Direct Mail

Some readers will say a newsletter is old-fashioned and irrelevant, but I believe it is one important tool...

You might find it a bit odd that the CEO of a fundraising technology company might be writing about old-fashioned methods of personalizing communications. I recently had an in-depth discussion with a prospective customer regarding the extent of bulk personalization that is attainable via mail merges, through the hundreds of fields of standard and custom…

Every year, my favorite charity saves 1,835 cats in Vancouver, British Columbia. But it doesn’t talk to me about that. It tells me about one cat at a time. Why? Because it understands what makes a great thank-you letter. The thank-you letter is an often-neglected piece of donor communication. It sits, stale and unattended, getting…

Even as nonprofits work like crazy to have a strong online presence for both younger and older donors, they also send out a heap of direct-mail fundraising letters with numerous printed pieces in each package. They also often print newsletters and annual reports. In short, there is no lack of stuff in print. But are…

Last year was big across the fundraising landscape. While the industry continues to struggle with reduced performance (efficiency) of direct mail, leading groups were tackling the hard questions. By now, the book on 2015 should be closed for most organizations, and it won’t be long before we get the scorecard on our industry’s performance last year. In the meantime, I’ve highlighted some important observations on charitable giving in 2015 and their impact on 2016...

NonProfit PRO underwent plenty of change in 2015: new name, new look, new website and more. But one thing that’s stayed the same is our focus on fundraising. So, it is with great pride that we continue the tradition begun 10 years ago by FundRaising Success. We present to you the Gold Awards for Fundraising Excellence.

Before we dive in headfirst into this year, I wanted to look back at the last 365 days in fundraising. I think we can all agree that it was an odd one when it comes to direct-mail results. From the Good Works perspective, 2015 was one of the hardest to predict in terms of revenue…

There are a lot of ways to write well. When you’re going for “beautiful but confusing,” think James Joyce. When you’re going for “clear and motivating”—as most of us are when writing copy for communications materials—"Ulysses" probably shouldn’t be your inspiration. So, what does good copy look like? Here are a few tips we Big…

Want in on a little-known secret? Wealthy people aren’t the primary group leaving bequests to charities. In fact, according to the Institute of Charitable Giving, 82 percent of bequests come from donors with a net worth of less than $3 million. Planned giving refers to a charitable gift that an individual creates during his or her lifetime that will take effect after his or her passing. It’s a way for people to make a lasting gift to a cause that’s important to them. It can also provide tax benefits to the donor. ...

Recent data shows that "the pattern of retention for cash giving in the U.S. has worsened, with some organizations experiencing upwards of 70 percent attrition between the first and second gift." Your organization’s thank you letter is not the be-all, end-all to ending donor attrition. But it is an important first step in creating loyal, lifetime donors. Does yours have all 10 essentials?...