Interval House
Turning Holiday Warmth Into Real Impact
The 2024 holiday season was a difficult one for charities across Canada. A prolonged postal strike disrupted campaigns at the worst possible time, shaking donor confidence and squeezing results sector-wide. Interval House felt that pressure — and came into the 2025 holiday season determined to come back stronger.
We saw an opportunity not just to recover lost ground, but to do something genuinely different. Something that would make donors feel the warmth of the season and the weight of what Interval House does, all in a single holiday campaign.
A 12-Year Partnership Built on Trust
Good Works has been Interval House’s direct mail agency of record for over 12 years. In that time, we’ve helped them build and sustain a wide range of fundraising programs — from legacy giving and direct mail acquisition to integrated digital campaigns and email.
That depth of relationship matters. We understand their donors, their voice, and their mission. When the stakes were high during the 2025 holiday season, they knew they could count on us to deliver.
Integrated Strategy for a Tighter Budget
Sector-wide acquisition pressures had been building for years. We worked with Interval House to consolidate their acquisition approach, focusing investment where it would have the most impact.
For this client, our solution was to combine the house and acquisition mailings into one efficient, integrated campaign. By doing so, we kept costs down without sacrificing impact. We strategically layered in digital components — a Meta campaign to reach new audiences, and four emails for house donors — to extend reach and reinforce the message across every channel.
But efficiency alone doesn’t move donors. We needed the campaign to connect.
Holiday Fundraising Idea: Bringing the Light
This campaign included two holiday mailings. The first mailing was meant to show the light: the hope, warmth, and joy that donor support makes possible for women and children at the shelter during the holidays. This mailing went to both house donors and the acquisition audience. The second mailing would take a darker, more sobering approach, shining a light on the escalating rates of intimate partner violence in Canada and the real world impacts it has had on the women and children Interval House serves. This mailing was sent only to house donors as a follow up.
The first letter was written from the familiar voice of the shelter manager herself. She shared what she sees during the holidays — the small moments of joy, the resilience of the women and children in her care, the difference that donor generosity makes. An Executive Co-Director added a real and grounded tone to the second mailing.
We also introduced two creative elements that set this campaign apart in the first mailing. House donors received a twinkle light mail-back card — a small card shaped like a light bulb where they could write words of encouragement for the women at the shelter and send it back with their gift. It was a simple, meaningful act of connection. Every donor also received a holiday fudge recipe printed on the reply coupon — a warm, human touch that made the package feel like something from a friend.
These were thoughtful expressions of the campaign’s core message: that donors are part of the community of care that surrounds these women and children.
An Integrated Campaign That Fired on All Channels
The holiday campaign reached supporters through two direct mail pieces, four emails, and a Meta campaign, all working together to tell the same story.
Direct mail was the workhorse. It brought in 72% of total campaign revenue, delivering a strong return on investment. Email was also a standout success— the response rate was nearly three times the projected rate, and more than 28 times the industry benchmark. The average email gift exceeded both the projected amount and the industry benchmark of $126!
Meta ads and organic online donations rounded out the picture. Online donors gave an average gift of double the industry benchmark and the highest average gift across all channels. Every channel pulled its weight. In total, we were able to ideate and build a campaign that generated an impressive return-on-investment of 177%.
After a difficult holiday season the year before, Interval House came back stronger. The campaign proved that the right creative approach — one rooted in authentic voice, donor identity, and genuine connection — can overcome real-world obstacles.
What’s Next for Interval House’s Fundraising Growth
The mail-back cards opened a door we’re excited to walk through. We’re already exploring how to use those returned cards in future outreach — for both house donors and acquisition — as a powerful proof point of community and care.
Next year, we’ll continue testing themes and images between the two holiday mailings: looking at how images of a women, children or both in either a light or dark theme lead to more donor response. That kind of strategic testing is how we keep learning what resonates most and how we help Interval House grow.
Working With Good Works
