Direct Mail

Just as people can sense when they're being handled, they can also sense when someone is being disingenuous in communications. It's not always something they can put their finger on, but you'd better believe they know it when they feel it.

There's a lot of money in the mail these days. Over a period of about six weeks, I racked up $4.65 in cash and checks from nine different nonprofits.

In today’s high-tech fundraising world, why wade into an old-fashioned topic like carrier-envelope design? The reasons actually are quite simple. First, direct mail is still the medium of choice for most large and small direct-response fundraisers. These days it’s fashionable to discuss the Internet and other alternative media, but the fact is that direct mail generates vastly more gifts than any of them. So improving direct-mail performance can have a huge effect on a whole donations program. And, experts I polled agree that the design of the simple outside carrier envelope can dramatically affect response rates.

Staying on your donor's good side can be a dicey proposition. People and relationships are full of paradoxes and contradictions. And that's doubly true of donor relationships, which are complicated by the fact that you spend a lot more time talking at your supporter than with her.

Here are 10 direct-mail fundraising best practices shared by Valerie Kagan, president of VK Direct, during her session at Fundraising Day in New York.

The Direct Marketing Fundraisers Association (DMFA) announced the winners of its Package of the Year Awards, showcasing nonprofits' best direct-mail and e-mail fundraising efforts.

Ugly gets direct-mail packages opened. We do a ton of direct mail for clients. Both mail we produce, as well as projects we consult on. The reality is that good direct mail is sorta ugly. In a world where the post office is struggling, and many organizations’ response rates are declining, and my mailbox is crammed full of everyone’s “offer,” I want direct-mail appeals for my clients to get opened.

Today, in an effort to balance my karma and avoid creative hubris, I want to remind all of us on the creative side of the PDF that putting out a direct-mail package or online communication that gets results is a two-way street.

As you know, both direct mail and e-mail are huge for fundraisers, and it's always great to see what other nonprofits are sending to donors' mailboxes and inboxes. The new Who's Mailing What! lets fundraisers track the marketing trends in the industry, see what's working for other organizations and more.

To make sure your envelope is more than a means to deliver a carefully crafted letter and reply system, remember these three important things when evaluating your direct mail.