Be careful not to over-suppress. What do you do when someone calls and asks to be taken off your mailing list? Do you just say OK and pull them from all...
How often can you use a match challenge in the mail? (Tip #21)
Matching challenges help increase direct mail response rates and total revenue. I've seen nonprofits that use matches in as many as 7-10 of their mail appeals each year. Probably seems...
Are you constantly reinventing your direct mail wheel? (Tip #20)
Find a control package (or several). I'm always surprised when I talk to nonprofit organizations and hear things like, "we're working on a new holiday package because our board thinks...
What makes for a strong direct mail fundraising offer? (Tip #19)
A good offer is one that is specific, tangible, urgent and solvable. Here are some examples: Your gift of $19.40 will provide holiday meals for 10 hungry, homeless, hurting people...
How to know when direct mail isn’t a good fundraising tool for your org (Tip #18)
Not all fundraising offers are made for direct mail. Some causes just don't lend themselves to direct mail. This can be because your audience is so small you can't get...
If you’re going to hide the ask, just don’t mail at all (Tip #17)
Don't hide your ask deep in your letter. If you're spending the money to send out direct mail solicitations, don't be shy! Prominently and repeatedly make your ask. In fact,...
Focus on user experience in the mail too, not just online (Tip #16)
Increase response rates by pre-filling your donors' personal information on your direct mail reply cards. It might be tempting to just leave these blank (it's probably modestly cheaper than pre-filling),...
The value of personalization in your direct mail (Tip #15)
Personalization is key. With the technology available today, there's no reason you should be sending targeted direct mail to any donor or prospect and addressing it to "Dear Friend" (or...
Communicating differently via mail with middle and major donors (Tip #14)
Middle and major donors require a different treatment in the mail than your regular donor base. These donors tend to prefer longer letters. Closed-face envelopes, higher quality paper, First Class...
Direct mail as part of an integrated fundraising strategy (Tip #13)
Donors don't behave in silos. They consume media via e-mail, print, TV, radio, mobile, social media and face-to-face. And recent studies suggest that in many cases, they consume multiple media at...