Case Studies

Team Jack Foundation

Who They Are

Team Jack Foundation funds groundbreaking cancer research and raises national awareness for pediatric brain cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related death in children. The foundation accelerates progress toward better treatments and a cure through high-profile advocacy, community-driven fundraising and strategic research investments.

Team Jack Foundation’s year-end appeal is one of their most critical fundraising opportunities of the year.

A large group stands on a football field holding race bibs and signs, under a “Team Jack Foundation” banner, preparing for an athletic event.

The Challenge

Year-end fundraising is crowded.

The Foundation planned a 40,000-piece year-end appeal, but traditional direct mail can often feel like a one-time interaction: it arrives, it’s opened and the moment quickly passes. The goal wasn’t just to send mail. It was to create a connected experience that kept donors engaged long after the mailbox.

The Campaign

Team Jack Foundation needed more than a direct mail campaign. They needed every touchpoint to work together, from mailbox to mobile, creating more opportunities for donors to engage, respond and give.

Together, our goals were to:

Increase Visibility Across Channels:

Combine eight integrated technologies to ensure messaging reaches the audience consistently, averaging eight touchpoints per recipient.

Bridge Offline and Online Interactions:

Connect direct mail pieces with digital channels to create a cohesive user experience and drive a 3.5% increase in engagement.

Improve Audience Insights:

Use smart tracking to identify, organize and re-engage both known donors and anonymous website visitors.

Smiling child with short hair flexes arms and wears a "We Don't Quit" shirt. Text reads: "Open to hear Liam's story" and "Team Jack Foundation" with address in Atkinson, Nebraska.

Collage of Liam participating in various Team Jack Foundation events, including group races, sports tournaments, advocacy trips, and posing with teammates and supporters.

Strategy & Tactics

Firespring worked with Team Jack Foundation to create a campaign experience designed to engage donors before, during and after delivery. The campaign connected print and digital touchpoints to create a more seamless donor journey.

The 40,000-piece appeal featured:

Personalized QR codes
A dedicated landing page
Unified design across print and digital
Multiple ways for donors to engage
Physical direct mail to digital web traffic connection

A childhood cancer awareness letter featuring photos of Liam’s Team at events, fundraising highlights, and a message from the Team Jack Foundation executive director.

The campaign was grounded in the Rule of 7:

A marketing principle that a prospect needs at least seven encounters with a message before meaningful action is made. Rather than relying on one moment, the campaign followed donors across mailbox, inbox, feed and browser.

Direct Mail:

We created a high-impact appeal letter using consistent imagery and accessible response paths, maximizing brand recognition and improving donor experience.

Pre-Mail & Matching:

Firespring used social media ads to prime the audience before the mail arrived, timed to run alongside the USPS Informed Delivery® digital preview and “ride-along” link in recipients’ inboxes.

Response Channels:

By incorporating accessible, personalized QR codes, recipients can instantly donate, streamlining the process. Call and text tracking was implemented to capture and measure offline responses.

The Follow-up Loop:

Once mail delivery occurred, we activated digital display ads and social media follow-up to re-engage recipients.

Attribution

Utilizing both mail and website tracking, we matched online users to their physical mailbox, showing the direct impact the print campaign had on web traffic.

The Results

raised

$90,000+

From the 2025 Year-End Appeal

472,000

Impressions

Averaging 11.8 per mail piece—a 47.5% increase over goal of 8.

1,515

Unique Engagements

Translating to a 3.79% engagement rate, surpassing the 3.5% benchmark.

99.7%

Delivery rate

39,879 of 40,000 direct mail pieces delivered.

+11%

Donation growth

Compared to 2024.

Smiling child flexes arms and wears a “Me Don’t Quit” t-shirt; text promotes learning about Liam and his contributions to Team Jack Foundation.

We directly tied digital traffic and donor actions to the print mailing, providing Team Jack Foundation with clear insights into donor behavior and channel effectiveness.

A boy wearing a “Me, Don’t Quit” shirt, people at an UNO tournament, and a group spreading awareness at the Capitol; Team Jack Foundation promotion.

A group photo at a stadium with smaller images showing a boy named Liam at events supporting the Team Jack Foundation for pediatric brain cancer awareness and fundraising.

Looking for Similar Results?

Direct mail works harder when every touchpoint works together. Firespring helps organizations connect print and digital experiences to keep audiences engaged before, during and after delivery.

Whether you’re driving donations, registrations, applications or sales, we help you create campaigns that feel connected, intentional and measurable.

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Case Studies

Jul 29, 2026 | Case Studies