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Fundraising Tuesday: Should Direct Mail Be A Part of Your Fundraising Campaign?

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A guest post by Grant Cobb of GivingMail

As you look forward to 2021 and beyond, consider new trends that begin to emerge and the long-standing efforts that persevere when crafting your fundraising campaigns. One of our favorites that continues to stand the test of time is direct mail.

Our GivingMail guide on direct mail for nonprofits shares that direct mail continues to be the leading source of individual donations in the U.S. So, yes, direct mail should be a part of your fundraising campaign.

Through our 70+ years of experience, we know a thing or two about hosting a successful direct mail fundraising campaign—and we’ve put together this quick guide so that you can too. Specifically, we’ll discuss the following key points:

  • Integrating direct mail and digital strategies
  • Building relationships with supporters
  • Thanking donors for their contributions
  • Direct mail best practices

Integrating direct mail and digital strategies

Direct mail is an important channel for grabbing your audience’s attention and encouraging them to give. But is it enough?

According to 360MatchPro’s fundraising statistics list, 16% of donors prefer to give via direct mail. That’s a good portion of your audience that will be happy to mail a check for your fundraising campaign. However, there’s still a large number of supporters who might prefer to give digitally. The solution? Integrating your direct mail and virtual fundraising strategies.

Here are three simple ways to do so:

  • Include an easy-to-type URL in your direct mailing.
  • Generate and display a QR code leading to your donation page.
  • Incorporate your text-to-give number and keyword.

Integrating your direct mail and digital strategies allows you and your supporters to get the best of both worlds. You can grab your audiences’ attention with one of the most powerful marketing and communication channels available while still allowing them to give in the most convenient way.

Building relationships with supporters

Even beyond the actual donation ask, direct mailings can greatly impact your donor relationships and how recipients view their connection to your organization.

Essentially, sending campaign updates, informational newsletters, and other types of non-fundraising asks via direct mail can be a fantastic way to communicate to donors that they matter on a level that’s deeper than their wallets. This is referred to as donor stewardship or cultivation efforts, and it’s a critical component of bringing supporters into the mix as partners.

Direct mail is also one of the most powerful communication channels for this type of relationship-building due to its ability to break through the digital clutter. Studies show that written words can keep your organization at the top of the recipient’s mind for longer than if they were to read about your work on a screen.

Thanking donors for their contributions

Even once you’ve received your donation, it doesn’t mean your job as a fundraising professional is over. Instead, it’s time to continue deepening your relationships with donors—starting with a specific, detailed thank-you.

So how should you communicate your appreciation to your supporters? There’s a bit of controversy in the fundraising space about whether an email can suffice as a thank-you message or whether a direct mailing should be required. In our opinion, a thank-you email can be an excellent first step, but it definitely shouldn’t be the last. Instead, a physical thank-you note sent to a donor’s mailbox can make a significant impact on their connection to your organization.

Luckily, free templates like these can help you craft your messages with ease. Simply start with a sample thank-you letter, and be sure to add important details like addressing the recipient by their preferred name and acknowledging their specific gift. Let’s compare these two potential messages:

  • Dear Donor, thank you for your generous gift to our organization.
  • Dear Brenda, thank you for your gift of $100 to help provide impoverished students in our community with the school supplies they need to succeed.

The first example seems like it was mass-sent to anyone who had donated recently. The latter is a specific message crafted carefully with the intended recipient in mind. The added effort that goes into sending a thank-you letter via direct mail rather than email can also show your increased dedication to appreciating donors effectively.

Direct mail best practices

Now that you understand the purpose of direct mail in fundraising, it’s essential to get your message out in the most effective way possible. Let’s discuss a few key strategies and tips:

1. Include specific donation requests

In any direct mail appeals you send, it’s important to include a specific call to action. In a typical fundraising letter, the intended action is to complete a donation.

However, making a broad request for donations can be too vague to drive results. That’s why you should be sure to include specific numbers to help guide the donor on their giving path.

Take a look at these examples:

  • A donation of $25 can feed a hungry child for one week.
  • A donation of $100 can feed a hungry child for one month.
  • A donation of $500 can feed a family of four for one month.

All of these requests are more effective and actionable than “Please donate to our organization.”

By incorporating specific dollar amounts, along with the tangible impacts of each donation size, you encourage recipients to support your organization and its mission by giving more. Plus, you can leverage the power of social proof by showing potential donors what a typical gift size is, which removes the uncertainty around what they’re “supposed to” give.

2. Invest in high-quality materials

Even the most well-written fundraising letter won’t ensure results (or donations) if you neglect the appeal’s physical aspects. If it comes across as looking unenticing or otherwise spammy, it might even go straight from the mailbox to the trash can! One way to avoid this phenomenon is by investing in high-quality materials (like paper, ink, and envelopes) for your mailings.

  • Print your direct mailings on high-grade paper (at least 60#).
  • Use a decent printer and ink so that your text/imagery is legible and visually appealing.
  • Include a pre-paid, pre-addressed return envelope with any direct mail appeals.

Putting thought into optimizing your direct mailings’ physical elements is a great way to increase your envelope open rate. At this point, your content’s quality will take over in coaxing a donation from the reader. After all, making a good first impression matters.

3. Outsource your direct mail efforts

A well-planned-out direct mail fundraising campaign could take a lot of work to pull off. However, it’s possible to outsource the bulk of the effort to a dedicated direct mail fundraising company and save time and money for your mission.

Just like working with an experienced fundraising consultant can help your team make the most of your efforts (and your fundraising dollars), a direct mail platform can help you send your appeals effectively while seeing the most outstanding results.

Not only can this type of partner provide you with free and effective donation request letters and templates, but they can also assist you in sending your letters in the most time- and cost-efficient manner possible.

Direct mail companies can even help send your mailings for less than it would cost to purchase paper, ink, envelopes, and stamps on your own—thanks to bulk discounts made available by bundling your appeals with other organizations.’ It’s a win-win!

Just remember—it’s not good enough to scribble a note and drop it off at the post office. Make sure to craft your appeals carefully to increase the likelihood of your letter being opened, read, and responded to. Good luck!

 

Grant Cobb is a fundraising specialist with over 6 years of experience in the nonprofit space. Currently the head of marketing and analytics at GivingMail, he is a huge proponent of data-driven decision making and the push to bring high-level analytics and fundraising to all.

Nonprofits and COVID-19: Where and How We Can Help

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A guest post by Mike Barros of Lumaverse

Nonprofits play an integral role in providing resources for COVID-19 relief in their communities. From streamlining appointment registration to managing volunteers through their CRM, there are countless ways charitable organizations are helping in the face of crisis.

Even further, positively communicating with your team and donor base speaks volumes about your appreciation for their efforts. That will positively impact your organization after normal life resumes.

Since the pandemic began in 2020, organizations have used their donor CRM data to contribute to COVID relief efforts in many ways. Specifically, optimized data and communications strategies can help streamline the following operations:

  • Volunteer management
  • Appointment & vaccine scheduling
  • Expressing gratitude and raising morale

Regardless of your organization’s core mission, we’re all serving the greater good in the face of the current social, economic, and healthcare crisis. Read on to find out more about how you can help your community in the face of COVID-19.

Volunteer Management

Volunteer management is the process of finding, engaging, and retaining helpers for a cause. Whether you’re looking for a group to help expedite the COVID testing process or to collect supplies for those out of work, your volunteer management strategy is crucial to your impact on the community.

When looking for help, optimize your data to find out which of your supporters would rather (and can) give money and who would instead give time. For example, if you’re looking to put together a group of volunteers to gather supplies for your local food bank, you can use your data stored by your software to know who you can ask to help. 

For example, your organization can use volunteer management software to keep your team organized and informed when searching for COVID-19 relief volunteers. Your volunteer management software can also help your organization:

  • Build connections for relief efforts into the future
  • Find the right people for your specific cause
  • Deliver data based on your volunteer relationships
  • Manage donations and giving histories

With these features in mind, you’ll have no problem finding and putting together a volunteer base that can serve whichever issue you’re working to solve.

Appointment & Vaccine Scheduling

Scheduling appointments has been a struggle for many organizations during the pandemic due to the overwhelming need for help. This includes helping those who are seeking vaccine and testing appointments. Too often, people eligible for a test or vaccine struggle to get a time slot and receive the help they need.

Efficient scheduling software can help you expedite the fight against COVID-19 in your community. Consider the following benefits you can provide for your supporters with your know-how and powerful appointment scheduling software:

  • Easy-to-use calendar interface
  • Automated email reminders
  • Confirmation receipts
  • Around-the-clock sign up opportunities

With these benefits and more, your organization can help those frustrated with signing up for COVID-19 related appointments and take the load off of those who are already dedicating their lives to providing medical support.

Talk to your local healthcare providers to find out more about how you can help schedule anything from volunteer shifts to appointments. According to  Double the Donation’s guide to coronavirus resources for nonprofits, there are endless ways to get involved in this effort.

Expressing Gratitude and Raising Morale

Last but certainly not least, your organization should provide support for those who support you. Everyone is sacrificing their usual ways of life to help prevent the spread of disease and aid others during this time. On top of this, people have to isolate themselves in their homes and deal with the hardships of our current world. Therefore, showing gratitude is as crucial as ever because it:

  • Encourages repeat giving. Because your supporters have already contributed to your cause in one way or another, they’re highly likely to give again. They’ve already seen how their efforts have positively impacted the community through your outreach and are familiar with your giving process.
  • Increases volunteer retention. When you retain patrons as you continue to pursue your efforts, you’ll have a dependable support base, saving time and money. According to Lumaverse’s guide to volunteer appreciation, supporter retention should be around 40%, and working to increase your retention rate will help your organization secure long-term giving.
  • Expedites future planning. As you retain your supporters, they’ll become your go-to’s for your future needs! No longer will your team have to worry about having enough people to run a fundraising event, so you’ll have people who regularly give time and money.

For example, the TY Thursday column of this blog helps explain how to best appreciate your volunteers in such challenging times. The key takeaway of saying thank you is recognizing that your donor is still giving time, resources, and money to others despite the hardships they may be facing. Some ways to show this can be through outreach, such as:

  • Thank you notes
  • Follow-up input surveys
  • Branded merchandise
  • Sponsor recognition
  • Social media shout-outs

These are just a handful of ways to show gratitude for your generous donors and volunteers. When you strengthen your connections with them, you’ll have a reliable task force to help with relief efforts, especially during the COVID era.

Nonprofits play a considerable role in COVID-19 relief in their communities. Whether they help find volunteers for related tasks, expedite appointment registration, and retain helpers for future endeavors, their impact is immeasurable.

Remember, time, supplies, and financial donations are integral parts of keeping your community afloat during hardships. Be a resource of relief both internally and externally for your organization, and stay safe!

 

Mike Barros LumaverseMike Barros is the President and CEO of Lumaverse Technologies. Before joining the Lumaverse, Mike was the President of Education Brands at Community Brands, the CEO of Diamond Mind, and the Chief Revenue Officer at JackBe. He resides in the DC-Metro area.

5 Modern Nonprofit Trends to Keep in Mind for 2021

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A guest post by Andrew Berry, of Donately

If we’ve learned anything from the past year, it’s that we can’t always predict the future. However, we can analyze and report on what nonprofits are doing to maximize their impact. Then, we can take these trends to make the most of every opportunity.

From daily operations to fundraising, everything is changing in the nonprofit sector. At Donately, we’ve seen these changes firsthand by working with thousands of nonprofits. We supply these organizations with the tools they need to engage donors and continue operating. Over the past several months, we’ve recognized a few trends that can be valuable when put to good use.

What can your organization expect over the rest of 2021? We’ll explore five modern trends that are sticking around for the foreseeable future, broken into two main categories:

  1. Nonprofit Technology
  2. Nonprofit Fundraising

As you continue refining strategies for 2021, these trends will help stabilize your efforts. That way, your organization can continue growing throughout the rest of the year. Let’s dive in.

Nonprofit Technology

Society’s reliance on technology continues to grow. For nonprofits, this means that the possibilities for connecting with supporters expand each day.

Digital operations aren’t a new concept, but 2020 definitely accelerated the process of incorporating nonprofit tech. Organizations across the globe scrambled to start operating behind screens. They readily adopted nonprofit software at lightning speeds. We expect that nonprofits will continue adopting these tools as tech literacy improves.

Let’s take a look at two technology-specific trends that are on the rise.

Going Mobile

It’s no surprise that more nonprofits are starting to rely on mobile outreach. We’re more attached to our smartphones than ever before. We use our mobile devices to check social media, search the web, and make purchases. Throughout 2021, we’re hoping to see nonprofits harness this power and encourage supporters to use their smartphones for good.

Here are a few ways your team can account for mobile in its strategies:

  • Donations. Double the Donation’s nonprofit fundraising statistics page indicates that mobile users make up half of all nonprofit website traffic. A mobile-friendly donation page is a crucial part of this. Your page’s fields, images, and so on should adjust based on the user’s screen size. More organizations are also taking advantage of text-to-give. That way, the form is delivered right to their devices via text message.
  • Event and volunteer registration. Moving away from paper registration and check-in is becoming easier. With volunteer management systems and virtual event apps, supporters can more effectively register for opportunities straight from their smartphones.
  • Supporter communications. Email apps and text messaging enable you to connect with supporters on-the-go. They can keep up with your cause from wherever they are. Make sure any content you share displays correctly on mobile devices.

Going mobile opens up the door to a world of possibilities for your organization. No matter how you approach mobile outreach, constituents will appreciate its convenience. Just make sure to respect those who prefer that you don’t contact them in this way.

New Social Frontiers

As of 2020, 3.96 billion people regularly use social media. And that number will continue rising over the coming years. For nonprofits, social media is a must for marketing initiatives and engaging supporters. With so many active users, the majority of your supporters are likely online, making it more important than ever for interacting and solidifying your base of support.

Building a social media presence opens the door to many opportunities, including:

  • Expanding your list of prospects by connecting with followers’ networks.
  • Promoting giving campaigns to drive donations.
  • Sharing pictures and videos of your work.
  • Interacting with your followers.
  • Gaining traction quicker for social movements and community causes.

If you haven’t already ventured into this realm, now’s the time. Determine which platforms will yield the best results. Facebook is still the preferred choice for many users, but younger generations are moving to different platforms. These include Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok — each of which has its benefits. Twitter is fantastic for succinct updates. Instagram works well for photos and videos. As for TikTok, it can spread cultural movements thanks to its shareability.

For 2021, try out multiple platforms instead of investing all your focus in one platform. Create a communication strategy for each, test the waters, and track your progress. That way, you can figure out which tactics work and which don’t.

Nonprofit Fundraising

The expanding digital landscape enables nonprofits to get creative with their fundraising strategies. So what specific trends can nonprofits take advantage of right now? Let’s dive into three trends that should play into your strategies.

Online Fundraising

Due to social distancing, more nonprofits ran online campaigns in 2020 than ever before. As society grows more accustomed to online giving, it looks like this type of fundraiser is here to stay.

Digital philanthropy is widely favored among donors thanks to its convenience. Thankfully, you don’t need to be especially tech-savvy to raise money online, and most technology is simple to use. Online fundraising offers many benefits, including:

  • Access to a larger audience. Nonprofits are no longer confined by their geographical locations. Going online allows people from around the globe to easily support your cause.
  • Lower overhead costs. Compared to traditional fundraising, virtual events and campaigns are less expensive to produce. You’ll eliminate extra venue and catering costs, meaning you get to keep more of the money you raise.

Most nonprofits venture into online giving by featuring a donation page on their website. While this is a great start, you’ll want to get creative if you want your cause to stand out. For example, try out peer-to-peer fundraising to spread the word about your mission.

Recurring Giving

Nearly seven out of every ten new donors from the previous year didn’t donate at all the next year. Thankfully, technology makes it possible for donors to donate to their favorite causes again and again. As more nonprofits recognize the power of recurring giving, it’s become a major trend in the philanthropic sector.

As one of Donately’s top online fundraising ideas, this type of program makes giving more manageable for donors and the nonprofits that offer them. With the right technology, donors can select the amount and cadence of their gifts, such as giving $25 each month. Plus, your team can receive automatic updates whenever a donor’s payment fails, so you can follow up.

Not to mention, recurring givers tend to donate more over time than those who only donate once a year. Fundraising statistics show that on average, recurring donors give 42% more per year than one-time donors.

If your technology offers this functionality, make sure you’re taking advantage of it. If not, find a solution that does, so you don’t miss out on a more predictable revenue stream.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Despite the pandemic, corporate giving was up last year and continues to rise. More for-profit businesses are becoming conscious of their philanthropic responsibility than ever before. In turn, they’ve developed programs designed to encourage workplace giving and volunteering.

For nonprofits everywhere, corporate giving programs have had a tremendous impact on fundraising. This means your team should be on the lookout for these opportunities. Here are the two primary types of programs that nonprofits are taking advantage of:

  • Matching gifts. This is when a company promises to match its employees’ donations to charity. There are stipulations surrounding which nonprofits are eligible and how much the company will match.
  • Volunteer grants. Many companies offer to submit contributions to organizations where employees regularly volunteer. Generally, the company donates a certain amount for however many hours are volunteered. These programs also tend to have guidelines, such as the minimum threshold of volunteer hours that needs to be met.

To start, invest in a database that allows you and your donors to research eligibility. Then, pay attention to which companies submit matching gifts and volunteer grants often. This can be a strong sign of which local businesses might be good corporate partners. Forming these relationships may lead to ongoing revenue and marketing for your organization.

 

While it’s difficult to predict the exact course of the nonprofit sector, we can make educated guesses based on current trends. We may start engaging with constituents in person this year, but many trends will carry over into post-pandemic life. It’s up to you to figure out how you take these trends and put them to use.

From going mobile to promoting corporate social responsibility, there are many steps your team can take over the next several months. Good luck!

 

Author: Andrew Berry

Andrew Berry

Andrew Berry

Andrew is the head of marketing and customer success for Donately. After getting involved with nonprofits at a young age, he discovered a passion for helping the organizations that are making the world a better place. Knowing how vital online fundraising has become, his goal is to help nonprofits raise more money online each year!

In his spare time, you will find him cooking up dinner, playing with his dog or cheering on Boston sports teams.

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