Case Study: Sustainer Opportunity Analysis

Sustainer Analysis: Optimizing Revenue and File Growth

Oxfam America

Oxfam is a global organization that fights inequality to end poverty and injustice. For more than 80 years, Oxfam has offered lifesaving support to people in times of crisis to deliver clean water, food, cash and information to address humanitarian needs and protect lives. Oxfam works in more than 75 countries around the world to tackle the root causes of poverty for the long term, working for economic justice, gender equality and climate action.

“Multiply Strategies has been an invaluable partner in our work to enhance our sustainer program at Oxfam America. Their opportunity analysis and strategic recommendations have provided us with a clear path to optimize and grow our recurring revenue. The quality of their deliverables, from comprehensive audit to actionable insights, has been exceptional. Multiply Strategies’ expertise and professionalism have helped scale our fundraising efforts.”

Thomas Kurmann, Vice President Resource Development, Oxfam America

---

The Challenge

Oxfam America has been successfully fundraising through integrated direct response channels for many years. Under the leadership of Thomas Kurmann, Vice President Resource Development and Ken Mallette, Director, Marketing Strategy, Oxfam was seeking insights and recommendations that would help grow the sustainer revenue and donor file.    

---

The Solution

Oxfam America engaged Multiply Strategies to conduct an opportunity analysis on their sustainer program. The goal was to identify through discovery and assessment a set of recommendations to optimize and enhance the existing program for improved program health and revenue growth.

In collaboration with the Oxfam America team and their vendor partners, a full audit of the current Sustainer program was completed, focusing on the following key areas:

• driving growth through both direct to file acquisition and single gift donor conversion
• optimization of sustainer retention and donor value via donor journey
• improve consistency of messaging and offers to sustainers and prospective sustainers
• management of the sustainer audience via appropriate staffing and goals/KPIs

Working with the Oxfam America leadership team to ensure their goals and objectives were reflected, Multiply Strategies crafted a Sustainer Opportunity Analysis with recommendations for the Sustainer Audience. These are informed by best practices, a deep understanding of multi-channel sustainer acquisition and expertise with a broad range of industry programs reflecting our years of experience in the industry.

---

The Road Map

During the assessment a variety of opportunities were identified including strategic tactics to improve acquisition / conversion, revision of goals to drive strategy focused on long-term donor value and file growth, and creating an integrated planning process to break down channel silos.

The Sustainer Opportunity Analysis deliverables included:

• Comprehensive 40-slide power point presentation for leadership
• Prioritized list of 38 recommended action items
• Complete messaging audit across Direct Mail, Email, and Telemarketing
• Staffing recommendations
• Goal recommendations to manage change to audience prioritization across channels

Multiply Strategies led several in-depth debriefs of the analysis and recommendations for Oxfam leadership, members of the development team and channel owners.

---

The Multiply Effect

In the case of Oxfam America, Multiply Strategies passed the baton to their internal team who had the bandwidth and skillset to move forward with the implementation of the prioritized recommendations and the Oxfam American team pointed Multiply Strategies to new areas of focus.