Direct Mail

This mailing sent by Lambda Legal, a national litigation, education and public-policy organization committed to achieving full recognition of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and those living with HIV, has a lot going on. To play off the mailing’s focus on rights, the outer envelope is treated to look like tan parchment paper, calling to mind the U.S. Constitution. The back of the envelope continues this theme with a teaser written in script that reads, “With Liberty and Justice for All” in black ... only the “All” has a red slash through it and the word “some” in faux handwriting above

Many small nonprofits produce their mailings as inexpensively as possible. But reliance on stock elements that can be cost-efficiently produced and mailed can make their appeals look like everyone else’s. Fundraising direct mail should always present the nonprofit organization in a distinctive and compelling way that conveys the organization’s mission and reinforces its unique brand. These are some guidelines that can help nonprofit organizations achieve this goal: 1) Larger inserts. Getting the organization’s story out there is critical to establishing the organization’s brand and creating a vivid image of the organization in the donor prospect’s mind. Two-, four- and six-page inserts are effective vehicles

It’s through constant testing that we’re able to separate the winning packages from the losers. But with so many ideas, what truly constitutes effective direct-mail creative? And why does one package soar while others sink? The answer to effective creative is always in the results. The stats of any particular package will reveal whether a concept worked or not. Across the board, however -- no matter the package -- premiums generally seem to give packages a boost. Here are two tried-and-true premiums that work continuously, while others have come and gone. 1) Name labels. Name labels consistently perform well for one main reason: It’s

Not long ago, I was shopping at Whole Foods when I realized with a jolt that I was just an appliquéed theme sweater away from turning into my mother.

There I was, squinting helplessly at a product label I couldn’t read. Hoping to auto focus my eyes like a telephoto lens, I stretched the item out as far as my hand would reach and brought it back again to within an inch of my face. No luck.

Editor’s Note: This article contains some words and passages that some readers might find offensive or unsettling. We chose to leave them in so that the author could make his point, as well as to illustrate the powerful effect they can have on a reader. We apologize in advance for any offense. 

Is your organization “pushing the envelope” with direct mail? Tell us about your most daring DM efforts.

Sure, e-philanthropy is hot, but most nonprofit organizations still rely on direct mail as their fundraising workhorses. And the outer envelope is the wrapper for your all-important ask. It’s the first thing recipients see, feel and interact with.

As such, it requires a well- reasoned strategy that depends a lot on an organization’s mission, target audience and competition in the mail. Something that works for an advocacy group might not be right for a health organization. One thing that worked 10 years ago might still fly, while another favorite tactic could flop. It’s a testing game for each organization.

Letters to the Editor

A changing of the guard can be a good time to revamp your direct-mail packages. When Covenant House International brought a new president on board in fall 2003, it needed to change its acquisition packages, which contained a letter signed by the previous president.

The international childcare agency took this opportunity to test a few other ideas in its Spanish-language acqui-sition campaign — namely the premium it was using.

For years, Washington, D.C.-based The Humane Society of the United States ignored the Internet’s full potential to reach donors and supporters.

Here’s the situation we found ourselves in: HSUS’ Web site in April 2003 had been transferred to its third department in five years. While the site was graphically appealing and content rich, it ran on proprietary software developed by a company that no longer was in business.