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

“It’s a great magazine, but is our donor who gave $20, who maybe made that gift three times a year, going to sit down and read that? Maybe not,” she says.

She wanted to create a newsletter with a different voice — one that didn’t just talk about City of Hope’s projects, but rather used language that puts donors first, as the agents enabling it to accomplish those projects.