How a housing and family organization Raised $347,500 With an Integrated 5-Channel Approach

Introduction

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When a mid-sized housing and family nonprofit, approached us about their year-end fundraising campaign, they had a bold goal: to raise $250,000 in just 3 months —more than double their previous year's total.

With minimal budget for paid advertising and a small team stretched thin, they needed a strategy that would maximize impact without overwhelming their resources.

Our solution? An integrated five-channel approach that created a cohesive donor experience while playing to the strengths of each platform.

The results exceeded everyone's expectations: $347,500 raised from 1,283 donors (a 214% increase from the previous year's campaign), with 37% coming from first-time supporters.

In this case study, we'll break down exactly how we designed and executed this record-breaking campaign—and how you can apply the same principles to your fundraising efforts.

The Challenge

They faced several common challenges:

• A previous reliance on single-channel approaches (primarily email)
• Disconnected messaging across different platforms
• Inconsistent timing of campaign elements
• Limited staff capacity for campaign management
• Minimal budget for paid advertising
• Declining response rates to traditional appeals

Their goal of $250,000 seemed ambitious given these constraints, but we identified significant untapped potential in better coordination across their existing channels.

The Strategy: Five Channels, One Seamless Experience

After analyzing the audience and resources, we designed an integrated campaign using five core channels:

1. Email - The backbone of the campaign
2. Social Media - Organic content plus limited targeted ads
3. SMS - Strategic text messaging for time-sensitive appeals
4. Direct Mail - Tightly integrated with digital touchpoints
5. Personalized Video - Targeted at mid-level and major donors

The key innovation wasn't the channels themselves—organizations was already using most of them—but how we synchronized them to create a cohesive donor journey.

Campaign Structure: The 6-3-1 Approach

We structured the six-week campaign using what we call the "6-3-1 Approach":

6 Weeks Total:

• Weeks 1-2: Awareness and Education
• Weeks 3-4: Engagement and Cultivation
• Weeks 5-6: Conversion and Urgency

3 Core Stories:

• Housing stability transformations
• Family reunification successes
• Community resilience building

1 Consistent Call to Action:"Help provide stability to 500 families in 2026"

This framework ensured that while each channel had its own tactical plan, everything worked together toward the same goal.

Channel Integration in Action

Here's how we synchronized the five channels throughout the campaign:

Phase 1: Awareness and Education (Weeks 1-2)

Email:

• Campaign announcement introducing the goal
• Story-focused email showcasing family transformation
• Impact infographic demonstrating housing program results

Social Media:

• Campaign kickoff video featuring client stories (with permission)
• Daily testimonials from community members and volunteers
• Behind-the-scenes looks at programs

SMS:

• Campaign announcement with video link
• "Text to learn more" call-to-action on all print materials

Direct Mail:

• Campaign introduction package with personalized letter
• QR code linking to digital impact report

Personalized Video:

• Executive Director sent custom videos to top 50 previous donors

Phase 2: Engagement and Cultivation (Weeks 3-4)

Email:

• Interactive impact calculator showing what different donation amounts accomplish
• Volunteer spotlight featuring personal stories
• Matching gift announcement from major donor

Social Media:

• Live Q&A with program directors
• User-generated content from supporters sharing why they give
• Progress updates with visual thermometer

SMS:

• Matching gift alert with urgent call-to-action
• "Text your questions" prompt for upcoming webinar

Direct Mail:

• None during this phase (intentional)

Personalized Video:

• Program director sent thank-you videos to all donors who had already contributed

Phase 3: Conversion and Urgency (Weeks 5-6)

Email:

• Campaign progress updates (2x weekly)
• Deadline-driven appeals
• Final 48-hour countdown sequence

Social Media:

• Daily countdown posts
• Donor spotlight stories
• Real-time campaign milestone celebrations

SMS:

• 1-week reminder
• 48-hour deadline alert
• Final day hourly updates

Direct Mail:

• Final appeal letter timed to arrive 10 days before deadline
• Handwritten notes to lapsed major donors

Personalized Video:

• Board members sent videos to past donors who hadn't yet given

Cross-Channel Measurement and Optimization

Setting up proper tracking was crucial to understanding the campaign's performance and making mid-course corrections.

We implemented:

• UTM parameters on all digital links
• Campaign-specific donation forms for attribution
• Channel-specific tracking codes on direct mail and SMS
• Daily performance dashboard showing results by channel and segment
• Weekly optimization meetings to adjust tactics based on data

This infrastructure allowed us to make several critical adjustments during the campaign:

• Reallocating Facebook ad budget toward higher-performing audience segments
• Increasing SMS frequency after seeing strong response rates
• Adding an additional email when open rates exceeded benchmarks
• Creating a special appeal for lapsed donors who were engaging but not converting

Key Results and Insights

The final results exceeded all expectations:

• $347,500 raised (139% of goal)
• 1,283 total donors (214% increase from previous year)
• 37% first-time donors
• 28% increase in average gift size
• 12 new monthly donors

Beyond the topline numbers, we gained valuable insights about multi-channel effectiveness:

1. Donors who engaged across 3+ channels gave 4.2X more than single-channel donors
2. SMS had the highest conversion rate (8.3%) but required tight message coordination
3. Personalized video generated the highest average gift ($742)
4. Direct mail + email + social media was the most effective channel combination
5. Consistent visual elements across channels improved recognition and response

Lessons for Your Organization

Based on this success, here are key principles you can apply to your own multi-channel campaigns:

1. Start with the Donor Journey, Not the Channels

Before deciding which channels to use, map out the ideal donor experience from awareness to action to appreciation. Then select the channels that best support each stage.

2. Maintain Message Consistency While Respecting Channel Differences

Use consistent themes, stories, and calls-to-action across all channels, but adapt the format and tone to fit each platform's unique environment.

3. Coordinate Timing for Reinforcement

Time your touchpoints so they reinforce rather than compete with each other. For example, CHA's direct mail pieces arrived 2-3 days before related email appeals, creating a powerful reminder effect.

4. Create Cross-Channel Calls to Action

Each channel should acknowledge and direct to others when appropriate. CHA's direct mail pieces included text-to-give options, while emails referenced the direct mail package.

5. Use a Shared Content Calendar

Develop a master calendar showing all touchpoints across all channels to ensure proper spacing and coordination.

6. Measure the Complete Donor Journey

Look beyond channel-specific metrics to understand how supporters move between channels before converting.

Implementation Roadmap for Your Organization

Ready to implement a similar approach? Here's a simplified roadmap:

1. Audit your current channels and their performance
2. Define your ideal donor journey from awareness to conversion
3. Identify gaps and opportunities in your current approach
4. Create a unified campaign theme and messaging framework
5. Develop a cross-channel content calendar
6. Implement proper tracking across all touchpoints
7. Schedule regular optimization meetings during the campaign
8. Analyze cross-channel metrics after campaign completion

Conclusion

Community Hope Alliance's record-breaking campaign demonstrates the power of a well-coordinated multi-channel approach. The success came not from adding new channels but from better integrating existing ones to create a seamless donor experience.

By applying these principles to your own fundraising efforts, you can achieve similar results—engaging more supporters, increasing gift sizes, and ultimately raising more money for your mission.

Need help designing and implementing your multi-channel fundraising campaign?

Contact KNDR for a free strategy session: https://www.kndr.digital/cgrouting

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