About Direct Response

What Your Organization Needs to Know About Direct Mail Fundraising

Every year, individual Americans donate more than one hundred billion dollars to non-profit organizations. Some write small checks for ten or fifteen dollars. Others make contributions for many thousands. But the odds are that even such vastly different donors have something surprising in common: each made a first gift in response to a letter they received asking for financial support. Because many of the gifts Americans give each year start out just that way. With a letter.

For organizations – even new ones which haven’t yet had the chance to establish their reputations – that letter represents the opportunity to begin developing a dependable source of funding. And for donors, ti offers a way to belong … and to help those less fortunate.

For some donors, that letter may have been a personal note from someone they knew at the organization. But for the vast majority of givers, even those who eventually become very large donors, the first letter was probably a direct mail letter like those you find in you own mailbox everyday.

How do those letters transform total strangers into the loyal friends whose generosity supports your organization? That’s what direct mail is all about!

What Is Direct Mail Fundraising?

Properly executed, a direct mail program can provide your organization with loyal supporters, rapid growth, a cost-efficient means of communicating your organization’s programs, and a consistent source of working capital. This program can include Donor Appeals, Membership Renewals, and Special Appeals, amongst other things.

Equally important, a direct mail program can systematically identify the people capable of making the very large gifts and bequests on which so much of your group’s future success depends.

You’ll first need to determine whether direct mail fundraising is right for your organization. If it is, you will need to choose a firm to help develop your direct mail program and run test mailings to determine which package will help you receive the best results. They will also help you cultivate your housefile of donors.

The Ultimate Reward

The payoff of a well-managed direct mail program is more than just a healthy cash flow. Through cultivation of your direct mail donors, you identify those who will become actively involved, those who may become volunteers and even board members, and those who will make major financial commitments to your organization.

This broad base of support – acquired, cultivated, and upgraded by mail – will also help you raise more money form other sources including foundations and corporations.

A broad base of support says to the world that there is a real need for your services. And there is nothing more compelling to a potential major donor than that.

For more information, please contact Sarah Wible to request a “What Your Organization Needs to Know About Direct Mail Fundraising” Brochure.