Monday, October 3, 2011

Direct Mail Fundraising Letters - 41 Things You Can Mail to Donors

Want to learn a
lesson in direct mail fundraising from Winston
Churchill? He once observed that a fanatic
is "someone who can't change his mind and won't
change the subject."

A fundraising letter
fanatic, of course, is someone who thinks the only
thing you can mail a donor is a fundraising letter. But
that's just one of more than 40 things you can mail to
make friends and raise funds using paper and
postage.

Direct Holidays

Acquisition package: Designed to attract new donors. Welcome kit: An assortment of informational pieces and a cover letter, mailed to first- time donors, welcoming them to your organization and your cause. Thank-you letter: The most important letter in direct mail fundraising, and they should never ask for gifts. Renewal letter: Designed to persuade last year's donors to renew their support again this year. Member renewal letter: Mailed by member-based organizations to members whose membership is about to expire and must be renewed. Reminder letter: Mailed a few weeks after your appeal letter, encouraging donors who have not responded to give. Popular at year-end. Lapsed donor recovery letter: Mailed to donors who have not given a gift in 12 months or more, inviting them back on the train. Monthly donor conversion letter: Mailed to annual donors (those who respond to your annual appeals), inviting them to join (convert to) your monthly giving program. Special appeal: Mailed during the year to raise funds for a special cause, often an emergency, such as a natural disaster. Year-end appeal: Letters that capitalize on the year-end tax advantages and "spirit of the season" of Christmas. Upgrade letter: Appeals that invite donors to increase the dollar amount (and sometimes frequency) of their gifts. Donor club invitation: Letters that invite high-dollar donors to join a President's Circle or other exclusive donor group. Legacy gift prospecting letter: Mailed to a select group in your house file, asking if they are interested in making a planned gift (bequest, charitable remainder trust, and so on). Special event invitation: A card or letter inviting donors and potential donors to a golf tournament, banquet, concert or other fundraising event. Newsletter: Sent to current donors to inform them of how your organization is using their donations to change the world. Annual report: Usually mailed to major donors, loyal donors and donors with influence. Survey: Designed to solicit the opinions of donors and prospective donors. Petition: Mailed by advocacy organizations (Amnesty International and Mother Against Drunk Driving, for example) to donors, inviting them to complete and mail the petitions, usually to a person in federal government. Member-get-a-member letter: mailed by member-based organizations, inviting members to recruit new members to the organization. Pledge appeal: Usually sent during capital campaigns, these appeals ask recipients to pledge a larger-than-normal gift (for the donor, that is) towards the campaign, a pledge that is usually honored by the donor by making a number of gifts over a period of a year or two. Congratulatory card: Mailed to donors on the occasion of the donors' wedding anniversary, birthday or other special event. Testimonial: Written endorsements from clients or donors or others affected by the work of your organization, usually accompanying an appeal letter. Plaque: Sent to faithful or particularly generous donors as a sign of your gratitude for their extraordinary support. Gift catalog: Describing through pictures and text the items that donors can buy from your organization to support your work (a goat for a family in India, for example). Resource catalog: Describes the books, DVDs and other educational materials that donors can order to educate themselves and others about your cause and the people you help. Matching gift appeal: Invites donors to give gifts that, collectively, match a large gift made by another donor. Newspaper clipping: Has your charity received favorable press recently? Mail a copy of the article to your donors (with the newspaper's permission). Quiz: Do you want to stir the imaginations of your donors, particularly if they are under the age of 12? Mail them a quiz that gets them thinking about a vital subject (climate change, poverty, nuclear war, homelessness, for example). Factsheet: Sometimes you need to give your donors statistics and facts and figures, maybe even a history of your organization. Put these into a factsheet. Special report: Dealing with a hot and timely topic that will galvanize your constituents. Calendar: Special calendar that highlights special events of yours and days during the year that are of interest to you and your donors. Special event teaser: Postcards or other short notices that pique the curiosity of your supporters about upcoming events. Photographs: Mailed to donors to show the before-and-after results of their generosity. Premium: Return address labels, notepads and other incentives designed to persuade the recipients to donate. Freemium: Items enclosed with a direct mail appeal that have no intrinsic value, but help you communicate your appeal in a tangible, memorable way. A hospital, for example, might enclose a facsimile of a patient bracelet once worn by a young cancer survivor. Involvement device: Scratch-off cards, checkboxes and other devices that involve the donor in meaningful ways and encourage a donation. Brochure: Shows in pictures and words what you cannot discuss in the body of your letter. Reprint: Has your CEO just given a speech to the United Nations? Transcribe the speech and mail it to your donors (assuming your CEO is a dynamic speaker, of course!). Progress report: Mailed to donors, usually major donors, who have designated their gifts to a particular project, and who need to be kept informed about your progress with their money. Follow-up note: Mailed after you've phoned your donor or made a personal visit, usually to thank the donor. Income tax receipt: The more of these you have to mail each year, the better, right?

Direct Mail Fundraising Letters - 41 Things You Can Mail to Donors

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