12.04.2008

In My Mailbox: Fundraising DM Done Right



This is supposed to be the season of giving, and when it comes to direct mail success for fundraisers, this package (shown above) from Carson Valley Children's Aid has a lot going for it to make givers give, despite the current brrrrrrrr climate of government bailouts and a dwindling Dow.

From the get ...

(1) It immediately acknowledges that the recipient 
previously gave a gift.
- AND -
(2) it creates a sense of urgent need.

The outside envelope of the Carson Valley Children's Aid package immediately acknowledges the fact that I am a previous giver with the line, "Please help us again this year." This reaffirms the affinity between the recipient and the organization. Remember, your best prospects are your previous supporters.

The line above that says, "A tough economy is even harder on our children" - helping establish a sense of urgency and the need to act again, NOW.

So I open the envelope. Then ...

(3) It shows how my gift benefits the children 
with a concrete example.

A two-panel, 3-color insert in the package tells the story of a boy named Dakota, one of the organization's "Rapid Service Response Success Stories."  It goes on to describe the Rapid Services Response program, which is designed to prevent placement of children into the child welfare system by increasing parents' and caregivers' abilities to provide safe, nurturing home environments. 

Additionally, a 14" sheet titled Annual Report and Donor Recognition is nested behind the letter/reply form and compares 2006-07 revenues to expenses, as well as the number of families and children served in 2007-08, which crystalizes the organization's need for continued support into the new year. 

So I blog about it ... and pull out my checkbook.

The Carson Valley Children's Aid package was created by a varied team of direct marketing professionals, including Topak Marketing, Inc.'s Linda Brignola-Braverman, Jim Shire of Pyramid Graphics and TTMS' Jim Capanna.

Kudos!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great post.

Notice how the package focuses on what the donor's contribution does and how their gift impacts the lives of real people.

Write about the donor and what they are doing with their gifts instead of what the organization is doing.

People do not give to organizations. They give to people. And writing stories that tie gifts directly to the people they are helping makes direct mail fundraising irresistible to prospective donors.

Cynthia said...

You got that right, Ted! Well said ...

Thanks for stopping by