Gift of Light Christmas appeal
This Orbis Christmas Appeal absolutely smashed its targets.
This Orbis Christmas Appeal absolutely smashed its targets.
When we were briefed, Orbis challenged us to raise both response rate AND average gift, so we suggested printing the appeal letter on the front of a C4-envelope, and lead with the matched-giving offer.
To achieve this, we ensured every DM box was ticked before it went to print, to help give it the best possible chance of success:
• Innovative format for stand-out
• Immediate, clear CTA
• Matched giving
• Eye contact
• Urgency urgency urgency
• Lots of you and you and you
• Powerful storytelling
• Strong visual contrasts
• Personalisation
• Chunking everything down into bite-sized copy
• Clear CTAs on every page
• And a lot more, including the data strategy
• Innovative format for stand-out
• Immediate, clear CTA
• Matched giving
• Eye contact
• Urgency urgency urgency
• Lots of you and you and you
• Powerful storytelling
• Strong visual contrasts
• Personalisation
• Chunking everything down into bite-sized copy
• Clear CTAs on every page
• And a lot more, including the data strategy
Winter appeal
Meet Marla – a girl who made history for being the youngest person ever in Mongolia to receive 'new eyes' after a successful double cataract operation.
This appeal leads with a letter from Dr Manish Raval who is a Consultant Anaesthetist and Orbis-volunteer and features a spotlight on Dr Shamsiya Murat, the eye doctor who operated on Marla, and who has trained on many different Flying Eye Hospital programmes since 2001. We also included case notes on Marla, to give Orbis supporters a sense of her progress towards clear vision, plus a bookmark as a token of gratitude.
Meet Marla – a girl who made history for being the youngest person ever in Mongolia to receive 'new eyes' after a successful double cataract operation.
This appeal leads with a letter from Dr Manish Raval who is a Consultant Anaesthetist and Orbis-volunteer and features a spotlight on Dr Shamsiya Murat, the eye doctor who operated on Marla, and who has trained on many different Flying Eye Hospital programmes since 2001. We also included case notes on Marla, to give Orbis supporters a sense of her progress towards clear vision, plus a bookmark as a token of gratitude.
Winter appeal
This appeal features Dr Manish Raval, a Consultant Anaesthetist at Moorfields Eye Hospital. He writes about a young girl called Prince with strabismus (squint) in Rwanda, where there are currently only two eye specialists per million people, making Orbis’s work to boost skills and build local eyecare provision absolutely critical.
On Manish’s recent visit to Rwanda, he helped prepare Prince for her operation to correct her sight, while talking through the procedure to local medics, turning the surgery into a teaching opportunity. In this way, Orbis ensures that sightsaving skills stay in the country long after the plane has taken off.
The appeal also included a lift piece where we showcased each part of the Flying Eye Hospital, from the observation room at the front to the pre/post-operative care room towards the back.
This appeal features Dr Manish Raval, a Consultant Anaesthetist at Moorfields Eye Hospital. He writes about a young girl called Prince with strabismus (squint) in Rwanda, where there are currently only two eye specialists per million people, making Orbis’s work to boost skills and build local eyecare provision absolutely critical.
On Manish’s recent visit to Rwanda, he helped prepare Prince for her operation to correct her sight, while talking through the procedure to local medics, turning the surgery into a teaching opportunity. In this way, Orbis ensures that sightsaving skills stay in the country long after the plane has taken off.
The appeal also included a lift piece where we showcased each part of the Flying Eye Hospital, from the observation room at the front to the pre/post-operative care room towards the back.
Summer appeal
"It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. Your child takes a knock to the eye while playing outside. There’s swelling and a little bleeding, but with no money for a doctor, you hope it will heal on its own. Weeks later, your child starts struggling to see. What began as a small accident has become a major medical crisis.
"As only one of five eye doctors in Ghana who treat children, I often see accidents like this, and I see how devastating it can be for the whole family. Just one accident in early childhood could cause 70 years of blindness. It’s a terrifying thought."
For this appeal, we produced bespoke standard value and mid-value versions, as well as a reminder.
"It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. Your child takes a knock to the eye while playing outside. There’s swelling and a little bleeding, but with no money for a doctor, you hope it will heal on its own. Weeks later, your child starts struggling to see. What began as a small accident has become a major medical crisis.
"As only one of five eye doctors in Ghana who treat children, I often see accidents like this, and I see how devastating it can be for the whole family. Just one accident in early childhood could cause 70 years of blindness. It’s a terrifying thought."
For this appeal, we produced bespoke standard value and mid-value versions, as well as a reminder.
Newsletter
Here are a few basic rules to follow when writing a newsletter:
1. Donor-centric language, leading with ‘you’ and/or thanking.
2. Storytelling, leading with people, and contextualising stats.
3. Featuring concrete details in the copy to paint a scene.
4. Shortening copy where possible.
5. CTAs throughout, giving readers something to do.
Here are a few basic rules to follow when writing a newsletter:
1. Donor-centric language, leading with ‘you’ and/or thanking.
2. Storytelling, leading with people, and contextualising stats.
3. Featuring concrete details in the copy to paint a scene.
4. Shortening copy where possible.
5. CTAs throughout, giving readers something to do.
Newsletter