A stagnant annual-giving program prompted changes to how City of Hope approaches donor cultivation and acquisition that, in many ways, defy conventional fundraising wisdom.

By Abny Santicola

Merkle worked with City of Hope to create copy that goes full circle, telling patient stories tied back to the life-saving research that helped the patients and, ultimately, crediting donor dollars for funding the research.

New elements
This approach to copy shines through in the annual-giving newsletter, HopeCONNECTION. City of Hope has sent out a quarterly magazine called City News to most of its donors since 1990. It’s a stunning, glossy publication, also revamped in 2005, with in-depth articles on City of Hope’s research work and other announcements. But it averages 30-some pages and has an in-depth, organizational focus. Keim wondered if its messaging was resonating with all donors.