Doubling Acquisition Results with a Simple Text
How One Nonprofit Used Phone + Mail to Cut Costs and Boost Donor Response
21% Decrease in Acquisition Costs
At a Glance
| Metric | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Campaign Duration | July 2023 – June 2024 |
| Texts Delivered | 482,395 messages across 13 acquisition campaigns |
| Total Gifts | 2,641 new donors acquired |
| Average Gift | $59.53 |
| Response Rate Increase | 95.5% lift vs. mail-only |
| Cost Per Donor | 21.3% lower than mail-only acquisition |
The Challenge
Donor acquisition is one of the most critical—and expensive—investments a nonprofit can make. For the American Indian College Fund, the challenge was clear:
How do we stand out in a crowded mailbox and make each outreach effort count?
The Solution
Synergy introduced a simple, powerful addition to their direct mail strategy: personalized Peer-to-Peer Text Messaging.
Over the course of 12 months, Synergy sent 13 acquisition texts alongside direct mail drops. Each message was delivered by a real person and written to do one thing: Let supporters know that a letter was coming—and why it mattered.
Doubling the channels and maximizing the opportunity with a timely, human message that made donors more likely to open, read, and respond.
The Results
- Nearly double the response rate: Donors who received both text + mail responded at a rate 95.5% higher than those who only received mail.
- Lower acquisition costs: The net cost per donor dropped by 21.3%, making this campaign significantly more efficient.
- Real impact at scale: Nearly 500,000 messages were delivered, resulting in 2,641 new donors at an average gift of $59.53.
The Transformation
In the world of donor acquisition, small moments of connection can change everything. By pairing traditional outreach with personal, well-timed texts, the American Indian College Fund didn’t just lower costs—they created a more responsive, donor-ready audience.
A letter in the mailbox works better when there's a text notification on the phone. With Synergy, those two channels work together to drive real results.
