Two years ago my good friend Roy C. Jones and I had the bright idea to write a book designed to help fundraisers build better donor relationships and raise more...
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...
Want to improve your fundraising copy? Do this. (Tip #46)
After you write your letter, put it aside for a while. Come back to it the following day (or week) when you have a fresh perspective. Then edit it in...
Yes, your direct mail letter needs a P.S. statement! (Tip #45)
Always include a P.S. in your letter. Use the P.S. as an immediate call to action. Since most people scan a letter (the intro, bolded/underlined copy and the P.S.), the...
How much mail is too much? (Tip #44)
Test mid-month appeals. Many organizations are successfully mailing 12 annual appeals (one per month) AND 4-6 mid-month appeals throughout the year. These mid-month appeals can add a lot of income...