Outcome: Increased Giving

UGA Scores Big: How Strategic Branded Merch Drives Preseason Donor Engagement

The Challenge As the University of Georgia (UGA) kickstarted their FY25 fundraising efforts, they faced a challenge familiar to many higher education institutions: acquiring new donors and financially engaging recent graduates in a way that resonates with them. It was also important for these donors to feel that their contribution actually makes a difference in […]

Mizzou Life Member Boxes: Building Donor Engagement Through Branded Merch

The Challenge The Mizzou Alumni Association sought to increase donor engagement and encourage alumni to upgrade to life membership status. Their goal was to show meaningful appreciation to those making this important commitment while creating excitement around the life membership program. The challenge was to design a solution that would leave a lasting impression on […]

Branded Merch Helps Power Cornell University’s Record Breaking Giving Day

In 2024, Cornell University’s Giving Day was March 14—also known as Pi Day! Cornell really played into the theme, and executed a campaign that intertwined branded merch to build fun into the experience. In January, Cornell created a promotional video with Professor Steve Strogatz wearing a branded Giving Day apron—while using actual pies to explain […]

Mizzou Alumni Association Has Many Happy Campers with Successful Membership Drive

promo merch and alumni donations

Challenge The Mizzou Alumni Association wanted to bring in new members to the Alumni Association and encourage current members to renew their membership. They needed an idea that would excite people and encourage membership in a timely manner. Solution The Alumni team brainstormed and came up with a theme for the membership campaign (“Our Members […]

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Incentive for Giving Campaigns Grows in Popularity

The Foundation and University Advancement team at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville was planning how to promote participation in two upcoming campaigns. Some of the outcomes set for Giving Day, and SIUE Day (a faculty and staff fundraiser), were to raise awareness, increase participation in both opportunities, and meet their fundraising challenge. Promotional products offer a buzzworthy appeal […]

University of Hartford Sticker Postcards Help Record Breaking Day of Giving

The Challenge One day, 2,021 gifts. To hit its goal for the 6th Annual Day of Giving, the University of Hartford needed to find new and creative ways to engage donors and urge them to support an undeniably great cause. The Solution Building on previous years’ successes, the university smartly targeted its donors who gave […]

Variable Data Best Practices

  • At the quoting stage of your project, please let us know how many fields of variable data your piece will have as this can affect pricing.
  • Data should be provided to us as an Excel spreadsheet with only the applicable data included.
  • Verbiage for variable data fields on artwork file should match up exactly with data fields on spreadsheet.
  • Spacing on artwork must allow for longest data entries. We recommend that your designer tests this in advance to confirm that the fields in the design can fit your longest pieces of data.

Postage Permits

We are happy to mail using a client’s USPS non-profit number. Here are a few best practices for this to go smoothly. Let our team know up front on the project so we can make sure to get the information we need right away. 

While our mail house does prefer to use their permit number for the mailing, we can use the client’s permit, If using their permit number, ensure there is enough postage to cover the mailing.

The information we need to in order to use a client’s nonprofit number includes the following:

  • CRID (customer registration ID)
  • Non-Profit Authorization Number (with USPS, not their nonprofit number for the university)
  • Non-profit indicia
  • Return address that is on file with USPS for the non-profit authorization number
  • Permit number

Formatting the Mailing List

Our account team will advise on specific requirements for your project’s mailing list.  We generally recommend these best practices to format the mailing list:
  • Send your data in a spreadsheet, saving it in the comma-separated values (CSV) format
  • International addresses must be separated from domestic addresses
  • Domestic addresses should at least contain data fields for “first name”, “last name”, “address 1”, “address 2”, “city”, “state” and “ZIP code”