A Great Example of Outstanding Nonprofit Direct Mail

I love to speak on Donor Loyalty because loyalty is impacted by so many touch points. One of those touch points near and dear to my heart is direct mail. I believe in this time of reduced mailings, direct mail is a secret weapon if done right. According to a survey in the October issue of Fundraising Success, I am right. Sixty-one percent of donors give by mail. Now I do believe a multi-channel approach is best, but for the sake of this blog post I am going to stick with direct mail.

During a recent talk, I spoke of a great direct mail piece I received from Food for the Poor. I decided to share that piece in all of its glory with you here.



I really enjoy this piece because it:
· is unique.
· has a clear call to action.
· shares a compelling story of how your donation will help.
· stands out in your mailbox.

Take-away:
Try something different. If you have been sending the same direct mail to your loyal donors for years, it is probably time for a change. Experiment with some new ideas to see if you can increase your response rates. I bet you can!

The Art of Surprise

Today I returned to a hotel I visited for a conference over four years ago. At check-in I was greeted warmly and presented a letter thanking me for returning and offering me a free koozie. They were “delighted” I had returned.

What a pleasant surprise! I have shared this pleasant letter with everyone I can because it is so simple and easy to implement, and it made me feel very welcome.

If you are reading this blog it’s likely because you too are looking for ways to create loyalty. If that is the case, I would highly recommend you take a tip from the Tradewinds Resort in St Petersburg, FL. Remembering when people come back to you is a great way to ensure that they will come back again.

Take-Away: A pleasant surprise perfectly placed, can lead to a lifetime of loyalty and positive goodwill.

The $4700 Ask!

I got this letter from one of the AFP attendees last week. I think it deserves sharing:

Dear Ms. Brandt,

I thoroughly enjoyed your session at the AFP
Conference last week. I gave you good grades on the survey!

I thought you would get a chuckle out of the mailing I received the day I came home: My town of XXXX, is home to the largest of XXXXXX’s state universities. For the past few years, because my husband’s law firm has been doing a lot of work for the school, each of the partners has been contributing $5,000. This year, we haven’t made the gift yet, but my husband gave $300 to the basketball program in the winter. We received a computer-generated postcard-sized card, in a bulk mail envelope, asking us to give $4,700 to renew our membership in the $5,000 giving society!! I howled!!

Their entire database is probably 80,000 entities. Mine is 6,000, and I’m a one-woman shop, and I personalize every letter that leaves this place. The university probably has a staff of 10 development officers. And they can’t manage a personal letter for a $4,700 ask!! Eek! I feel like calling the new VP for Development and hinting that I know why they’re shy of their capital campaign goal.

Good luck in your work – thanks for a very informative session – worth every second.

I must say that I second her opinion. I am one to always fall on the side of a hand-written ask, but at that level there is no debate.

Take-away: Handwritten asks are the way to go, especially if it is a big one.