Greenpeace Canada
Reimagining Acquisition for Greenpeace Canada
A smarter, more sustainable approach to direct mail
Greenpeace Canada has always been a bold voice for the planet. However, rising costs and declining response rates threatened the long-term sustainability of their acquisition mailings. They needed a fresh approach—one that could deliver strong results while being cost-effective and adaptable over time.
That’s where Good Works came in. Greenpeace has long relied on an acquisition package featuring a large world map insert, but each campaign required fresh creative, leading to growing agency fees and production costs. With acquisition response rates declining across the sector, the cost to acquire donors was rising rapidly. We saw an opportunity to build something stronger: a reusable, evergreen acquisition package that could serve as a long-term control, allowing Greenpeace to refine and improve results year over year.
How’d we do it? We started with the iconic world map insert —a mainstay in Greenpeace mailings—by applying best practices and simplifying the overall layout. We increased accessibility by reducing the amount of copy and simplifying the writing to a Grade 6 reading level, increasing font sizes for readability, and reverse copy was minimized for better contrast. Finally, we increased the overall size of the reply coupon, allowing more room for donors to fill in their information.
We really appreciate working with Good Works. From the get go, and through their approach and ways of working, they’ve shown they really care about our cause. They’re determined to capture what makes us unique, while also bringing strong strategic advice and incorporating best practices. This acquisition mailing was one of the first projects we worked with Good Works on and they really captured our voice and effectively conveyed what we do to a new audience. It made for a good process, and a great result.
Stephanie Hulse
Loyalty Officer
By simplifying the design and refining the messaging, we created an acquisition piece that resonates deeply with prospects that requires only minimal edits annually so content remains accurate with future campaigns. These changes have proved worthwhile for Greenpeace. This campaign achieved a 1.2% response rate—beating industry benchmarks—while lowering the cost to acquire, and increasing average gift by 14% compared to 2023.
Most importantly, Greenpeace Canada now has a sustainable, cost-effective control package, suitable for continuous testing and refinement. With a stable creative foundation, future tweaks can focus on optimizing performance while maintaining cost savings. This approach not only strengthens Greenpeace’s acquisition strategy but ensures that their message—protecting the planet—continues to inspire and engage new supporters for years to come.
Working With Good Works
We’re chatty! We’d love to talk with you about the fundraising challenges you’re facing, the trends in the sector, the solutions we can bring to the table – you name it! Reach out to book 30-minute, no-commitment discovery discussion with us.
