Useful Truths: Apply With Care

“We will no longer seek donors who give under $20,” was its strategic battle cry. “From this day forward, we’ll allow no low-dollar riffraff onto our donor file.” (That’s not exactly how they put it, but you get the picture.) Here’s what Sweetness & Light did:

* It stopped renting lists that returned average gifts below $20, no matter how high the response had been.
* It ramped up the amount it was asking for.
* It virtually stopped cultivating its $20-or-less donors.