Change is Good

A few years ago, our logo went from this...

to this:

A forward-thinking development staff and marketing committee recruited a group of PR professionals to come up with what we think is one of the most innovative brands among non-profits in West Virginia.

We changed our color scheme. We changed our website. We changed our mission statement. We painted our vehicle fleet, bought new letterhead and pens and mousepads and notepads and, perhaps most effectively, our direct mail program.

The result? We communicated our Mission better, and in more relevant ways. And because of that, giving jumped nearly $3 million from the year before the re-branding initiative to the year after it.

Today, we're feeding more people. We have an exciting and vibrant long-term residential program that's literally re-writing the book on how we minister to men who are committed recovery. It's an exciting time.

But, we've always been well aware that, eventually, the excitement of our new color scheme and the WeFeedPeople.com concept would wane. We are seeing that happen now, with giving down markedly over the last two years.

Sure, some of it has to do with the economy, but the fact remains that we communicate our Mission to you the same as we have been since 2006, with very little variation. We think that's had an impact on the response.

Now, as we head toward our Centennial Celebration in 2011, it's time for us to once again make some changes in how we tell you what we do. You know we feed people, of course. But it's incumbent upon us to shake things up a little to ensure you know just how wonderful a work God is doing in people's lives through Union Mission.

That's why, starting this month, we are changing our direct mail program to better communicate our successes...and our needs.

Typically we'd be mailing out our annual report/calendar this month, but we are shifting that job to the fall, when it will be a typical 12-month, January to December calendar (unlike the current July-June, fiscal year format.) That--combined with newsletters arriving every other month (unlike the current format of three per year)--is the biggest change you'll see in the coming months.

Here's a quick rundown on the new mailing schedule:

Letters

If you receive our monthly donor-partner letters, chances are you'll still get them by the first of each month. What we've decided to do, however, is limit the mailing list by removing churches, businesses, organizations, etc., from the mailing. Also, instead of nine letters, we'll be sending out a letter each month.

Newsletters

Again, this is one of the biggest changes. In the past, we mailed three newsletters a year: in April, a spring newsletter; in October, a fall newsletter; and, in December, a winter newsletter. Instead of a summer newsletter, we sent out our annual report/calendar. That's changing, big time.

Starting in August, we'll be sending out newsletters every other month to keep you abreast of all that's happening around The Mission. The August newsletter is late summer; you'll be getting the fall newsletter in October and a holiday newsletter in December. In February, the winter newsletter will arrive, followed by a spring edition in April. In June, an early summer newsletter is on the new schedule. These newsletters will arrive in your mailbox by the middle of the month, as opposed to the first of the month.

Annual reports

Don't worry...we're still doing annual reports/calendars. We know this is a popular mailing. But it's timing is tough--summer is our most financially strapped time, and it's just not cost-effective to design and print calendars during the summer. Besides, it can often be confusing with a July-June calendar on your wall! Our current plan calls for the 2009 annual report to be in your hands by November, and will feature a typical January-December format.

Bulletins

Remember those churches are are being excluded from the monthly donor/partner letters? We're not forgetting you! Churches, businesses, organizations, etc., will get their own one-page bulletin each month outlining the Mission programs of interest to them.

E-newsletters

We are constantly looking for new ways to communicate, and we're committed to delivering eco-friendly updates to those who would rather hear from us via e-mail. We'll be slowly rolling out e-newsletters as we grow accustomed to those on our mailing list who prefer e-mail.

We hope you'll join us in the coming months and embrace this change, and we look forward to hearing from you.