Case Study: Human Rights Campaign Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal, Part 1

"This was the first time that HRC had mounted an effort of this intensity and scope," says Susan Paine, HRC's director of annual giving. "What was unprecedented about this effort was that every department across the organization, all the board and volunteers were focused on DADT.

"When this strategy was laid out that we were going to focus on the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, I have to admit there was a lot of concern. Our most popular issue from a fundraising perspective and survey responses is marriage equality. We had to take something that was No. 8 a couple years ago on the priority list according to our member surveys and make that compelling to our donors and activists. That was a fun and interesting challenge for all of us, and brought a renewed sense of purpose and creativity to what we were going to embark upon for the year."