Pulling Power

The direct-mail component brought in $121,860 ($89,533 net) with a 6.02 percent response rate, $46.67 average gift and a cost per dollar raised of 26 cents. The email portion accounted for $17,045 more raised with an 11.26 percent open rate and 0.63 percent clickthrough rate.

Overall, 1,820 ornaments were purchased, and a financial services company was a corporate sponsor for the event, paying to have its ornament as one of the tree-toppers. Two other donors made larger donations to have their ornaments as tree-toppers as well. That led to $33,000 more raised overall in 2013 than 2012.