As an adviser to 60+ nonprofits across the U.S. and Canada, one of the most frequent questions I get asked is, how can we better engage our middle and major...
The success of middle and major donor direct response campaigns
I've just reviewed results from three middle/major donor integrated direct response fundraising campaigns that my teams managed for various social service organizations over the last year. The numbers are astonishing!...
Fundraising Myth Busters: Brand Advertising and Direct Response Fundraising
This is the second of seven posts in the Fundraising Myth Busters series. In the first installment we looked at donor acquisition. Today, we're moving on to a topic that...
We increased our newsletter revenue by 1,000%. Here’s how…
Back in 2009 at Gillette Children’s Hospital Foundation we had a problem. Our newsletter, Momentum, was an institution unto itself. It won multiple communications awards. The staff raved about it....
Analyzing Your Direct Mail Campaigns (Tip #52)
There are many ways to evaluate your fundraising performance. Response rate. Average gift. Cost per dollar raised. Cost per donor. Those are all important metrics to track. But the one...
To Tease or Not To Tease (in your direct mail)? (Tip #51)
Blank outer envelopes tend to outperform envelopes with teaser copy or images. You don't have to clutter your appeal envelopes with all sorts of teaser copy. Sure, test teasers. But...
Are you targeting multibuyers in your direct mail acquisition? (Tip #50)
Multibuyers is the term used to identify donor prospects that appear on multiple rental lists in the same list buy. These prospects are like hidden gold in your rental list mix! ...
Are you running a siloed direct mail program? (Tip #49)
Managing your fundraising programs in silos is a recipe for failure. Donors don't live in silos. They don't behave in a predictable manner. Donors might see your mail, hear you...
One quick way to keep your direct mail from looking like junk (Tip #48)
Avoid looking like junk mail by using a live bulk rate stamp instead of an indicia on your mail. The stamp adds minimal additional cost and could significantly lift your...
Write better direct mail copy (Tip #47)
Your direct mail fundraising copy shouldn't be about you. As much as you might want to show donors how amazing your organization is, all the great you've done in the...