If you haven't checked out my first and second posts in the series of 5 Culture Problems That Can Kill Your Fundraising, check those out now! This series is adapted...
Women Give 2012 Study
I ran across this Women Give 2012 (slightly dated) study comparing giving behaviors of women and men thanks to Gail Perry this evening. The study compared only single adult households...
Should you let direct mail donors “rest”? (Tip #24)
Mail at least monthly. A lot of people think monthly solicitation is too frequent. Maybe you don't want to over mail donors and make them mad. I understand that. Here's...
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...
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),...
Is it a good idea to send political money to nonprofits?
Have you seen this article from Chronicle of Philanthropy? Group Wants to Steer Political-Campaign Money to Charity April 12, 2012, 10:48 am A new Web-based company is seeking to reduce the...
Fundraising and the Executive Suite
Good, bad or ugly (err...otherwise), Executive Directors set the tone for philanthropy in any nonprofit. For many organizations, this is wonderful news. There are some amazingly talented executives who are...