Feature Sidebar: 10 Tips for Using Cartoons in Direct-Mail Fundraising

Editor’s Note: The October issue of FundRaising Success features a story by cartoonist and direct-mail consultant Stu Heinecke on using customized cartoons in direct-mail fundraising efforts. This is a sidebar to that story, “Drawing Attention to Your Cause.”

1. Focus on the recipient’s identity, not yours. Or your client’s.
One of the biggest mistakes I see marketers making with personalized cartoons is that they forget who’s important: the recipient. The cartoon’s job is not to sell the product (or cause), but to reveal the truth — the reason why your product is needed or your cause is important. Sell them in the letter copy. Explain features and benefits in the brochure. But start by giving recipients a cartoon that relates to their lives.