Here are the efforts our judges chose as the best of 2006 in the FS 2007 Gold Awards for Fundraising Excellence.

By Abny Santicola and Margaret Battistelli

Lumpy mail is hard to resist. The temptation to know what’s inside an envelope with varying terrain can push even the most resistant direct-mail recipients to open it. This package proves that fact.

The 6-inch-by-9-inch outer envelope looks simple enough at first glance: plain white save the San Antonio Hospital Foundation logo in the return address spot, and the teaser “You are a piece of our puzzle” above an image of a puzzle piece.