Fundraising Success: Direct Mail Tips

Fundraising Success: Direct Mail

Today’s Discussion
Planning for your direct mail projects
Package design
Messaging
Integration

Direct Marketing Strategic Objectives

Strategic Objectives Discussion
What would you like to get out of a direct mail program for your organization?
If you do direct mail now, what are some additional objectives you could pursue?

DM Strategic Objectives
Increase current donor giving
Develop new donors
Recapture past donors

DM Strategic Objectives
Fund a specific program or project
Encourage fulfillment of pledges
Build ongoing relationships with donors
Identify donors with potential for significant individual giving

Financial Objectives and Metrics

Financial Objectives
What kind of results can you expect?
What will the costs be?

Direct Mail Planning Worksheet Prospecting Donor Total Notes Revenue: Number of Mailings Pieces/Mailing Total Pieces Mailed Estimated Response Rate Expected Responses Expected Average Gift Total Revenue Revenue Per Piece Costs: Total Pieces Mailed Paper Cost/Piece Print Cost/Piece Postage List Rental Total Variable Costs Fixed Costs Total Costs Costs Per Piece Net Income Ratios: Cost Per Dollar Raised Fundraising % Revenue

Planning Assumptions
Typical Response Rates:
Prospecting: .5%-2.5%
Donor: 7%-20%
Typical Avg. Gift: $10-30

Key Metrics
Cost per Dollar Raised
Average Gift
Response rate
Donor retention rate
Lifetime Value of a Donor

Plan Your Mail Piece
What type of package are you going to send?
What lists are you going to use?
What is the theme of your campaign? Is it relevant?

Direct Mail Project Design

Direct Mail Project Design
Package
Messaging
Timing
Lists

Package
Typical package:
8.5x14 letterhead with perfed return card
#10 window envelope
#9 BRE or CRE

Items to Consider
Color
Pictures
Size
Cost

Other Package Elements
Photos
Surveys
Involvement Cards

Premiums
Advantages
Higher response rate
Disadvantages
Cost
Dependency on Premiums

Messaging – Tell a Story

Messaging cont.

Timing
How frequently to mail?
Scheduling around other fundraising
Taking advantage of news stories, outside events

Lists
Using existing donor lists
Rental list selection
Opportunities
Criteria for list selection

Integration
MSU survey study found that direct mail followed by email was as successful as multiple direct mail pieces
DM - .315 Response rate ($10.97 per response)
DM/Email – .297 Response rate ($1.31 per response)
Kaplowitz, Hadlock and Levine 2004

Integration – How to
Create follow-up emails with the same message as your DM appeal
Separate landing pages on your website
Announce the campaign on any social media

Questions?

Ready to Raise More Money? Contact Us.
Robert Sanberg
[email_address]
612-735-5540
http://ignitusinc.com
www.twitter.com/ignitus
Presentation available at: www.slideshare.net/ignitus

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Fundraising Success: Direct Mail Tips

by Ignitus on Sep 17, 2009

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Fundraising Success: Direct Mail Tips — Presentation Transcript