The rise of the Internet and the domination of social media have changed the nature of fundraising forever. With options ranging from Facebook and Twitter to Kickstarter and GoFundMe, why should a non-profit campaign bother with direct mailing?
Just like much of physical media, online fundraising will never completely replace methods like mailing: they simply offer different benefits and different drawbacks. The act of holding and opening physical mail alone is enough to make a first impression (and no one’s figured out how to install a spam filter on a mailbox yet). Nonprofit mailing campaigns have the potential to be extremely effective, with a little attention to detail.
Testing, Testing, Testing
Running a successful non-profit means listening to your donors, finding out what works and what doesn’t, and testing everything. When you depend on your mailer and your message for funding, don’t leave anything to chance. As Valerie Kagan, president of VK Direct points out, everything from the length of your newsletter to the time of mailing can have an impact. Keep careful records of what succeeds and what falls flat.
Appealing Design
A fundraising request needs to be appealing both visually and emotionally: it needs to tell a story to capture a potential donor’s interest, and it needs the visuals to back it up. Successful nonprofits like the American Red Cross and the American Heart association rely on experts like Southwest Direct to help design and manage their nonprofit mailing campaigns and monitor the results.
A well designed mailer needs to be both attractive and easy to read: don’t cut costs on paper stock or printing to ensure that your layout and photos make an impact from the second the envelope is opened.
Honor Your Donors
Your donors are the most important part of any non-profit organization, and your mailing campaign should make sure they’re aware of it! Keep track of timing requests from your donors: they should have the option to only receive mailings once a year, or every six months, or on whatever schedule suits their preferences. Listening to feedback is key to a successful campaign.
The success of many campaigns also depends on honoring and cultivating top donors. That includes everything from personalized mailings to nicer stationary and first class mailings: let them know how vital they are to your organization and your cause!
A good nonprofit mailing campaign requires the best in content, design, and timely administrative and mailing. Contact Southwest Direct to discuss your needs with a team of design and advertising experts, and begin building your unique campaign to suit your cause.
