Find out which fundraising efforts the judges chose as best of show in our 2006 Gold Awards for Fundraising Excellence.

By Margaret Battistelli Gardner

In this mailing, Habitat forgoes the oft-employed direct-mail freemiums, and opts instead for a branded tape measure. Why a tape measure? An image of a tape measure stretched across the face of the yellow No. 10 carrier asks the same question.

The question is answered in the headline at the top of the four-page, 8.5-inch-by-11-inch letter. Below the Habitat for Humanity logo is the same tape measure image used on the carrier and the headline: “It’s not just a tape measure. It’s a measure of compassion.” The letter explains that the tape measure can be used by recipients and serve as a reminder to them of the work Habitat does. It also is a symbol of a measure of donors’ compassion: “Like every other tool and material we use … each tape measure, hammer, nail, floorboard and window … is provided through the generosity and compassion of people who care, like you.”