1. “We were impressed with
Compu-Mail’sprofessionalservice
beginningtoend.Itwasincrediblyhelpful
tohaveexpertsinthedirectmailfield
workhandsonwithus,andinmanyways
itactuallyloweredourcosts.”
Data + Details:
The Equation for Fundraising Success
Personalization and attention to every detail drive results for The Arc of Monroe.
Sixty years ago a group of families in Rochester, New York,
came together to conceive new options for their children
with developmental disabilities – so they could lead better
lives, fulfill their dreams, and be a part of a community,
rather than face the alternative of life in an institution.
Out of their efforts and compassion, The Arc of Monroe
County was born.
Today the organization serves this vital community need
by supporting more than 1,200 individuals with develop-
mental or intellectual disabilities including Autism, Down
Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Asperger Syndrome, and Perva-
sive Developmental Disorders through 40 locations.
The Arc of Monroe’s annual appeal is an important part
of the Arc Foundation’s fundraising strategy. Not only
does it represent a sizable amount of donation dollars,
but it creates a base of donors who have the potential
to graduate into leadership giving. The appeal mailing
itself was traditionally centered around a single-drop
mailing in the fall. Steve Chartrand, CEO of the Arc
Foundation, felt it was time to set sights higher.
“We had just completed a large five-year capital campaign for
a new campus. With that goal accomplished, we were ready
to shift focus to building the annual appeal. We turned to
Compu-Mail to seek out new ways we could improve on our
pre-existing program to increase response and gift dollars,”
explained Chartrand.
The Value of Data Shines Through
Before even addressing creative design and message, Com-
pu-Mail worked with The Arc of Monroe to dig a little
deeper into their existing data. Adding more personalized
messaging was a priority. They introduced giving segments
which included the basics: Active Donors (those who gave
the previous year), Lapsed Donors (who gave in the past
but not the previous year), and First Time Appeals (pro-
spective donors who had no previous giving history).
Dividing the list into segments not only provides a basis
for personalizing the message, but also lays the foundation
for future response reporting and analysis. Response can be
measured by segment, which enables The Arc of Monroe
to visualize performance by donor type and identify more
opportunities for future development.
Steve Chartrand, CEO of the Arc Foundation, and
Rod Christian, Director of Donor Relations
Signature Solutions: Non-Profit

2. In addition to the giving segments,
The Arc of Monroe and Compu-
Mail looked to past giving history
reported in the data to develop
personalized “asks” based on previ-
ous gifts. These “asks” specify sug-
gested donation amounts which are
variable based on the recipient. By
tailoring the ask to each individual,
they can ensure it is aligned with
their previous giving and subtly
prompt donors to increase their giv-
ing over time.
Twice is Nice
It is well-accepted that rep-
etition improves response, so
Compu-Mail suggested adding
a second mailing to the annual
appeal program. This second
mailing was sent only to those
who did not respond to the
first.
For both mailings The Arc of
Monroe and Compu-Mail col-
laborated to evaluate every com-
ponent of the mailing, combing
through every sentence, word,
and detail – from the outer
envelope, to the letter, to the
pledge card. They also decided
to use a stamp vs. an indicia
for postage – a seemingly tiny
change but one that consistently
demonstrates lift in fundraising
campaigns. All of those little
tweaks contributed to the overall
results.
According to Chartrand, “Fund-
raising is only going to get more
competitive. It all comes down to
how you can cut through the
clutter and get your message to
the top.”
The Arc of Monroe County’s an-
nual appeal certainly succeeded
on that front. The results speak
for themselves. With a 72%
increase in donations and an
impressive 89% renewal rate, the
Arc Foundation is positioned for
future growth and plans to add a
spring appeal as well.
Lapsed Donors:
A Fundraiser’s
Best Friend?
Lapsed donors are already aware of
your organization and have recognized
its value in the past by donating to
your cause. Often they just require a
little nudge and a personalized ask to
give again.
In the case of the Arc of Monroe
appeal, 25% of lapsed donors
from the previous four years
were reactivated, and their
giving comprised a whopping
41% of total dollars raised.
You probably are familiar with the
terms LYBNT and SYBNT in relation
to lapsed donors as well: LYBNT
(pronounced lie-bunt) refers to“Last
Year But NotThis [year]”and SYBNT
(sy-bunt) refers to“SomeYear But Not
This [year].”Adding these signifiers
to your donor database will help you
continue to segment and personalize
your messaging for better results.
BytheNumbers*
72%
89%
12%
Increase in
Donations
Renewal Rate
Increase in
Average Gift
*Ascomparedtopreviousyear’sannualappeal.
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