The Five Warning Signs of Direct-mail Fundraising Trouble

4. The lapsing rate of your new donors is increasing. The method, medium and/or tool used to acquire the first gift must be heavily factored into second-gift conversion efforts. It's highly likely if you used a premium to acquire, you'll need another one to renew. Emergency-appeal donors will require similar urgency. If the first gift came in as a result of a telephone call, the donor probably will need something more interactive than direct mail to secure the second gift.