their services. We wanted to help our clients, and the larger nonprofit community.

Runner Up—Digital Category

City Meals on Wheels Package Creator(s): Sanky Communications Package Name: City Meals on Wheels Spring Campaign
Description: This campaign succeeded because of its rapid development and deployment, as well as the authenticity, transparency and clarity of its urgent fundraising ask. This campaign launched and evolved as rapidly as Citymeals' response to the pandemic. While rapid response components are included in this campaign, other components were planned in response to a rapidly-developing emergency. The messaging reflected Citymeals' response to the pandemic in real time - from the ever-increasing goal of emergency meals, to the cancellation of events - while maintaining language and fundraising asks that audiences were familiar with.

Winner—Multichannel

North Shore Animal League Package Creator(s): Sanky Communications Package Name: North Shore Animal League Giving Day
Description: North Shore Animal League America's second annual Giving Day featured a fully integrated, multi-channel campaign anchored by campaign branding and a matching gift. The 2020 campaign consisted of two direct mail packages leading up to Giving Day (including a letter, insert, reply in one package and a separate ``save the date`` postcard for the follow-up) and a full suite of digital components. Digital efforts six email appeals and a microsite/landing page (which took over the homepage on the day of Giving Day), complemented by social, search, and display ads shown for the month leading up to Giving Day.

Runner Up- Multichannel

UNICEF USA Package Creator(s): MarkeTeam & Delve Package Name: Multi-Channel Sustainer Invitation
Description: UNICEF USA understands the importance of new sustainer acquisition and donor conversion and has invested heavily in various channels over the years to grow its sustainer program. With COVID-19 taking its most effective acquisition channel (Face-to-Face) off the table, UNICEF pivoted to focus more of its efforts on donor conversion. To that end, UNICEF engaged in a multi-channel sustainer invitation campaign to determine if it would improve sustainer conversion.