Practical Action
Supporter and prospect fundraising
We have been working with Practical Action for the best part of a decade. They value our ability to help them be ‘the best version of themselves’, especially through their recent brand refresh. We’ve built their trust by being flexible, loyal, efficient and knowledgeable – and by consistently producing work that delivers against ambitious targets.
What we do
Project management, concept development, design, copywriting
Small World
We both write and design this supporter magazine, steering it not just through the recent brand refresh but on the journey from being a stewardship piece into an important fundraising tool. Recent issues have exceeded all targets – with response rates at over 8%. The latest edition raised more than twice its ambitious target, leaving the client ‘completely blown away by this final result’.
Gift of a lifetime legacy appeal pack:
Recruitment: In previous legacy appeals to their donor base, Practical Action had always focused on a particular project to highlight the ongoing need for funds. Our approach was to first convey the broader aims and values of the organisation and to align those with the power of a legacy gift.
Fulfilment: Supporters reacted well to how we had highlighted the charity’s philosophy of finding practical local solutions and then rolling them out to meet a wider need. Those who responded were sent a fulfilment pack, which told the story of a waste management project, developed in one area of Bangladesh, adopted by the regional authority and then held up internationally as an example of best practice. Set in context, this example demonstrated both the impact of the charity’s work – and the huge potential of gifts in Wills.
The lasting change pack
Practical Action also needed a targeted pack for previous legacy enquirers, which both reminded supporters of the charity’s vision and impact, and included enough information to help them take the next steps and actively include the charity in their Will. Our solution was straightforward and easy to navigate. And while legacies can be a slow burn, our client was pleased to quickly receive the charity’s highest ever legacy pledge.
Ingenious ideas pack
With this warm appeal pack, we chose to differentiate Practical Action’s ‘empowering local ingenuity’ approach from the types of aid that are helicoptered in and that therefore have a limited impact. To this end, we wanted to give an ‘on the ground’ view of how the charity’s long term partnership with a community went beyond the provision of clean water to also include knowledge sharing and training on how water could be used to increase farming yields and improve public health. As a mark of our collaborative relationship, the staff member on the ground hand-wrote the diary you see replicated here.
