A kinder, back-to-basics approach to donor relations amounted to a 30 percent increase in contributions for D.C.’s Heritage Foundation.

By Margaret Battistelli Gardner

But the results need to be looked at in relation to the lifetime value of each member.

The new non-solicitation materials took the form of additional thank-you notes and greeting cards on the Fourth of July. Though some contained “soft hits,” many would chill seasoned fundraisers to the bone because they included no reply cards or any other easy way for the donor to respond (read: send a check) should the spirit move him just then.