30 Ideas for Fundraising Success, Part 1

“I dislike the term ‘snail mail’ because it gives the impression that it won’t get there in time. Lots of organizations don’t think mail when something big happens, an emergency takes place. That’s a mistake,” he said.

Direct mail can seem outdated in a 24/7 news cycle, Manes admitted, but you can move quickly if you need to. You just have to have a strategy in place. Manes suggested that everyone print emergency stock like envelopes and letter templates, draw up emergency appeals, and have a plan in place to get something to your donors within 76 hours of an emergency.