Direct Mail on a Limited Budget

3) Make multiple requests of your donors. They are seven times more likely to respond than a cold list name. They're your family, and you can go back to your family time and time again.

4) Write down your marketing concept in one paragraph. Doing so will force you to decide how much money to ask for, who'll sign the letter and whether you'll include a premium (labels, notecards, etc.), or a deadline. It embodies the reason you're writing, which is to secure a gift of X dollars or more. You're able to identify the person to whom you're writing, i.e., a donor who's previously given before. You'll also be able to incorporate the benefits the person you're writing to will receive as a result of responding.