Direct Mail

I don’t remember if my first impression was visual or tactile, but I do know I shoved aside that day’s mailbox loot to concentrate on the captivating pink baronial.

Two nonprofit organizations share how they secured the proper matches to run three extremely successful fundraising campaigns. Toronto-based Kids Help Phone secured a corporate partner to match gifts to its holiday campaign. And the Coast Guard Foundation struck matches with two campaigns — matching donors' desire to help during an emergency for a Coast Guard tragedy and incorporating a matching gift in its annual Memorial Day campaign.

Big-dollar donors don't need to be protected from your regular mailstream.

The technique for using concrete numbers effectively is not very concrete. It requires judgment, empathy, euphony, context and experience.

The sad fact is that the direct-mail highway is littered with packages that failed to live up to their initial test results.

The following are a few exceptional examples of how organizations have used proven formats like certificates, surveys and acknowledgments to enhance the donor experience and, in turn, drive up continued commitment.

On Monday, Dane Grams, director of direct response and monthly giving at the Human Rights Campaign, led a Direct Marketing Fundraisers Association Brown Bag Luncheon on year-end appeals at HRC headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Working on your year-end appeal? Flying by the seat of your pants? Struggling with your copy? Think your copy is OK but not super inspiring? Worried that folks may not even open your envelope? Crafting fundraising appeals is not rocket science, but you do have to adhere to certain guidelines if you want to achieve blastoff. So … here come some guidelines!

I’m putting these in order, with the most important at the top. Since I’ve only selected six tips, however, you can consider all of these critically important to your success.

Recipients (clearly unenlightened!) call it "junk mail." Some nonprofit leaders claim it's dead and we should just play taps and get on with it. Others figure it's worth using as long as we can keep it "dirt cheap."

Industry experts such as the DMA report that postcards have the highest read rate among all types of direct mail.