March 27, 2008

7 Truths You Need To Know About Direct Mail

A successful direct mail campaign revolves around seven critical issues, in the view of Les Gordon.

Speaking to the annual conference of the New England Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, the president of MCS Direct of West Bridgewater, Mass., outlined the significance of these issues. "Without a proper understanding of them, you can risk falling victim to the seven deadly sins of direct mail fundraising," he said.

His list included:

1. Not understanding the purpose. While many people look at direct mail as a way to generate income, Gordon views it as a long-term investment in the organization by acquiring long-term donors. Money is not made on the solicitation, but in renewals.

2. Not segmenting the audience. Divvy up a master list into four categories: major donors, current donors, lapsed donors and 'select' non-donors. From that point, place the most resources in the first two because they will generate 90 percent of donations.

3. Not assembling the right package. What is mailed to prospects should include an appeal letter, personalized in some form, a mailing envelope instead of a self-mailer, a reply slip and a reply envelope. A brochure or enclosure is optional and often not needed.

4. Don't write an institutional appeal letter. Make the letter emotional and personal, not just a clinical recounting of the organization's accomplishments.

5. Mailing at the wrong time. The two best times to send direct mail are late January to Memorial Day and the week before Labor Day to mid-December. Summer is dead. The holiday season, when many organizations solicit renewals, is a weak time to line up new donors.

6. Not testing correctly. Test only one appeal at a time to the exact same audience to get direct comparisons.

7. Not knowing how to analyze. Segment the donor base to determine the key figure: cost per dollar raised.

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This article is from NPT Instant Fundraising, a publication of The NonProfit Times.

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