MS Society joins Occam’s Reciprocate program to enhance it's donor acquisition strategy

PR Log (Press Release) – Mar 25, 2009 – The MS Society has announced that it will join Occam’s Reciprocate program, the industry leading reciprocal data solution for the charity sector. The Society, which is the UK's largest charity for people affected by multiple sclerosis (MS), joins the program to enhance its ongoing acquisition campaign strategy and maximise the results of its direct mail campaigns.

Reciprocate will allow the MS Society to identify the most complementary charities to undertake reciprocal mailings with and will allow access to new, high potential, warm prospects. The significant cost benefits of using Reciprocate names in comparison to cold lists, and the higher response rates and donation levels that result from mailing known donors, will enable the MS Society to plan its budgets more efficiently and maximise the return on its marketing investment.

Specifically designed for the needs of the charity marketplace, Reciprocate is the largest single source of charity data in the UK with over 5 million swappable records. Numerous other organisations have joined the program this year, including the Soil Association, National Autistic Society, Smile Train, FourPaws, Animals Asia and Medical Mission International.

The Society is committed to bringing high standards of quality health and social care within reach of everyone affected by MS. The Society funds research, runs respite care centres, provides grants, education and training on MS. It produces numerous publications on the subject and runs a free phone specialist helpline.

Gillian Brown, Head of Marketing, MS Society said: “Our income is based almost entirely on voluntary donations.  Therefore we are always looking for innovative ways to increase our supporter base. In the past we’ve relied heavily on standard cold list recruitment to generate support, however by working with Occam Direct Marketing Solutions and Reciprocate we hope to enhance our ongoing acquisition campaign strategy and increase both response rates and donation levels.”

Scott Logie, Strategy Director at Occam adds: “Reciprocate will give the MS Society access to unrivalled donor marketing expertise. With a customer database of over 90 charities, we’ll use our expert knowledge of our members’ data to maximise the return from their mailings. The Society carries out vital work on behalf of people with MS, and we’re positive that we can help the charity build upon its work of the last 56 years.”