After making your case and asking for support, make sure to end your letter on a strong note that leaves the reader feeling motivated and inspired. This is not the time to let your writing become dull or convoluted—keep it short, sweet, and to the point. With this campaign, Meals on Wheels increased their average gift size by 20% and dropped their cost to acquire donors by 68%. They also saw a 4% increase in new donors compared to the previous year. From there, you can count on Meyer Partners to analyze the campaign’s results with sophisticated tools, extracting useful insights for your future fundraising efforts. Then, when you sit down to write their story, you’ll have a wealth of humanizing details to draw upon to make your appeal as moving as possible.
Engaged donors become more than just supporters; they evangelize the cause. You should actively encourage this advocacy, providing tools and resources for donors to work actively to amplify your organization’s impact through their personal networks. These advocates are likely to stay engaged with your organization for the long term, even becoming multigenerational supporters. Engagement transforms passive supporters into active advocates.
So that would be my general recommendation for concrete strategies for taking what Rich and Russ talked about and getting those in front of the people that they need to be in front of. Direct mail and digital fundraising each have efficacy on their own, but combining the two channels and targeting their efforts can be beneficial to your campaign. Creating a successful direct mail fundraising campaign requires expertise and experience. As a leading nonprofit marketing agency, Frontier Marketing specializes in crafting impactful direct mail campaigns that resonate with donors and drive results. Direct mail is one of the most effective marketing channels for nonprofits. It’s personal, it’s tangible, and it can be highly personalized to target your audience segments.
How much should I charge for a fundraising letter?
Like any type of nonprofit marketing campaign, it’s all about finding the right medium for your audience, message, and goals. If your go-to audience is millennials, direct mail is a great option. Research shows that 90% of millennials trust direct mail—and 24% of them are likely to share these mailers with others. Not only are you engaging with your target audience, but you’re helping to spread your message even further.
Don’t Forget About Your Outer Envelope
When you show your donors what you are doing and ask them to continue to support your efforts, you’ll create a sense of belonging. By keeping constituents in the know, they’ll feel connected and keep giving. If you communicate with your donors by posting on social media, sending email newsletters, or direct mail updates, don’t stop! Your supporters still want to hear from you during this time. Of course, they don’t expect you to pretend that everything is “charity as usual.” Use the resources below to help guide your donor communication. Because this process can be so extensive, it’s best to partner with a team of experienced marketing experts when launching a new direct mail program.
- As soon as they respond to your online appeal over the direct mail appeal, and make an online gift, you can remove them from your direct mail list.
- Studies consistently show that direct mail campaigns outperform email and social when it comes to response rates, emotional connection, and long-term retention.
- And she says that to this day, she’s still giving to this organization, that she plans to be a lifelong donor.
- Additionally, audiences are likely to open and engage with direct mail.
- What about the people who are directly impacted by your work?
QR codes are becoming increasingly popular and are a great way to drive donors to your donation page. You can also include a link to your donation page in the response device. This will allow donors who may not have a QR code reader on their phone to still be able to donate easily. For example, you might start by telling a personal story or sharing shocking statistics. Whatever you do, avoid starting your letter with a long, dull list of facts about your organization. That’s not likely to engage the reader or encourage them to keep reading.
Timely: The Timing is Right for the Direct Mail Donor
Targeted direct mail uses demographic and behavioral data to reach specific audience segments, enhancing relevance and engagement. Solutions like personalized notes, targeted lists, and integrated tracking can significantly boost response rates and ROI. Direct mail advertising provides a personal touch with physical materials, making your message stand out in an increasingly digital world. It often achieves higher engagement rates due to its tactile nature.
Services
You can take direct templates from an automated API, like PostGrid. Something that will make you move about the cause your nonprofit is working on. Most people just skim through the entire message that they receive.
While direct mail fundraising can be expensive and time-consuming, it can also be an effective way to reach new donors and raise money for your cause. To illustrate the impact of direct mail fundraising, consider the success story of ADRA Canada. Effective nonprofit direct mail fundraising begins with smart segmentation.
- In the world of nonprofit organizations, every dollar counts.
- Just like any marketing campaign, understanding your audience is crucial.
- Currently the head of marketing and analytics at GivingMail, he is a huge proponent of data-driven decision making and the push to bring high-level analytics and fundraising to all.
- For fundraising letters, make sure that it’s as easy as possible for the potential donor to give.
- And so there is an opportunity to make sure that your content is out there.
Exclusivity is another effective way to create a compelling offer. When people feel like they’re part of something special or exclusive, they’re more likely to take action. One thing we consistently hear from donors in surveys is the desire to be a part of a community. 10 tips for nonprofit direct mail fundraising during covid In your messaging, express how the donor is a part of a community larger than themselves. Segmenting your list will allow you to create targeted content that resonates with your audience. Your segmentation can be used in combination with digital fundraising (especially with social media advertising) to maximize your campaign’s profit.
Maximize Your Data
Even as the pandemic accelerated adoption of online technologies over the last year, mail continues to be the driving force for acquiring, upgrading and keeping donors and members. With a team boasting over 35 years of experience, MWD Agencyhas provided direct mail services to nonprofit organizations natonwide. When organizations combine direct mail with digital methods, response rates climb to 28%. Writing an excellent direct mail fundraising letter can look overwhelming. A great direct mail fundraising campaign isn’t just about sending letters—it’s about strategy, storytelling, and seamless execution. Direct mail is a proven way for nonprofits to fundraise effectively, helping organizations reach supporters and drive donations.
Do whatever you can to increase your engagement with your donors. Consider wellness calls to your mid-to-high-level contributors. Tell them you’re thinking about them, ask if they’re OK, and make sure they know how much you appreciate them especially during challenging times. Check out The COVID-19 Fundraising Template Kit for Nonprofits.
What can you offer in return?
This seems obvious, but one of the worst things you can do is overwhelm or confuse your potential donor. The scale of charitable giving in the US has been roughly 2% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) since tracking began decades ago. This gives us a good estimate for growth and expectations to come, with consistent growth paralleling the US economy. A good agency will have a strong plan for gathering and interpreting your organization’s data.