Conference Roundup: The Today and Tomorrow of Fundraising

First, fundraisers must keep direct mail “vibrant” for as long as possible. If not, O’Brien argued, the sector’s old workhorse might stop supporting organizations before a viable alternative becomes available.

Fundraisers are going to have to ask themselves some tough questions if they want to keep direct mail bright and fresh, including whether or not it makes sense to write and design direct mail to look like personal correspondence. Considering that most people receiving direct-mail asks these days have no real experience with personal letters, he says, the answer isn’t as clear as it might seem.