Nobody likes to fail. But when it comes to direct-mail efforts, lessons that arise from stunning failures often can lead to stunning success

By Margaret Battistelli Gardner

We carefully selected a name for the group, created a distinctive invitation package look, even offered back-end premiums for signing up at various gift levels, including a partnership with American Airlines where donors could earn miles for every dollar donated. Not only did we offer a credit card option, but also an automatic deduction from a checking account or monthly billing. (Remember this is 12 years ago, when deductions from checking accounts — even though common in Europe — were still just getting started in the U.S.)