Direct Mail to Direct-to-Camera: How Philanthropy Messaging Is Changing
- Ron Krit
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 minutes ago
Nonprofits have always had to do two things really well:
Make people feel something… and then do something.
At American Jewish World Service (AJWS), that first “something” was driven by direct mail, long-form letters, and carefully written email appeals. And while those tools still matter, the way AJWS connects with donors is fundamentally changing.
That’s why my recent conversation with Peter Taback, AJWS’s Vice President for Marketing and Communications was so timely.
Peter has spent more than two decades helping mission-driven organizations reach new audiences. He started his career as a speechwriter (and still loves hearing people tell their own stories), and he’s led communications teams at organizations like amfAR, the Center for Reproductive Rights, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, where he also served as faculty.
In short: Peter has been watching storytelling evolve across the nonprofit landscape.
At AJWS, which supports grassroots human rights organizations working in some of the most authoritarian countries on earth, he’s watching it change faster than ever.
Short video isn’t just working — it’s registering
With a mandate to attract an audience of younger donors, AJWS, is leaning more heavily into short-form video, and not because it’s trendy.
It’s because it works.
Peter shared, “Short, authentic videos, especially direct-to-camera content, cut through in ways longer formats often can’t. Our grantees and global staff can communicate with immediacy and conviction without coming off as slick or produced. With nothing more than an iPhone, these videos feel personal, human, and immediate.
To reach younger donors in particular, video has become the front door to engagement.
“We’ll always rely on longer stories, which can carry the detail and dimension of major human rights wins,” Peter said. “But if we don’t start by capturing someone’s attention, they won’t wait around for the more complex stories.”
Below is a wonderful example of an AJWS employee making a short and powerful video:
Testing influencer marketing — and seeing real results
One of the most compelling parts of our conversation was learning how AJWS experimented with influencer marketing leading up to Giving Tuesday.
This wasn’t a gimmick or a vanity play. It was a deliberate test.
Beginning in July, AJWS partnered with values-aligned influencers who could authentically speak to their own audiences. Complementing increased use of video in digital advertising, extending AJWS’s reach beyond its existing email list and social channels was an interesting experiment.
The result?
AJWS’s Giving Tuesday campaign generated a 27% year-over-year increase in donations.
That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident.
Peter highlight, “We looked for influencers who could speak credibly about our work – issues like LGBTQI+ freedom, Indigenous peoples’ land rights, and democratic movement-building –not people with massive followings or rich production values or any hint of Hollywood. Instead, we sought folks who shared our belief that the world is in need of repair.”
Influencers helped AJWS show up in spaces where potential supporters already spend time. Instead of waiting for those supporters to discover AJWS on their own, they gained exposure authentically.
It worked well enough that AJWS is using influencers for its end-of-year campaign. And in fundraising, repeatability is the real test of success.
Here are two examples:
Storytelling is harder and more important than ever
Because AJWS works with grantee partners across the globe, the organization insists on ethical storytelling. Even when producing a video, that means setting up a few guardrails, such as:
Ensuring that subjects are presented with dignity
Giving speakers agency to frame their own solutions
Leaving room for the complexity of grantees’ stories
Avoiding “white saviorism”
Peter was candid about the challenge. Good storytelling – from describing partners’ work to selecting the perfect photograph – takes more intention but with less time to make an impression, attention spans are limited. The marketplace is crowded. And the responsibility to tell stories well is greater.
Peter note, “Our goal hasn’t changed. We want to help supporters connect emotionally and act, without turning people or communities into “content.”
Digital strategy that actually moves dollars
The Giving Tuesday results reinforced something I see repeatedly in my work with nonprofits:
When digital is treated as a strategy, not an afterthought, fundraising performance improves.
Trends that are currently working:
Platform-appropriate content (don’t post the same exact message on Facebook and LinkedIn)
Authentic messages and messengers
Variety of messengers (staff, board members, influencers…)
Openness to test, learn, and repeat what works
What this means for other nonprofits
The shift isn’t about fancy production. It’s about clarity, authenticity, and meeting donors where they are.
A few takeaways worth stealing:
1) Treat video as a core channel, not a side project
2) Test influencer partnerships thoughtfully
3) Let people speak, not just the institution
4) Modernize what already works
Adaptation is the real advantage
AJWS’s digital portfolio is a reminder that great communication isn’t just about writing well.
It’s about understanding how people pay attention, how to build trust, and what moves them to act.
Philanthropy will always be relationship-driven.
But the way those relationships begin — and grow — is changing fast.
The organizations willing to test, adapt, and learn will raise more money, reach new donors and stay relevant.
To learn more about the amazing work AJWS does check out their website: https://ajws.org