Accelerator Fund

The challenge

The University Health Network Foundation funds a wide range of medical care, research and education via a variety of donor categories. But analysis showed a gap in mid-level donors – and an opportunity to grow leadership giving for unrestricted project funding.

What we did

Blakely’s strategic plan leveraged a unique approach to mid-level giving. Our philosophy is about developing a strong proposition and enhancing the journey of mid-level donors by offering them content that engages, inspires and resonates with their values. This added sense of ownership and engagement leads to a growth in donation value

Through interviews and surveys, we knew mid-to-high level UHNF donors were highly interested in scientific innovation and advanced research projects. So we launched a campaign that invited mid-level donors to be part of the UHN Accelerator Fund, an incubator for disruptive, innovative research

We launched this targeted direct mail appeal via high-touch, content-heavy creative that showcased the research in a very personalized and tactile way including medical imaging scans, and insiders knowledge from physicians.

By giving donors a robust and informative look at the research they were supporting, we were able to engage and inspire them to increase their gift.

The final result

The results were a perfect example of how effective our mid-level giving strategy was, with 40% of our target doubling their giving, while successfully moving 23% from restricted to unrestricted giving.