20 Direct-Marketing Ideas for Small Nonprofits, Part 3

12. Don't underestimate reinstatement
"Lots of organizations have set limits on how deeply they're willing to mail," Batcheller said. "Challenge that. Mail deeply into your lapsed donor file."

In June 2011, Lincoln Center experimented with a reinstatement mailing to lapsed donors, going as deep as 20 years lapsed. It was a way to offset budget cuts, and in order to try and re-engage these deeply lapsed donors, the center focused on its most popular benefit — open rehearsals. The offer included $150 worth of benefits with a $75 reintroduction gift.