The Capuchin Soup Kitchen Finds Success by Stretching its Fundraising Efforts Beyond its Traditional Donor Base

By Jim Dickman

Now we’re testing whether a two-page letter can work as well as the four-page control letter among Catholic donors and whether a 7-inch mission-based reply will work as well as a prayer card.

To date, through validated refinements in segmentation and messaging, the Capuchin Soup Kitchen was able to bring in more than 20,000 new donors of many faiths and backgrounds the first year, generating a positive cash flow immediately during the holiday season and breaking even in six months or less with other appeals.