Annual contribution and newsletter for the Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic
Newsletter mailing in January, successful year after year
Every January, the Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic Foundation sends out a direct mailing with a newsletter and a request for an annual donation. The purpose of the mailing is to thank and engage donors and make them feel the foundation’s appreciation, while also bringing in as many donations as possible. We ask for a single larger donation on top of what donors already give.
The first mailing of the year is always successful and therefore forms a standard part of the foundation’s annual fundraising plan. This year, the results even exceeded expectations.
Sister Rolande gives young girls a chance at a better future
In every direct mailing, we highlight one specific Sister mission in a new country.
For this year’s mailing, the focus is on the new Sister Rolande. She teaches young girls crochet, sewing and knitting, which are skills they can use later in life to earn money.
Sister Rolande’s beautiful crochet is featured throughout the mailing, e.g. on the eye-catching envelop.
The strategy
The campaign targets donors who want to make a contribution to education, employment opportunities, creativity and empowerment for women and young people in a region plagued by unemployment. We ask for an annual donation and look back on the previous year. In the newsletter entitled ‘Thanks to you’ we show donors examples of what has been achieved with the help of their donations.
- The offer: with your annual contribution, you help women and young people in East Timor throughout the year to learn new skills, earn an income and build a better future for themselves.
- Target group: the foundation’s target group is religious and somewhat older (80+). Donors typically have a strong sense of social engagement and care and solidarity are key values for them.
The mailing was sent out to:
- Regular donors who have issued a direct debit authorisation.
- Active donors who made at least one donation in the last twelve months.
- A small group of non-active donors who last made a donation more than one year ago.
The donation amounts for the various segments:
- €25 materials kit for one student. She receives yarn, crochet hooks, knitting needles and fabrics, so she can practise for one month and make handicraft products for her personal use or to sell.
- €35 for a sewing machine.
- €50 a full month’s support for one student.
- For €100, a participant gets a complete educational package that includes materials, training, access to a sewing machine or knitting machine and coaching to make products that can be sold, so she can earn an income and increase her independence.
Contents of mail pack:
- The newsletter
- Poem as a card (prayer card)
- Two other postcards
- Letter + Direct debit authorisation for a one-off donation
- Reply envelope
The result
The mailing performs well every year. This year, however, the results exceeded our expectations.
- A response rate of 13.25% (against a forecast 12%)
- An average donation amount of €28.30 (against a forecast €26)
Follow-up steps
Donors will also receive a follow-up mailing.
- Response rate of 10.85%
- Average donation amount of €25.39
About the Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic and Mindwize
Mindwize and the Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic have been working together on the foundation’s fundraising activities in the Netherlands since 1998. Mindwize draws up and implements the foundation’s annual plan. The annual plan consists of direct mailings, major donor, legacy and prospect mailings and telemarketing campaigns. Mindwize also manages the foundation’s database and donor service, as well as inbound mail and phone calls.
About the Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic
The Maryknoll Sisters help people in need all over the world, e.g. because they are suffering from hunger or disease or need help for some other reason. Vulnerable children in particular often cannot make it on their own. The Sisters are there to provide aid to anyone who needs it. Their work is not inhibited by any cultural, social, religious, geographic or economic boundaries.
The Sisters have been helping people in need for over one hundred years. The foundation was established in 1912. This made the Maryknoll Sisters the first group of Catholic Sisters in the US willing to devote their lives to missions overseas. Today, 280 Sisters from 29 countries carry out missions in 19 countries all over the world.
