Direct Mail: How Much is Too Much?

4. Don’t let complainers influence your strategic decisions. Of course, donors who complain deserve to be treated with respect and to have their concerns addressed. But never allow the complainers to drive your fundraising decisions. Never!

The best defense against those who complain about appeal frequency rests on how much net revenue is being produced by like segments of your donor file and your donor-loyalty rate. These two measures must be viewed together. Don’t fall into the trap of defending your mail program solely on the amount of net revenue being raised. You must also review donor loyalty or continuation rates for a complete picture.