Premiums are vital to many direct-mail, donor-acquisition progams. But address labels alone might not do the job.

By Amy Koop

The big question
So, what’s the next premium that will replace labels and breathe some life back into lagging response rates? It’ll be difficult to replace the address label, with its highly consumable nature, popularity among the core nonprofit demographic and relatively low cost. In an effort to stand out in the cluttered mailbox, some nonprofits are turning to some out-of-the-box testing, including rubber bracelets and bumper stickers as well as unique, high-affinity items ranging from dog tags to “worry dolls.” These items might be more likely to appeal to a slightly younger donor, the holy grail of today’s nonprofit acquisition programs. Merchandise premiums such as these, as well as jewelry, pens/pencils and prayer cards, have seen a slight increase over the past three years.