Cover Story: Faith-based Fundraising

However, access to these files can be limited by a number of factors, including availability, mail-date issues, mandatory reciprocity and list-owner rejections. Any one of these factors can affect whether or not an organization can utilize a particular list.

A good list broker will help an organization navigate these often treacherous waters and locate some top-notch lists with relative ease. But most significant campaigns find it necessary to find some less obvious lists. While doing so requires some serious “outside the box” thinking, the effort is well worth it and often can be a blessing in disguise for the mailer. Often, carefully chosen lists can yield solid results. As with any direct-response acquisition, it is imperative that the organization test the lists before considering rollouts.