Your website should (read: must) be the focal point of your entire integrated fundraising strategy. Why? Simply put, 99% of your donors will never walk through the doors of your...
23 Questions for More Effective Fundraising Copy
Do you want your fundraising letters to raise more money? If so, be sure to ask these 23 questions each time you write a letter: Do I have a compelling...
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...
Instinct vs. Insight
As a fundraiser you'll have a lot of people offer you suggestions on how best to do your job. Well intentioned board members, executive directors, program staffers, volunteers and supporters...
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...
Take major donors out of your mail program at your own risk (Tip #12)
Don't take your major donors out of the direct mail stream. This is one of the worst things you can do for your organization. Typically this happens for one of...