Tale of an Integrated Fundraising Effort

Crowley says e-mail works best for current issues because of its speed. By the time the organization got a direct-mail appeal into donors’ hands, the issue may be old news. But she maintains that e-mail, while fast and inexpensive, cannot carry the organization. “We still make the majority of our money through the mail,” Crowley adds. “If you get an e-mail and you need to respond to it but you don’t initially and then you’re just flooded with all the other e-mails [you get], it’s not in front of you anymore. Whereas with a mail piece, you put it aside with your other bills and it’s always there looking at you saying, ‘Hey, don’t forget to respond to me.’