When it comes to lists, the tried and true isn’t always the way to go.

By Alicia Orr Suman

With names more than 24 months old, he says, predictive modeling can give you the tool you need to mail those names profitably.

“Of course, first you might look for the obvious selects on the lapsed donor file such as RFM,” Mastrobattista says. “The size of the gift in the 12- to 36-month-old [names] can be an effective way of weeding out names that are not worth re-mailing. Larger gifts have a better net return to the organization.”