Church Urban Fund

Client: Church Urban Fund

 

Project: Direct mail and email campaign for Lent

 

Aim: Generate donations in the region of £30,000

 

Deliverables: A three-email sequence with variables

                       A letter from the charity’s director with variables

                       Social media content pointing to the campaign

                       Direct mail marketing materials           

 

Nobody wants to jinx things, but with this campaign safely signed off and onto our next work together, I feel a little safer in saying this went like an absolute dream. You know the kind of kick off call where the both of you come away really excited to get started? This had that from the first moment. 

 

I met Mia (Head of Comms at CUF) and loved how passionately she talked about the charity’s potential to really impact communities. She provided what is possibly the best brief I’ve ever worked from and great source material. 

 

In return I provided a 16 page document compiling all requested items, with suggestions for best use. We had agreed on two rounds of amends but only a few minor tweaks were requested in round one before the project was signed off. Talk about a dream team!

 

Here’s what I did differently: The three-email sequence had a generic sign off in the project brief, coming from the charity and not a specific individual. I suggested the emails should come from Mia (or another team member) and wrote about her experience visiting the work the charity supports. I was able to make the case studies more relatable and real as a result, and spoke to the audience from a place of gratitude for their involvement, from someone who really works hard for it. As a result, the emails were emotive, engaging and positively harnessed the reader’s attention with the remainder of the campaign. 

 

Personal stories are always a good idea in charity campaigns, but telling them from the point of view of another person rather than the organisation is even better. People relate to people, not organisations.  

 

What worked:

 

The client delivered a strong brief ✔️

They were open to a fresh approach ✔️

They appreciated the benefits of external vision ✔️

All of the content matched the charity’s tone (“Spot on!”) ✔️

I challenged them on areas for improvement ✔️

The content was well researched and written with care ✔️

 

Here’s where I’d say I’m looking forward to our next project together, but it’s already underway!