National Audubon Society: Diego’s Journey
CLIENT: National Audubon Society
ROLE: Lead Designer
YEAR: 2025
SKILLS: Creative Direction, Concept Development, Direct Mail Design, Nonprofit Fundraising, Information Design, Print Production, Donor Communication
OVERVIEW:
Designed a self-mailer telling the story of Diego, a Swainson’s Hawk’s 6,000-mile migration, as a test package within Audubon’s FY25 acquisition campaign.
AT A GLANCE:
Tested a narrative-driven format against Audubon’s proven direct mail controls. Average gift held steady with projections. Response rate came in below the campaign’s existing packages, a normal outcome for a test format and one that sharpened our thinking on channel fit going forward.
The Challenge
Audubon needed a test mail piece that could tell a complex conservation story simply, educate donors on migration threats, and ask for a gift, all within the format constraints of a self-mailer and a tight nonprofit print budget.
My Approach
I built the piece to unfold in layers. A hero image and headline pull readers in. A migration map and month-by-month timeline break the 6,000-mile journey into digestible pieces. Conservation callouts tie Diego’s story to Audubon’s actual work. Readers could skim it in ten seconds or read every line, and either way, they’d land on a clear donation ask.
The Solution
The exterior leads with striking photography and Audubon’s established branding. Inside, a letter from leadership sets credibility, the visual map gives geographic context, and a teal accent color pulls the eye toward key numbers and calls to action. Ample white space keeps the data-heavy piece from feeling overwhelming.
What We Learned
As a test package measured against Audubon’s proven acquisition controls, the self-mailer underperformed on response rate. That’s a normal part of direct mail testing, most new formats do, which is the reason to test before a full rollout. The average gift held close to projection, which told us the story itself resonated with the donors it reached. The result reinforced how strong Audubon’s existing packages already are, and it shaped how we thought about format and channel fit heading into future campaigns.
