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

Since the strategy was to get the members’ attention, but not create a public-relations disaster for the organization, we sent an apology letter (without asking for a donation!) to the entire audience.

Important Fundraising Lesson Learned: Put yourself in the members’ shoes! How would you respond to this communication? Getting a court summons can be nerve-racking. Why would you want to create this type of emotional response among your supporters?