What Does Your Board Need to Know About Direct Mail?
1. How it works
The “giving pyramid” — shown in Chart 1 — is a staple among fundraisers, but it’s less familiar to others. The purpose of direct mail is to bring in long-term donors and cultivate them up the pyramid so they become major givers.
Planned-giving officers often report that the majority of planned-giving gifts come from donors who began as direct-mail donors in the $25 range. So you literally can’t afford to underestimate the importance of acquiring and cultivating low- to mid-range donors!
- People:
- Willis Turner
- Places:
- New York
- Richmond, Va.
Willis Turner believes great writing has the power to change minds, save lives, and make people want to dance and sing. Willis is the creative director at Huntsinger & Jeffer. He worked as a lead writer and creative director in the traditional advertising world for more than 15 years before making the switch to fundraising 20 years ago. In his work with nonprofit organizations and associations, he has written thousands of appeals, renewals and acquisition communications for every medium. He creates direct-response campaigns, and collateral communications materials that get attention, tell powerful stories and persuade people to take action or make a donation.
