Intertwining what you know about your audience and their giving journey with strategy and creative executions can create an impactful and effective campaign. In the world of nonprofit organizations, every dollar counts. Small nonprofits, in particular, often face budget constraints and must find creative ways to raise funds to support their missions.

Direct Mail Fundraising Campaigns that Drive Donations

You’ve decided to add direct mail to your marketing strategy, but what’s the next step? Here’s how to craft an engaging direct mail campaign from start to finish. Direct mail campaigns can only reach your audience if they’re home. If your would-be donors are away at college or live a digital nomad lifestyle, you could be wasting precious dollars trying to reach them when they’re not there. Use this to your advantage by using powerful storytelling and evidence to support your fundraising message, away 10 tips for nonprofit direct mail fundraising during covid from the busy digital world.

The Secret to Combining Digital Marketing and Print for Maximum Impact

Be specific about the difference you’re making in the world and how the reader can help make that difference even bigger. Instead, focus on making a single ask so that donors can immediately understand how their gift will make a difference. If you try to communicate too many messages at once, you risk confusing and alienating potential donors.

Last but not least is to keep your call to action very specific. Take your potential donors by the hand and lead them on the way to take action. Being a nonprofit organization, you have no extra funds to waste. So make sure you do your research on the audience well before you send them anything.

Allegiance Group + Pursuant makes achieving direct mail success simple.

It helps develop unified experiences for donors, volunteers, and supporters. Sending donation appeals via snail mail might sound like a tactic of the past, but it can still deliver impressive results. Discover how it works, why it’s so effective, and how to successfully integrate nonprofit direct mail into your fundraising strategy. Before COVID-19, nonprofit organizations that relied on major gifts, such as colleges or hospitals, held face-to-face meetings to obtain funds to support their programs.

What is a direct mail campaign?

A QR code on a poster, TV ad, or mailer can direct your supporters to online resources such as your online donation form, social media pages, or a fundraising web store. In fact, studies have found that personalization of fundraising appeals leads to a 5-15% increase in revenue. Adding a person’s name along with other information from your donor database increases response rates by up to 500%. A well-crafted, personalized direct mail appeal is one of the most memorable fundraising communications your nonprofit can send. Personalization goes beyond addressing the recipient by name. Use data from your nonprofit CRM to customize content based on past interactions, donation history, and preferences.

In a time of crisis, this is when governance becomes really important. We need people who have specific jobs and specific skills that can help this organization. So I think what we’re seeing, though, as a result of all of this is that a lot of board members are stepping up now, and we’re seeing a lot more participation from board. We’re seeing them respond a lot more quickly to requests from executive leadership.

People are sitting at home, glued to the news and social media and email. Enhance your digital outreach with a relevant and meaningful message across the social channels where you have an audience. But with the right audience, message, and timing, your direct mail fundraising campaign can make a big impact. While it may feel dated, nonprofit direct mail is a powerful way to engage with your donors away from the distractions of their devices. In this guide, we’ll cover best practices for engaging with your donors through the mail, along with insider tips to make your appeals the most compelling they can be.

• Learn what today’s supporters want and find membership drive ideas to match, so you can plan a more engaging—and successful—campaign.
• Consider pairing each direct mail campaign with email follow-ups that reinforce the key message and encourage supporters to donate online.
• Give details about the event, such as games, prizes, and special guests.
• Another reason direct mail still works is that it is different.

Timing is Key

• The way your letters, postcards, or trifold brochures look and feel matters just as much as what they say.
• For sustainability-minded audiences, receiving direct mail can be off-putting.
• Depending on the results, you can send them direct mail pieces to attend your event or donate funds for a certain cause.
• Build lists based on customer data, purchase history, and demographics to ensure your mail reaches the right audience.

Even as the pandemic accelerated adoption of online technologies over the last year, mail continues to be the driving force for acquiring, upgrading and keeping donors and members. With a team boasting over 35 years of experience, MWD Agencyhas provided direct mail services to nonprofit organizations natonwide. When organizations combine direct mail with digital methods, response rates climb to 28%. Writing an excellent direct mail fundraising letter can look overwhelming. A great direct mail fundraising campaign isn’t just about sending letters—it’s about strategy, storytelling, and seamless execution. Direct mail is a proven way for nonprofits to fundraise effectively, helping organizations reach supporters and drive donations.

Bring donors closer through captivating stories, informative content, and opportunities for advocacy. Above all, focus on fostering their emotional connection to your cause. The aim should be to engage donors, build relationships, and encourage prospective donors to contribute financially to support the organization’s mission. The second factor to consider is what kind of message you want to send with your direct mail campaign.