Have you ever considered using direct mail to raise year-end donations? Direct mail can be an effective tool for many nonprofit organizations, but it’s also a cost-intensive investment. To set yourself up for success, here are three ways to use targeted direct mail to raise year-end donations.
1- Identify Your Most Valuable Donors
Identifying the right donors to contact is a critical first step in any targeted direct mail campaign. The best way to do this is to look at your donor files and identify those who have made significant gifts in the past. You can use your data management system (DMS) or CRM to recognize donors who have given more than $100 or $500, or even more than $1,000 over the last 12 months. These are all great candidates for a targeted direct mail appeal.
Targeted direct mail appeals are expensive and take time and effort to design, print and mail. It makes sense to target only those donors who have demonstrated an interest in supporting your cause by making more significant donations in the past. These donors are likely to give again, especially if you offer them something unique or exclusive that they won’t be able to get anywhere else (such as premium items like tickets to a gala dinner). You’re also less likely to waste money on people who don’t really care about what you’re doing anyway.
2- Assess the Interests of Each Donor Segment
This is a very important step to take. If you send out a direct mail piece that does not align with the interests of your donor base, you can expect to see a high rate of returns and a low response rate. The best way to assess the interests of each donor segment is by using a survey. You can use either an online or offline paper-based survey, but both will give you valuable insight into what your donors want to read about. What should you look for when you assess the interests of each donor segment? Here are some suggestions:
- What do they care about most? What issues do they care about? What topics do they like to read about? What types of mailings have worked well in the past?
- What magazines or newsletters do they read? Do they subscribe to any trade journals or professional publications? Are there any notable interest magazines that would appeal to them?
- What websites do they visit regularly? If you know what kinds of websites they visit, it’s easy to find information online that matches their interests, such as news stories and articles on your website or blog. You can also use tools like Google Analytics to see which sites they visit most frequently and how long they stay there.
- What social networks do they belong to? For example, if your fundraising team has access to a donor’s Facebook profile, it might be possible to send a message customized to that person through Facebook Messenger.
3- Create a Targeted Direct Mail Piece
A targeted direct mail piece is addressed to a specific individual or organization. This makes it different from a general one-size-fits-all appeal that everyone on your list will receive. When designing a targeted direct mail piece, remember that your goal is to make it look like it was written specifically for this particular person or organization. This will increase the chances of them opening it and reading the message inside.
If your organization is looking for new ways to support its mission, targeted direct mail appeals should be explored as soon as possible. As a fundraising tool, they have an incredible potential to increase revenue and support the cause. Don’t wait another year to implement these successful strategies into your regular fundraising practices, and don’t let another year slip by without taking full advantage of this effective activity to support your efforts.