Marketing Toolkits

Direct Response Campaign Toolkit

Campaign Visual Options: What You Should Consider.

We’ve provided several different packages for this campaign so it will work for you.

Printed Materials

If you print your direct mail in house… we’d recommend selecting the 1-color or 2-color printed materials. All designs are in black and white to save your printer ink. You also may want to consider using simpler reply devices – printing the #9 envelope will be very hard to do in-house.

If you work with a professional printer… there are a number of options that will drive the cost of printing. We provided 1-color, 2-color and full-color options for the printed materials.

Two Visual Themes

There are 2 different visual themes for all digital graphics. We recommend selecting one you like, and using that theme across your website, email, personal email signature and social media posts.

Campaign Timeline Recommendations

Campaigns can have varying timelines based on the purpose, goals and previous campaign response rates. The multi-channel campaign timeline below, gives you a sample for what a campaign might look like over a 2 week period, which we believe is a good timeline for a mid-year direct response campaign.

Note that there is no perfect campaign schedule or timeline. We should always be testing to see what works best.

Week 1: Launch and Engagement Phase

Day 1:

Email: Send an initial campaign announcement email outlining the purpose, goals, and how donations will be used. Make the impact and outcomes specific (ex. “We can build a house on Main Street if we raise $5,000”). Segment your list if possible to make the appeal specific to the individuals previous engagements with your affiliate. Send the appeal to previous donors, volunteers, partners and consider ways to engage new donors.
Social Media: Announce the campaign launch with a kickoff post. Highlight the campaign match if you have one, the goals for the campaign and the specific impact it will have if you achieve those goals (ex. “We can build a house on Main Street if we raise $5,000”). Use engaging visuals and a clear call to action.

Day 2:

Direct Mail: Mail a personalized appeal. Highlight the campaign match if you have one, the goals for the campaign and the specific impact it will have if you achieve those goals (ex. “We can build a house on Main Street if we raise $5,000”). Use engaging visuals and a clear call to action. Segment your list if possible to make the appeal specific to the individuals previous engagements with your affiliate. Send the appeal to previous donors, volunteers, partners and consider ways to engage new donors.

Day 3:

Social Media: What is the challenge in your community that your work addresses. Pick a specific challenge that your work is focused on (ex. Physical and mental health, fair housing, education, affordability, financial literacy, etc.). Elevate how the organization has made progress in impacting those challenges. Impact reports, annual report stats, external articles, or blog posts can be effective content to help support these claims.

Day 4:

Social Media: Post an engaging video or post about the organizational goals and vision and how this campaign will specifically move the organization’s goals forward. (Ex. “Our goal is to build 10 houses this year. If we meet our campaign goal, we will be able to put roofs on all of those houses.”)

Day 5:

Social Media: Share a story/testimonial highlighting the featured family in your campaign. Focus on positives and paint a picture of before and after their engagement with Habitat. Tie their situation to the wider community if possible.

Day 6:

Social Media: Share a link to an external article or video about Habitat’s work in the community. Or post an external article or video that educates your audience about the community challenges your work is trying to address.

Week 2: Momentum and Final Push

Day 8:

Email: Announce a matching gift opportunity or a challenge from a major donor to encourage quick action and a sense of urgency to donating.
Social Media: Share a story/testimonial highlighting of a staff member that is managing the project that you are fundraising for. Have they worked with the featured campaign family or have a specific story to tell about a personal experience they have in their work. Connect the ask to funding the individual’s work (Ex. “Your donation will help Tonya build the roof for the house on Main Street.”).

Day 9:

Social Media: Share a story/testimonial highlighting of the feature family from your original appeal. Connect the ask to funding the family’s home (Ex. “Your donation will help put a roof on their Home.”).

Day 11:

Social Media: The campaign is coming to a close. Take advantage of that match! Make sure to elevate deadlines, doubling your donation and a clear call to action.

Day 12 (Final day!):

Email: Send a “final push” email, reminding subscribers that there are only a few hours left to contribute.
Social Media: Post a countdown to the campaign’s end, emphasizing the urgency and the need for support.

Post-Campaign

Email: Send a detailed campaign report to all donors and stakeholders, celebrating the achievements.
Personalized Outreach to New Donors: Any first time donors require special attention. Consider a personalized note, phone call or message. We also recommend that you put them into an onboarding sequence to help them get engaged with the organization.
Personalized Outreach to Major Donors: Any major donors require special attention. Consider a personalized note, phone call or message. Maybe a handwritten note from your ED, board chair, or a home buyer?
Social Media: Share gratitude and highlights from the campaign. Based on the outcomes, what is your organization now able to do?

Campaign Assets & Customization Options

Letterhead

Content Customizations: We provided example text, but we encourage you to find your own stories to incorporate. We also encourage you to include an image of the family that you highlight in the story.

Letterhead Customizations: We provided 3 different letter designs that require different printing techniques. Pick one that works for your situation. We encourage you to replace the Habitat logo with yours and the address with yours.

QR Code Customizations: At the bottom of the letter we’ve included a QR code to encourage donors to use online donations.

IMPORTANT: You will need to update the QR code graphic. Otherwise, this QR code will send people to the wrong location. Services like bitly.com can help you create a QR code graphic that goes to your own donation page.

Envelopes – Outer & Response Envelope

Outer Envelope Customizations: If you have a match campaign, we have an option for that. Otherwise, we also have an option for non-matching campaigns. If you have a bulk postage account see instructions below. If not, remove the indicia from the top-right corner.

Indicia on Outer Envelope: if you use a pre-paid postage (or bulk postage) account, then you need to customize the indicia with your permit number and location.

Inner Envelope Customizations: If you are professionally printing this campaign, this is a good option. Otherwise, consider adding a simple #9 envelope into your outer envelope for donors to use.

Email Graphics

Email Customizations: We encourage you to drop in a photo of the family that you are featuring in your campaign. Feel free to drop in your own tagline if you have one. There are two visual theme options that you can select in Canva.

Personal Email Signature Line Graphics

Email Signature Customizations: We encourage you to drop in a photo of the family that you are featuring in your campaign. Feel free to drop in your own tagline if you have one. There are two visual theme options that you can select in Canva.

Website Graphics

Web Graphics Customizations: We encourage you to drop in a photo of the family that you are featuring in your campaign. Feel free to drop in your own tagline if you have one. There are two visual theme options that you can select in Canva.

Social Graphics

Social Text Customizations: We provide copy and paste text that mimics our recommended campaign timeline. The customization text is highlighted in yellow.

Social Graphics Customizations: We encourage you to drop in photos of the family, volunteers and staff that you are featuring in your campaign. Feel free to drop in your own tagline if you have one. There are 10 different graphics to customize in Canva.

Copy/Paste Social Post Content

Campaign Day	Caption	Image Name
Day 1	Today we’re launching our campaign [insert campaign name] to [insert your impact goal]. The best part: our generous partner [tag sponsor] is matching your donation dollar-for-dollar! Your donation today turns $1 into $2 and gives everyone in our community a fair chance to thrive! Donate today to double your donation! [add link to donation page]	Day 1
Day 3	This may surprise you… [Insert facts about the challenge in your community]. The good news: there’s a solution, but it takes all of us! Our campaign [insert campaign name] is a start. When you donate today, your donation will be matched dollar for dollar so we can start Building the Future together. Let’s make a difference together! [add link to donation page]	Day 3
Day 4	We’ve got big plans! This year, our goal is to [insert strategic goal]. We need everyone’s help to make this vision a reality – including you! The [insert campaign name] is going to help us get there. And, when you donate today, your $1 turns into $2 with our special matching offer. Let’s make a difference together! [add link to donation page]	Day 4
Day 5	Imagine if this were true for every family in [insert service area]. We can make that vision a reality working together. But, we need your support. Double your donation today with our special matching offer. [add link to donation page]	Day 5
Day 6	[Post link to external article that highlights the challenge you’re addressing. Comment on articles contents.]	Day 6
Day 8	Meet [name of staff member of volunteer]. [insert context for what they work on and how this is relevant to the campaign] By donating to [insert campaign’s name] you’re funding [name of staff member/volunteer]’s work making our community a better place. Double your donation today! [add link to donation page]	Day 8
Day 9	Every home has a story behind it…. [Insert family name]’s Habitat story is in the process of being written. They are currently building their home with our community of volunteers! [insert campaign’s name] you’re funding [name of staff member/volunteer]’s work making our community a better place. Double your donation today! [add link to donation page]	Day 9
Day 11	Today your $1 becomes $2! 🤯 But the offer ends soon… Thanks to a generous donation match from [tag matching sponsor] we’re so close to our to [insert campaign goal]. But, we need your help! Double your donation today! [add link to donation page]	Day 11
Day 12	🕒 🕒 Today is the final day to help [insert goal]! The dollar-for-dollar match ends soon. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far, and thanks to [tag match partner] for providing the matching fund. Let’s end strong together! [add link to donation page]	Day 12
Post Campaign	🎉 We did it! Thanks to your incredible support, our [Campaign Name] was a huge success. We’ve not only met our goal but also created lasting impacts. Now comes the fun part! Doing the work! Stay tuned for updates on how your contributions are at work! 🌟	Post Campaign

Copy/Paste Direct Response Letter Example Content

Dear <<name>>,

Everyone deserves a decent place to call home.

Unfortunately, in our community incomes are not keeping up with the price of housing. You can help!

Thanks to a generous partnership, your donation today is DOUBLED. It will help us meet our goal to build 5 homes in Springfield this year.

Habitat homes are making an impact on the lives of families like X’s. Since buying a home with Habitat in Springfield, they have been able to put aside the burden of high housing costs in our community.

With an affordable mortgage, X is investing in the future for their family – saving for the education of their children.

“Before Habitat, I could never have imagined starting a college fund for my kids,” says X.

There are thousands of families like X’s in our community. Imagine the impact we could have if they all were able to save for the futures of their children.

Over the next 5 years, our goal is to:

Build 20 homes at our Main street development.
Repair 50 homes across the community through our Critical Home Repair program.
Deliver financial education to 100 families to help them build manageable spending plans, increase savings, reduce debt, and more.

None of this happens without the generosity of donors, like you. When you give today, we will DOUBLE your donation.

Fair access to decent housing is achievable. It takes everyone to contribute!

In Partnership,
Jane Smith
Executive Director

P.S. – When you give before 5/31/24 your donation will be DOUBLED. So, please give today.

Copy/Paste Direct Response Email Example Content

Email Subject lines to test:

“Double Your Impact: Build Homes and Futures Today!”
“Help Us Build a Future: Every Donation Matched Until 5/31!”
“Match Opportunity: Make Twice the Difference for Families in Need”

Customize in Canva (there are two design options to choose from)

Dear <<name>>,

Everyone deserves a decent place to call home. Unfortunately, for many of our neighborhoods, their incomes aren’t keeping pace with the cost of housing.

Affordable housing gives our neighbors and communities a chance to thrive.

Meet X. They just bought a home with Habitat Springfield. Their affordable mortgage not only allowed them to stay in Springfield, it gave them space to make plans for the future of their family.

“Before Habitat, I could never have imagined starting a college fund for my kids,” says X.

Imagine if we could change this for everyone in our community.

We believe it’s possible and that’s why we have big plans over the next 5 years, including:

Build 20 homes at our Main street development.
Repair 50 homes across the community through our Critical Home Repair program.
Deliver financial education to 100 families to help them build manageable spending plans, increase savings, reduce debt, and more.

None of this happens without the generosity of donors, like you. When you give today, we will DOUBLE your donation.

[add button]

Fair access to decent housing is achievable. It takes everyone to contribute!

Warm regards,
Jane Smith
Executive Director
Habitat for Humanity

P.S. – Remember, donate by 5/31 to have your gift matched!

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