Are you giving donors the experience they crave? For profit organizations know that improving customer experience increases customer retention and profit over the long-term. In fact, there are volumes of...
Using the mail to sell monthly giving (Tip #36)
Offer a monthly giving option on your reply device. Don't expect to convert a significant portion of your file to monthly giving this way, but you'll pick up a few...
Keep the main thing the main thing in your fundraising appeals (Tip #35)
Todd Duncan, a well-known sales and leadership trainer has a saying: keep the main thing the main thing - and the main thing is selling. That philosophy holds true for...
Why emotional copy gets more response (Tip #34)
Donors make initial decisions to give based on emotion, not logic. Write your direct mail copy with the goal of engaging the donor's emotional triggers to compel action. Donors validate...
Optimizing your direct mail fundraising calendar (Tip #33)
Restructure your mail calendar so you can squeeze one additional mailing in at the end of the year. If you typically send 12 appeals each year, find a way to...
Engaging Major Donors in a Campaign Year
Engaging major donors is a critical component to any nonprofit's fundraising success. BUT, it's even more critical in an election year. Why? Think about it this way. Regardless of party...
How early is too early to be in the mail with acquisition? (Tip #32)
Get in the mailbox early. Test your acquisition campaign to see how early you can be in homes without negatively impacting results. This does two things for you: 1) It...
Are You Ready For Year-End Fundraising?
It's August. Have you planned your year-end fundraising efforts yet? If not, what's keeping you from it? This is the most crucial fundraising season, and now's the time to start...
How terrible are direct mail premiums, really? (Tip #31)
Premiums aren't evil. If you have a strong fundraising offer and/or are a very well known organization, you probably won't need premiums. If, however, your offer is weak or your...
Are you willing to risk 60% of your direct mail revenue? (Tip #30)
Don't try to save money by sending a postcard in place of your direct mail package and asking donors just to go online to make a contribution. This might work for...