Are you running a siloed direct mail program? (Tip #49)
Managing your fundraising programs in silos is a recipe for failure. Donors don’t live in silos. They don’t behave in a predictable manner. Donors might see your mail, hear you ad on the radio,...
View ArticleAre you targeting multibuyers in your direct mail acquisition? (Tip #50)
Multibuyers is the term used to identify donor prospects that appear on multiple rental lists in the same list buy. These prospects are like hidden gold in your rental list mix! Multibuyers are...
View ArticleTo Tease or Not To Tease (in your direct mail)? (Tip #51)
Blank outer envelopes tend to outperform envelopes with teaser copy or images. You don’t have to clutter your appeal envelopes with all sorts of teaser copy. Sure, test teasers. But you’ll do just...
View ArticleAnalyzing Your Direct Mail Campaigns (Tip #52)
There are many ways to evaluate your fundraising performance. Response rate. Average gift. Cost per dollar raised. Cost per donor. Those are all important metrics to track. But the one you should...
View ArticleWe increased our newsletter revenue by 1,000%. Here’s how…
Back in 2009 at Gillette Children’s Hospital Foundation we had a problem. Our newsletter, Momentum, was an institution unto itself. It won multiple communications awards. The staff raved about it. The...
View ArticleFundraising Myth Busters: Brand Advertising and Direct Response Fundraising
This is the second of seven posts in the Fundraising Myth Busters series. In the first installment we looked at donor acquisition. Today, we’re moving on to a topic that tends to spark heated debates...
View ArticleThe success of middle and major donor direct response campaigns
I’ve just reviewed results from three middle/major donor integrated direct response fundraising campaigns that my teams managed for various social service organizations over the last year. The numbers...
View ArticleMiddle & Major Donor Fundraising Success for Social Service Orgs
As an adviser to 60+ nonprofits across the U.S. and Canada, one of the most frequent questions I get asked is, how can we better engage our middle and major donors through direct response to generate...
View ArticleIf your fundraising agency does this, fire them.
Yesterday I was advising a friend who is Executive Director at an organization I’m very fond of. I was shocked at a recommendation she received from her fundraising agency. It went something like this…...
View ArticleI hope your direct mail program fails
Does that headline tick you off? Does it irritate you knowing how much budget is allocated to direct mail every year? Does this make you wonder how, as a direct response fundraiser, I could wish...
View ArticleOptimizing your middle donor direct mail ask strategy (Tip #37)
Test just an open ask (instead of a static ask or calculated asks based on past gift history) to your middle donors. This frequently results in better overall revenue and more frequent upgrades from...
View ArticleFocus on 1 person in need for best fundraising results (Tip #38)
Fundraising letters that talk of the plight of millions of starving people in need of help tend not to work as well as those that focus on the suffering of one person. That’s because it’s hard for...
View ArticleBite-sized fundraising copy is best (Tip #39)
Don’t write long paragraphs. It doesn’t matter how many paragraphs are in your letter, just don’t have more than 3-4 sentences in each paragraph. It’s ok to break up a long paragraph into two or...
View ArticleDoes your fundraising copy pass the “you” test? (Tip #40)
Use the word “you” early and often in your letter copy. It is a powerful way to connect with your donor. Use the word “I” to make your letter more personal and real. Avoid using “we,” “our,” or “us,”...
View ArticleWrite fundraising copy the way you talk (#41)
Write your letter copy at the 5th grade reading level. This may drive your brand people crazy (especially if you happen to be in higher education or healthcare), but writing at this level makes your...
View ArticleWatch your tone when writing fundraising copy (Tip #42)
A positive, inspirational tone in your letter is better than the doom and gloom approach. Donors want to support successful organizations that have big vision, plans for achieving great things and...
View ArticleWrite for your audience, not your boss or board (Tip #43)
“New,” “fresh,” and “cutting edge” approaches to your direct mail will almost always result in lower performance. Marketing departments, board members, and sometimes even fundraisers will want to move...
View ArticleHow much mail is too much? (Tip #44)
Test mid-month appeals. Many organizations are successfully mailing 12 annual appeals (one per month) AND 4-6 mid-month appeals throughout the year. These mid-month appeals can add a lot of income to...
View ArticleYes, your direct mail letter needs a P.S. statement! (Tip #45)
Always include a P.S. in your letter. Use the P.S. as an immediate call to action. Since most people scan a letter (the intro, bolded/underlined copy and the P.S.), the last chance you have to compel...
View ArticleWant to improve your fundraising copy? Do this. (Tip #46)
After you write your letter, put it aside for a while. Come back to it the following day (or week) when you have a fresh perspective. Then edit it in brutal fashion. Cut every unnecessary word....
View ArticleWrite better direct mail copy (Tip #47)
Your direct mail fundraising copy shouldn’t be about you. As much as you might want to show donors how amazing your organization is, all the great you’ve done in the world, and what your future goals...
View ArticleOne quick way to keep your direct mail from looking like junk (Tip #48)
Avoid looking like junk mail by using a live bulk rate stamp instead of an indicia on your mail. The stamp adds minimal additional cost and could significantly lift your response and income. The post...
View ArticleNonprofit Email Strategy with John Walsh
John Walsh is one of the most innovative digital marketers in the nonprofit sector today. He currently leads email marketing at one of the world’s largest Evangelical ministry organizations. In this...
View ArticleCOVID’s impact on Food Bank Fundraising, with Matt Hackler
Matt Hackler is Vice President of Strategic Capacity Building with Feeding America. Like many of us, Matt says he “fell into” fundraising before joining Feeding America. In his current role, Matt leads...
View ArticleFrom Barely Surviving to Thriving with Rev. Jeremy Montgomery
This conversation with Rev. Jeremy Montgomery, MBA-MA, President/CEO at Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission in Philadelphia, PA, is a deep-dive into change leadership like you’ve never heard before! When...
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