Wolf Trap
Foundation for the Performing Arts
35th Anniversary Direct Mail and Online Membership Drive
Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts is the official partner to the National Park Service in providing over 100 performances and concert severy summer within the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts . Located in Vienna, VA, the 117-acre Park offers summer dining and hospitality amenities and year-round outdoor recreation opportunities. As a nonprofit organization, Wolf Trap Foundation is dedicated to creating excellent performing arts experiences for the enrichment, education, and enjoyment of diverse audiences.
The Situation:
With the 2015 35th Anniversary Gala drawing near, Wolf Trap Foundation contacted AccessDirect to consult on some concerning trends.
%
YOY Membership Revenue
Steady 3% yearly decline in annual membership revenue for three consecutive years
No Growth in Total Membership
Few new memberships or commitments over three fiscal years.
%
Acquisition/ Retention Funding
Significant funding cuts across all Wolftrap projects implemented for next fiscal year.
Wolf Trap Foundation was experiencing membership stagnation at 5,600 and a 3% decline in annual membership revenue for three consecutive years. Donor renewals were on a downtrend, and significant funding cuts across the board had been implemented for the next fiscal year.
With an acquisition and retention budget 10% less than the previous year, Wolf Trap needed a way to engage more efficiently with prospective members, with significantly less funding dedicated. They knew they needed to modernize and explore new avenues of contact, despite the cut budgets and timelines. That’s where Access Direct came in.
Simply put, we had to do more with less.
The Solution:
Wolf Trap Foundation wanted to expand it’s direct mail production 20% and online giving by 50% primarily using email, SEO and member/donor micro-sites. Direct mail was making up 80% of revenue while online giving generated less than 10%.
Access Direct had to change the culture of donor engagement
with progressive, web based solutions.
Access Direct re-branded the Membership Acquisition and Annual Giving programs. Developing new creative and messaging that moved members and donors to action was a high priority. Our online marketing team created numerous member landing pages and donor micro-sites that integrated video and commerce for a unsurpassed user experience. After an extensive member/donor benefits audit, a new campaign metric was also developed.
The Results:
%
Increased Response Rate
The new strategy generated an aggregate response rate of 1.23%, up from an average of .7%
New Memberships
Total membership increased from 5600 to over 8,600 in just one
season.
%
YOY Revenue & Renewals
Membership renewals and revenue were up 28% over the previous year.
%
Online Memberships
Online membership grew over 500% with a 18% higher average gift than direct mail.
Direct Mail
Utilizing our in-house print production facilities and creative talent, Access Direct was able increase the direct mail campaign from 400M packages 3 times per year to 500M 4 times per year for 10% less budget than the previous fiscal year.
Online Giving
Access Direct’s digital marketing team was able to entirely revamp Wolf Trap’s web experience and saw a resulting 500% increase in online membership, coupled with an 18% higher average gift than traditional direct mail.