Help for Not-for-Profit Organizations
Direct mail, done well, maintains its place as the top fundraising medium for response rate and return on investment. But what does “done well” mean exactly? The answer involves developing and executing a process that employs a combination of tried-and-true fundamentals along with some experimentation.
The fundamentals are just that – best practices that form a minimum requirement to launching a successful fundraising campaign. These include:
- A vetted mailing list that’s segmented to reflect the characteristics of your donor base.
- A call-to-action (CTA) that tells the recipient what to do and lay it out in very specific words.
- Add the word “you” as much as you possibly can while maintaining a conversational flow to draw the reader in.
- Mail to your audience 5-7 times a year. The reason your donors are not renewing their gifts is NOT that they don’t like you anymore; but rather you may not be reminding them enough.
We have more tips in our toolbox, but these are a good start. To read more see the Brown Ledge Case Study for a successful appeal.
Please remember, getting in front of prospective donors is ALWAYS a good idea and furthermore, is a positive, proactive step in our current giving “landscape.” If you have further questions on how direct mail can help, please contact us.
