Leader Dogs for the Blind — 2012 Package of the Year

By Margaret Battistelli Gardner

As we gear up for this year's Gold Awards for Fundraising Excellence competition, take a look back at last year's winner, Leader Dogs for the Blind Graduation Poster campaign, submitted by Huntsinger & Jeffer.

Judge Pamela Grow summed up our feelings about this package in four simple words: "It has it all!" It sure does — from the darling outer with the cut-out photo of a happy pup, to the charmingly simple letter, to the package's crowning glory … a huge, folded poster with head shots of the organization's graduating class of 2011. And on the back, there's a diary-style Leader Dog's story written, of course, from the dog's point of view.

Read more about it here.

But then, get hopping. Gold Awards time is not only here, but the deadline is darn close! Deadline for getting in your entries for FundRaising Success' eighth annual Gold Awards for Fundraising Excellence is Aug. 26 — please note, that's the delivery cutoff, not postmark.

You can check out all of last year's winners here.

The awards change a little each year based on observations made the previous year, so our categories look a little different for 2013. They are:

Direct Mail
Organization's Annual Operating Budget $10 million or Over
Organization's Annual Operating Budget Under $10 million

Multichannel
Organization's Annual Operating Budget $10 million or Over
Organization's Annual Operating Budget Under $10 million

E-mail
Organization's Annual Operating Budget $10 million or Over
Organization's Annual Operating Budget Under $10 million

Special Events
Organization's Annual Operating Budget $10 million or Over
Organization's Annual Operating Budget Under $10 million

Telemarketing
Organization's Annual Operating Budget $10 million or Over
Organization's Annual Operating Budget Under $10 million

Social-Media Mastery
Does your organization have a stellar social-media strategy that paves the way for the deep donor engagement that eventually fuels fundraising? Have you pulled off a masterful campaign on social media?

Website
What makes your organization’s website a fundraising powerhouse?

On the Edge
Any campaign that pushes the envelope (and/or the bounds of reason). If it was daring overall or even just for your organization, we want to hear about it!

Click here for the entry form, tracking sheet and additional information, then get moving! We look forward to seeing your entries!