1. Keeping it Fresh!
How to Continue Growing as Mature Nonprofit
Margaret Carter – Director of Annual Giving, Reading is Fundamental
Dagmar Fiala – Manager of Individual Giving, amfAR The Foundation for AIDS Research
Bryan Evangelista – Account Supervisor, Lautman Maska Neill & Company (and GMHC)
#Bridge14

2. Founded in 1966, by Margaret
McNamara, a literacy tutor,
RIF is the nation’s oldest
children’s literacy non-profit.
Reading is Fundamental (RIF) Overview

3. Flagship Program since 1976 – RIF’s Books For
Ownership Program
What?
Book distributions
Where?
17,000 sites such as schools, libraries, Head Starts, clinics, and community centers
Who?
Organizations serving children with an average of 80% or greater free and reduced
meal eligibility

4. Over 400 million new, free books to
more than 35 million children
RIF Impact to Date

5. Two BIG Challenges for RIF
Loss of critical Federal
funding for our flagship
Books For Ownership
Program in 2011.
How do we distinguish RIF
from all of the other
children’s literacy
organizations?

7. Loss of Funding Communications
Literacy Emergency!
Emergency mail and
e-appeals to all donor file
Contacted all of our large
funders to let them know
about the loss of Federal
Funding
9% response rate w/
$47.72 average gift

8. RIF’s Refocus Assessment of entire organization,
including fundraising.
Programmatically:
•Focus on STEAM, multiculturalism
and stemming summer reading loss.
•Use statistics and research to back
up case for support.
•Frame case around cradle to career
and competition in a global
economy.

9. Impact Not Reach
34 % of children entering kindergarten lack the basic
language skills they will need to learn to read
40% of U.S. 4th graders do not achieve basic levels of
reading proficiency.
One in three children spending more than half their
lives in poverty does not graduate from high school.
18

10. RIF’s Fundraising Refocus
Fundraising – back to best practices
Matching gifts
Invest more in new donor
acquisition
Launch Sustainer program “Book
Hero”
Revamp middle donor program
with upgrade invitation
Promote tribute giving

11. RIF’s Fundraising Refocus
Fundraising – back to best practices
Connecting the donor with the
cause
Testimonials
Kids quotes
Kids drawings
Bookmarks
$10 = 4 books

12. Sustainer “Book Hero”

13. Middle Donor Invite
Mailed in February
Upgrade and renewal
Longer response time
Results
Response Rate = 3.36%
Average Gift = $265
Note card package in A7 outer

14. • Research scientist Dr. Mathilde Krim and Hollywood
movie star Elizabeth Taylor, who joined forces to create
amfAR in 1985.
• One of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations
dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV
prevention, treatment, education, and the advocacy of
sound AIDS –related public policy.
• Invested more than $388 million in its programs.
• Awarded more than 3,300 grants to research teams
worldwide.

15. • Message Fatigue
• Resource Funding Cuts
• Donor Fatigue
• Perception – AIDS is No Longer a Crisis
Challenges

16. A Rough Sector

21. Staying Relevant

26. E-Philanthropy Cultivation Series

32. Social Media: facebook

33. Social Media: facebook

34. Social Media: Twitter

35. Social Media: Instagram

37. LATEST AIDS STATISTIC:
35,000,000
CURED

38. GMHC is the nation's leading provider of HIV/AIDS care, prevention
services and advocacy, serving nearly 9,000 people living with HIV/AIDS
in the epidemic's largest U.S. epicenter.
As the world's first HIV and AIDS service organization GMHC is an expert
in providing the services that every person affected by the epidemic
deserves. GMHC is on the front lines caring for people who are both HIV
negative and positive, including: testing, nutrition, legal, mental health
and education services.

39. GMHC Challenges
1. Messaging
2. List market fatigue
3. Limited budget
4. No telemarketing

41. 1. Messaging: Reiterating that the crisis is not over

42. 1. Messaging: Reiterating that the crisis is not over
“Names” Insert
OE Teaser Test

43. 1. Messaging: Focus on meals and community

44. 1. Messaging: Focus on meals and community
Thanksgiving Placemat
Holiday Card Reply Form

45. 1. Messaging: Package testing!
May “Remembrance” Appeal

46. 1. Messaging: Package testing!
July “Notecard” Appeal

47. 1. Messaging: Package testing!
August “Story” Appeal

48. 2. Limited Budget: Tweak testing
 Inexpensive tweak tests that move the needle
 Envelope teasers
 Ask string builds
 Control package refreshes
 Tests to save money
 Window vs. Closed Face OE
 Preprint vs. Personalized letter
 Postage Treatment

49. 2. Limited Budget: Tweak testing
Address Label Designs
Envelope Teasers

50. 2. Limited Budget: Tweak testing
Reply Form Designs
Ask String Builds

51. 2. Limited Budget: Cost efficiencies
 Taking advantage of gang printing opportunities
 Combined list plans/merges
 Seasonal tote bag offer
 Acquisition and Appeal package similarities

52. 3. List Market Fatigue: Identifying untapped markets
 Deeper Lapsed Names
 Warm prospects
 AIDS Walk NY Donors
 Modeled lists
 Geographic/demographic selects on outside lists
 $100 list exchanges
 amfAR, GLSEN, The Actor’s Fund

53. 3. List Market Fatigue: Targeting strategies
 Letter versioning
 Lapsed/Metro vs. National
 Multi strategy
 Letter switch
 Seasonal co-controls
 Address Labels + Totebag
 Placemat
 Address Labels + Holiday Card

54. 3. List Market Fatigue: Package testing
“Names” OE and Johnson Box
Window Cling
Stand-Alone
Holiday Card
Supporter Card

55. 4. No Telemarketing: No problem!
 In FY2013 GMHC suspended telemarketing 
 Last minute December mailing added to replace budgeted call
 Proven Fall appeal series mail dates shifted for the first time ever
 Time-sensitive matching gift secured
 Raised over $90,000 – more than triple the budgeted goal!
 2013 MAXI winner and now an integral part of appeal series 

56. 4. No telemarketing: More sustainers?!
 Multi-channel approach (mail/email) to recruit monthly givers
 Three cultivation touch points in Fall appeal mailings
 October Invite email series
 Upgrade ask as part of Renewal #1 mailing
 March upgrade/reinstatement email series
 In FY2013, GMHC experienced it’s first INCREASE in monthly giving
revenue since before the recession

57. 4. No telemarketing: More sustainers?!
R1 $5 Upgrade Ask
Address Label Cultivation
March Upgrade Email Series

58. Don’t mess with what’s working!
 Three part calendar based renewal series
 Involvement devices
 Matching gifts (offline and online)
 Urgent appeals
 Sequester, Ryan White funding cuts, food pantry waiting list
 Email!
 36% increase in revenue over the past 4 years

59. Don’t mess with what’s working!
R2 Reminder Notice
R1 Supporter Card
Double Window Urgent Appeal
R3 Invoice Statement

60. Take advantage of the stuff you have!
 GMHC Name Recognition
 Symbolic Red Ribbon
 Keith Haring Foundation
Keith Haring
Red Ribbon Address Labels

61. Thank you!
Don’t forget to visit the
Solutions Showcase!
Many of the ideas discussed today are on display at the
Solutions Showcase!
#Bridge14
Margaret Carter mcarter@rif.org
Dagmar Fiala dagmar.fiala@amfar.org
Bryan Evangelista bevangelista@lautmandc.com