Since 2006, we’ve
been working alongside
charities of all kinds, to help them fundraise successfully.

We’d love to work with your cause too.

Are you looking to create impactful, data-driven individual giving campaigns that really make a difference?

Are you planning a new acquisition or warm appeal campaign? Looking for some fresh creative to boost response rates? Or need some help to rationalise your mailing list and reduce postage costs?

At Echo we like to keep things simple. We’re a direct marketing agency specialising in individual giving for charities. We understand fundraising, and we’re here to help busy fundraisers plan, create, and deliver high-performing fundraising campaigns that make a tangible difference.

We offer practical data planning and analysis with insight, impactful creative & copy that donors relate to, effective data cleansing, and seamless print & production.

From switching on new donors to encouraging legacy giving and absolutely everything in between.

No jargon. No fuss. Just proven, donor-led fundraising that gets results.

Our Work

Claire House Children’s Hospice

Claire House Children’s Hospice wanted to engage their warm donor base in a different and more tangible way, giving supporters the sense that they were directly making a difference for the children in the hospice’s care. When their vital rapid response vehicle broke down beyond repair, it presented the perfect opportunity to rally donor support.
Working closely with the hospice’s fundraising team, we developed a compelling appeal, focusing solely on the urgent nature of the ask and using the powerful voice and perspective of a frontline hospice nurse and her seriously ill, young patient. The creative was intentionally stripped back to highlight the urgency of the need and disrupt the usual look and feel of their regular appeal mailings. A follow-up reminder postcard was later sent to higher-value donors to further prompt an initial — or even repeat — donation.
Campaign launch: June 2025
(with integrated social and email support)
Total income raised: +£67,000 within 4 weeks
Campaign launch: June 2025 (with integrated social and email support)

The fundraising target was met quickly - within the first month - and continued to grow in the days that followed. In addition, several lapsed high-value donors were reactivated thanks to the urgent tone of the appeal - a tremendous success.

Designability

As a small charity, Designability had never previously invested in donor acquisition, but faced a pressing need to raise funds to expand access to their ‘Wizzybug Loan Scheme’, providing innovative powered wheelchairs for under-5s to children all over the UK.
Partnering closely with the client team, we agreed on a compelling but simple insert format to showcase the life-changing impact of Designability’s products and services for a cold audience. Leveraging our extensive media planning expertise, we ensured the most responsive and cost-effective titles were selected for this initial test campaign. Small, yet statistically robust test cell sizes were allocated across a range of publications to maximise insight while working within a limited budget.
- +15% over forecasted income
- +45% over forecasted average donation value
- +12% over forecasted 1-year ROI
Plans are still underway for further insert campaigns, building on this successful and adaptive test-and-learn approach.

Great Western Air Ambulance

This marked the first time in several years that Great Western Air Ambulance Charity had undertaken cold supporter acquisition. With rising operational costs and ambitious growth targets, expanding brand awareness and growing the financial supporter base became a strategic priority.
Using existing supporter data, we built Mosaic profiles, ranked postal sectors, and created heatmaps to identify the most promising areas. A region was selected for the test area with a high level of air ambulance activity but relatively low supporter engagement. A locally relevant case study was chosen to ensure strong emotional resonance and in-region appeal. Postal sectors were then identified with the highest supporter profile index - both to optimise initial results and to establish a benchmark for future regional rollouts.
- Over 60k packs successfully delivered across 27 distinct postal sectors
- Five sectors outperformed the JICMail charity door drop response rate by +65%
- Average donation value was 91% higher than the JICMail charity door drop benchmark
Following this success, the campaign has plans to expand across other areas within the charity’s service region in the future.

» VIEW MORE OF OUR CREATIVE PORTFOLIO HERE «

Have you struggled to find an agency who “gets” charity fundraising
and fundraisers?

We’re here for you. Because our purpose as an agency is to be on your side and make your life easier. Whether that’s saving you time and money on media negotiations; helping you to clean your database; integrating with your team to fill resource gaps or taking the stress out of your print and production requirements.

If you’ve never worked with an agency before, or think you won’t get value for money, we want to put your mind at rest. We know you require transparency, reliability, and proactive communication. We know you have a commitment to your clients, donors and trustees to spend money wisely, and we understand that sustainability is really important to you.

So we work hard to offer support and advice when and where you need it. Our simple and honest approach is grounded in years of experience working with fundraisers like you. We focus on what works, what’s cost-effective and also what’s sustainable … and it’s why so many of our clients stay with us year after year.

We’re not the biggest agency out there, but that’s exactly why our clients choose us! You get the full range of services you’d expect from a larger agency, but with the consistency and personal service of a small, expert team.

And you’ll speak to the same team throughout, which means faster answers, less repetition, and a smoother experience from start to finish.

Services

Strategy and planning

Do you know who your most valuable donors are, or if your regular givers are supporting you in other ways? Have you got the right information to inform meaningful database segmentation and create a more personalised communication?
We can advise how to maximise ROI from existing warm donors, improve retention through better segmentation or messaging, save money by contacting the right people at the right time, and better still, begin to push up your average gift appeal on appeal. You might not always have the time or resource yourself, so we’re here to take the strain and get those valuable insights to help drive your campaigns forward.
Would you like to grow your charity’s donor base through sustainable acquisition? Are you confident your communication will reach the right audience and deliver new supporters?
We’ve many years of experience in data-driven acquisition; planning door drops, partially addressed mail, inserts, press ads and cold DM. We have long-established media supplier relationships to negotiate the best media rates, and use a constant test and learn approach to media planning and strategy refinement. We will partner with you to align your supporter acquisition with your CRM strategy, ensuring the delivery of long-term donor value and support.
Do you have the time to demonstrate your campaign’s performance to trustees and senior leadership? Or difficulty translating campaign data into insight?
Many of our clients need measurable results but often lack in-house analytics capacity to dig into the data set. We’re able to report on full campaign analytics with actionable insights so you can see how your campaign performed – and benchmark what’s a ‘good’ result. You’ll get clear metrics and useful recommendations for next time.

Data and compliance

Is it worth investing in data cleansing if you already have a database that’s regularly maintained?
We would always say yes! We know that bad data leads to undelivered mail, duplicate records, awkward salutations or appeals sent to deceased donors - all of which hurt ROI, brand reputation, and donor trust. We know that a database does not always create beautiful mailing files, so we use industry-leading software and a meticulous eye for detail to ensure your data is clean, relevant and fit for purpose.
Ensuring your appeals are compliant with GDPR, follow the Fundraising Code and minimise VAT liability are important touchpoints in the fundraising process.
Best practice and legal compliance can be a minefield. And knowing what elements of your campaign are liable for VAT can be even harder. As well as our own experienced staff, we partner with trusted consultants as necessary, to create clarity and confidence in the legality of your fundraising materials, and work to protect your precious budget from VAT wherever possible.
You can stay focused on your objectives whilst we handle the rest.

Creative and production

Sometimes finding the right ask, or identifying a story or message that will engage or convert donors can feel like an uphill battle.
At Echo, our team of highly experienced creatives specialise in charity communications and understand your challenges as a fundraiser. Our goal is to provide consistent, fresh creative that aligns with your brand and is backed by a proven previous donor response.
Concepts, design, copywriting and artwork. We’re happy to advise on any (or all) of the creative process, as and when you need it.
Perhaps you’re finding you have limited internal resources and time to manage end-to-end DM campaigns? Or that rising print and postage costs are squeezing your budget even tighter?
We have an extensive knowledge of the print industry, alongside a trusted network of suppliers to guarantee the most cost-effective formats and best market rates possible.
Our technical skills should take the worry out of the production process as each stage is meticulously managed by us. We can include postage advice to get the very best rates, and you can rest assured we are all over sustainability and sound environmental practice.

"I’ve worked with Echo DMS for almost 20 years, across several different charities, and they continue to be a trusted and valued partner. Whether it’s direct mail appeals, print and data services, or media buying, the team at Echo brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to every project. They’re reliable, honest, and always meet deadlines — and if something’s not possible, they’ll tell you upfront. On top of that, they’re just really great people to work with. I’ve taken Echo with me every time I’ve changed roles, and I never hesitate to recommend them to others."

Jenny Sheriff
Head of Supporter Growth, SolarAid
"Echo has been an invaluable direct marketing partner for Ripple Effect for many years, ensuring high-quality, cost-effective materials that bring our fundraising appeals to life. Their professionalism, reliability, and commitment to the charity sector and sustainability align perfectly with our values, helping us maximise impact, getting the best value for money and prioritising more sustainable options. From appeal packs to our virtual giving fulfilment packs, Echo delivers exceptional service every time. Highly recommended!"

Emily Mullen
Head of Supporter Engagement, Ripple Effect
"Claire House Children’s Hospice has been working with Echo since 2022. They truly align with Claire House values and consistently go above and beyond to find solutions to any issues that arise. Echo is not only helpful and cost-effective but also highly sensitive to the needs of our families and nurses, with whom they have direct contact. Echo has been instrumental in driving us forward and keeping us on track. They not only create our appeals but also assist with data management, review, and provide excellent analysis. Their work on our appeals has been exemplary, demonstrating their commitment to our cause and their ability to deliver outstanding results."

Vicky McKellar
Individual Giving Manager, Claire House Children's Hospice
"The ROS and Echo DMS have worked together for years – and there’s good reason for that. They are a lovely! The account management team are responsive and focussed, and their oversight of the creative process is excellent. They are good value in many ways – they’re responsive to feedback, and produce consistent, quality creative that won’t break the bank. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them."

Rachel Hughes
Head of Supporter Engagement, Royal Osteoporosis Society

We’re committed to industry best-practice and sustainability and through our partners at Two Sides UK and Ecologi we are proud to have created a climate positive workforce.