Nonprofits rely on more than one fundraising method throughout the year to raise donations. However, one of the most effective strategies for nonprofits to gather donations is through direct mail fundraising. Having said that, it is important to note that direct mail for nonprofits strategies that worked in the past are not as effective as they used to be. That’s okay as it gives you the opportunity to take advantage of modern direct mail strategies for charities and nonprofits that will energize your fundraising efforts.
Fundraising direct mail can be a less than popular subject to discuss with many nonprofits. Some organizations tend to be hesitant about utilizing this fundraising method because it is often viewed as old fashioned. This also leads to the incorrect assumption that direct mail fundraising cannot be enhanced by a tech solution.
It is important for nonprofits to realize that direct mail fundraising is not out of style. According to statistics from Nonprofit Source, marketing campaigns that use a combination of direct mail have enjoyed a 28% higher conversion rate. In addition, the best fundraising software comes with direct mail functionality!
Now that you know direct mail is still a viable fundraising method, let’s show you how nonprofits can use direct mail to grow their donation numbers.
4 Ways Nonprofits Utilize Direct Mail to Increase Donations
- Storytelling: Communicating with donors via storytelling helps to build an emotional connection about the history of your organization as well as your vision for the future. The basic parts of your story will share a problem which needs to be addressed and how solving the problem will prevent additional distress or issues. The story will also include how the donor can solve this problem by working with your organization.
- Reminder of Previous Donations: The act of reminding donors about previous donations gives you the chance to show them how much of a contribution they made (and therefore a reason for them to keep giving). This reminder is often more effective by showing numbers, telling stories about how their donation helped, and making it clear that your mission cannot be accomplished without them.
- Give a Gift: Sending a small gift to donors shows you appreciate them but try to keep the gift relevant to the person and the mission so it will have a bigger impact.
- Events: If you have a fundraising event, use direct mail to promote the event and increase the amount of interest among donors.
Important Components of a Direct Mail Campaign
When you are creating your direct mail for nonprofits fundraising materials, keep the following items in mind:
- Choose your audience carefully and make sure they are interested in what you have to say
- Tell a story about your organization in the direct mail letter
- Put the needs of the reader of the direct mail materials first
- Create direct mail that can be read quickly by being easily skimmable
- Remember important keywords that promote the need for donations
- Outsource direct mail fundraising efforts to an experienced fundraising direct mail services provider
If you are ready to use direct mail for your fundraising efforts, call the experts at Innvoke today.
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