By: Berwyn J. Kemp
A good annual direct mail solicitation program can produce
unrestrictive operating funds for your nonprofit organization year
after year. And such an annual direct mail program, if done right,
should produce more funding for your organization each year.
There are very few nonprofit organizations that couldn't benefit from
an effective, and ongoing direct mail solicitation program. If you're
currently using annual direct mail solicitations and would like to
use it more effectively, or if you're not using this form of
fundraising but would like to set up such a program. Then here are
some steps to help you do this much more successfully:
1. Expand your mailing list or build one if you're just starting your
direct mail program. To do this ask yourself: Who are the most likely
people to support your organizations financially? If you are already
using direct mail the answer to this questions should be obvious to
you, in which case you need to find more of these kinds of people.
Some of the many ways to do this are using compiled lists, rented or
leased lists of people who support similar causes and etc. If you
aren't using direct mail now then start with users of your services
and/or friends and family members of users of your services, then
explore complied, and rented or leased lists next.
2. Prepare a powerful direct mail package to solicit your list, which
will include an appeal letter, and response form, a reply envelop,
and of course an outer envelop to mail your package in that has the
full legal name of your organization on it. Too in preparing your
appeal letter by sure to make them emotional, interesting, and
personal, and keep the focus of this letter on how those you serve
will benefits from the gift as well as how the donor will benefit
also. And always ask for their gift.
3. Make a test mailing of your direct mail package to your donor
prospect list, and keep in mind that in direct mail solicitations all
new mailings are a test. So don't invest large sums of money into
this endeavor until you're relatively sure that you can get a good
return on your investment. Whether you are currently using direct
mail or not, all your new mailings are for finding what's called "new
acquisitions" which are needed by you to obtain more funds from your
direct mail program each year.
4. Evaluate very carefully the results of each of your test mailings
for new donor acquisitions, and if your mailing earns a slight
profit, simply breaks even, or perhaps even loses a little money you
may be able to still call your test a success. In fact, if you spend
$1.25 or a little more for every dollar you raise consider your test
a success, because when you renew these donors, that is mail to them
again, you can easily get 80-90% of them to make another gift. This
is where you'll really earn your profits from direct mail
solicitations.
5. Build upon your direct mail successes by "renewing" your donors
each year, that is getting them to make another gift. And continue to
seek new donors to keep your direct mail list growing and more
profitable each year, because if you don't continue to build your
list it will grow smaller each year since donors move and stop giving
for a variety of reasons.
Yes a good annual direct mail program can produce a regular and
growing source of revenue for your organization year after when this
fundraising methods is effectively used. Now use these steps to help
you set up, or expand your annual direct mail solicitation program to
raise more of the funds you need to better serve those who need you.
About the Author:
Berwyn J. Kemp is a development consultant who helps nonprofit
organizations obtain funding. For a free subscription to his
newsletter Nonprofit Funding Solutions you can visit:
http://www.berwynkempassoc@citymax.com, or
mailto:berwynkempassoc@yahoo.com