The remote earthquake in the mountains of Columbia was more than devastating.

Beyond destruction, it literally wiped out villages, even fields slid away down the mountainsides.

The remoteness of the emergency meant there was no press coverage to create general awareness of the need for immediate giving. So an appeal to the Christian Children’s Fund donor base had two big jobs to do - create awareness AND tell the story.

And that meant lots of details, lots of pictures, and a plan to help.

It took almost 10 days to get the information needed from Columbia. It included putting a photographer on a helicopter for photos, and on-the-scene information gathering by the Columbian CCF office.

Armed with facts and eye-witness accounts of the situation, we created a 3-level staggered direct mail appeal campaign. Phase 1 went to sponsors with children in Central America. Phase 2 went to those with sponsored children in South America. And Phase 3 went to the entire CCF database.

The stories told were personal and insightful. The drama of the moment was captured, as well as the scope of the disaster and the magnitude of the needs. With that backdrop, we inserted personal stories of overcoming and hope. And the hard-hit communities reliance on the generosity of CCF sponsors.

We backed that up with superb black and white photos, and a detailed accounting of the specific needs and costs for each need - blankets, tents, food, clean water, clothing, and so on.

The money flowed in quickly. Within a week supplies were on their way to the villages, along with expanded staff to help.

We then followed up the initial mailings with a “success report”, documenting how the funds had been applied and the results achieved within a 30 day period. There was no asking for money in the second mailing, only stories of results and triumph in the midst of disaster.

Prior to this appeal, the largest amount ever raised had been for a major earthquake in an urban center in India - roughly $500,000. The Columbia earthquake appeal brought in over $1.1 million in funds dedicated to assisting the victims. The return on marketing dollars for the direct mail campaign was over 20 to 1.

Stories work when done right.