Nonprofit Winners of 2002 Echo Awards from the Direct Marketing Association

For the most outstanding campaign of all entries submitted:

Amnistía Internacional
Fernando VI,
1o izqda, Madrid,
Spain 28004

Title of program: Amnisty for Safiya

Agency: CP Interactive, Madrid, Spain

Objective: Gather signatures to save the life of a Nigerian woman who was to be stoned to death and publicize her plight

Budget: under $1,500; many services were contributed pro bono

Media: A mailing consisting of a bag with a stone and a letter requesting support in saving the woman’s life. The mailing was also distributed on the street and at local universities. A Web site was created to gather signatures on a petition asking that the woman not be killed. The campaign also included both print and radio public-service advertising. All signatures were forwarded to the Ambassador of Nigeria in Spain; ultimately, the Spanish government officially condemned the case and pressure from around the world helped to lift the death sentence.

Results: More than 350,000 signatures were collected through the Web site, 30,000 signatures were collected through letters and faxes that helped to save the woman’s life. In addition, Amnistía Internacional obtained 35 percent more members than it did in the same time a year ago, and it was able to add the names of 200,000 people to its database.

(This campaign also won a gold award as an integrated campaign, and a silver award for dimensional mail.)

Project Hope

255 Carter Hall Lane
Millwood, Va. 22646-0255

Title of program: Project Hope personal e-mail direct-mail solicitation

Agency: Adams Hussey & Associates, Washington

Objective: To increase donations by showing how far donations go, both literally and figuratively

Budget: $24,033

Lists: More than 12,000 previous donors who had given at least $100 to the charity in the past 18 months

Media: Printouts of e-mails from Project Hope staff members working around the world were collected, reprinted, and highlighted to provide a sense of immediacy, urgency, and intimacy and to show what donations were used for.

Results: Eight percent of those who received the mailing donated; the average amount given was $128.

Salvation Army

101 Newington Causeway
London, England SE1 6BN

Title of program: 2001 Christmas donor

Agency: Target Direct, Cheltenham, England

Objective: To raise $4.3-million

Budget: $212,800

Lists: 485,000 previous donors, households of previous donors, and other groups

Media: Traditional mailed piece, including a Christmas card to be signed and returned

Results: Net income of $7,343,269; average contribution of $54.61

St. Louis Effort for AIDS

1027 Vandeventer, Suite 700
St. Louis, Mo. 63110

Title of program: Carnival 2001 A VooDoo Do

Agency: Rodgers Townsend

Objective: To increase the number of people who attended this annual black-tie event, in an attempt to increase revenue through ticket sales and items auctioned at the event.

Budget: Less than $50,000

Media: The invitation, with its voodoo theme, provided a sense of mystery and intrigue; each one included a charm

Results: Total event net revenue was $123,000.

Wilderness Society

1615 M Street, N.W., Suite 200
Washington 20036

Title of program: Keep Alaska Wild

Agency: Adams Hussey & Associates, Washington

Objective: To increase membership by publicizing the group’s effort to fight the Bush administration’s efforts to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration and drilling.

Budget: $100,000 to $250,000

Media: The package included photographs of Alaskan wildlife, a bumper sticker and decal that said “Keep Alaska Wild,” and a map of the wildlife refuge accompanied by information designed to rebut what oil-drilling companies had said about the potential harm to the environment. People who had not given previously were offered a collection of photographs by Ansel Adams if they made a donation.

Results: Percentage of recipients was double that of a mailing the previous year.

World Vision

34834 Weyerhaeuser Way South
Federal Way, Wash. 98001

Title of program: Easter bounceback

Agency: Russ Reid Company, Pasadena, Calif.

Objective: To produce additional income to help young people in developing countries

Budget: $217,443

Lists: The charity’s previous donors

Media: The package features an Easter message for people who sponsored a child in a country where a Christian message was appropriate; a separate version was created for those who supported youngsters in other places. The card includes a game that the sponsor can send to the child. Donors were invited to either provide an extra donation (in addition to the $312 they give annually) to children in need or a $3 gift to help cover the costs of mailing the game to the sponsored child. The appeal was also sent in Spanish to appropriate lists.

Results: $2.4-million in revenue; 79 percent of English speakers made a donation; 45 percent of Spanish speakers did so

Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research

381 Park Avenue South, Suite 820
New York, N.Y. 10016

Title of program: “The Main Event” and “Two People” (2 separate commercials)

Agency: McCann Relationship Marketing, New York

Objective: To increase awareness of Parkinson’s disease, broaden the audience, and advance the organization’s mission to cure the disease within 10 years.

Budget: $52,525 and $26,262, plus donations of creative costs and air time.

Media: Television commercials with Michael J. Fox and Muhammad Ali, who, like Mr. Fox, is a Parkinson’s sufferer.

Results: $1.38-million raised via the toll-free number and Web site included in the commercial; average donation of $110.

World Vision

34834 Weyerhaeuser. Way South
Federal Way, Wash. 98001

Title of program: 30-Hour Famine “Change Your World” Campaign 2001

Agency: KMA Direct Communications, Plano, Tex.

Objective: To encourage teenagers to participate in a 30-hour event to increase awareness of hunger worldwide.

Budget: $1.8-million

Media: Direct mail, card decks, print advertising, Internet, and telemarketing were all used to publicize the event.

Results: $8.4-million in income; $1,106 on average was raised by 7,629 groups of 10-15 youngsters

UNICEF London

Africa House, 65 Kingsway
London, England W1C

Title of program: Autumn Leaves

Agency: TBWA/GGT Direct, London

Objective: To create awareness of the plight of 400,000 Afghan child refugees facing freezing climates and potential starvation. The goal was to make the children’s potential harm part of the news being reported about Afghanistan.

Budget: $750

Media: Volunteers collected 5,000 autumn leaves and printed them with the message “Winter is coming. Help Afghan children now. www.unicef.org.uk.” The leaves were then distributed on the ground around television stations, newspaper offices, and government buildings, as well as public-transportation stations and walkways in London.

Results: $12,000 was collected through the Web site and the campaign produced $250,000 worth of free editorial coverage in print and broadcast media. After the news coverage, the charity started a campaign that raised more than $3-million for Afghan refugees.