Spot Potential Direct Mail Donors Using the 3 Cs of Fundraising Acquisition Letters
What does an ideal new direct mail donor look like? \r How can you spot one in a crowd? Or in a list of \r potential donors? Look for the 3 Cs.
Capacity
The most important measure is a potential donors \r capacity to give. Some development officers trip \r here, concentrating their energy on wealthy donors. \r But in direct mail fundraising, the majority of gifts are \r small. Donors dont have to be wealthy, just willing. \r Thats the beauty of appealing for funds through the \r mail.
So look for people who are able to give the size of \r gift you want. Some apparently wealthy people have \r zero disposable income. And some apparently poor \r people (and some actually poor people) have \r disposable income. So the first criteria to look for is \r not how much money a potential donor has, but \r whether the person is able to give away what they \r have, preferably to you, of course.
Connection
The second criteria to look for in potential donors is \r their level of connection with your organization. \r Every potential donor fits in here somewhere on a \r scale of 1 to 10. At the high end you have the nice \r folks who sit on your board of directors. They are \r 10s. At the other end of the scale you have the \r strangers who know nothing about who you are or \r what you do or who you help or where you operate. \r They are 1s. In the middle you have clients (the \r people you \r serve), volunteers and vendors.
Commitment
Finally, you measure all potential supporters by their \r level of commitment to your cause. You can measure \r commitment by the amount of money that potential \r donors give to similar organizations. Or the length of \r time they have supported similar initiatives. Or the \r frequency of their donations (assuming you can \r discover such things). Or their level or length of \r volunteer service.
An ideal new direct mail donor will be able to give, \r have a strong connection with your organization, and \r feel committed to supporting you. Some potential \r donors have the capacity to give but dont know \r you. Others know you but are not committed. \r Whenever you can find people who meet all three \r criteria, you will be blessed. And so will they.
----
\r About the author
\r Alan Sharpe is president of Raiser Sharpe, a full-service direct mail fundraising agency that helps non-profit organizations raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors. Sign up for free weekly tips like this, and discover other helpful resources, at http://www.RaiserSharpe.com
Why Donor Acquisition Fundraising Letters Are Longer Than Donation Request Letters Mailed to Donors
Should you mail a one-page letter or a two-page letter? Neither. Mail a four-page letter.Im talking about donor acquisition l...
Fundraising Letters Should Raise Donors, Not Donations, When Mailed to Strangers
Are you willing to spend $1.25 to raise $1? To lose money to make money? You should be. Most donor acquisition mailings neve...
Attract New Donors with "Friend Get a Friend" Donation Request Fundraising Letters
New donors are closer than you think. Often they are friends of your donors, or family members.If you know someone who has un...
Eleven Reasons Donors Stop Responding To Fundraising Letter Appeals
Donors will stop responding to your fundraising letter appeals for many reasons. Some of which you can manage, but many of wh...
Eight Advantages of Fundraising Letters Over Other Methods
1. Personalr Fundraising letters are about as personal as you can get with a donor without meeting face to face or talking on...
Where to Look for New Donors for Your Fundraising Letter Appeals
Have you ever studied your best donors and wished you could clone them all? Maybe you can, with a bit of creative thinking.1....
Successful Non-for-Profit Fundraising Letters Share Eight Qualities
Youll be encouraged to know that the art of writing effective fundraising letters can be learned. I learned it. So can you.Su...
The Fundraising Letter PS: 25 Powerful Things To Say There (Includes Examples & Samples)
Donors read postscripts. This is a sad but important reality in fundraising. Sad because the PS is stupid and belongs in anot...
Your Direct Mail Donors Should Be Arrested (By Your Letter Opening)
The first time I was shelled by enemy artillery, I learned a vital lesson that applies to the success of your fundraising let...
How to Write a Direct Mail Fundraising Letter (Four Tips for Fund Raising Success)
1. Address your reader as a friend, not as Friend.When was the last time you received a letter from someone dear to you, addr...
Improve Your Donation Thank-You Letters, Cards, and Notes: Make Your Donor The Hero
One temptation in writing fundraising thank-you letters is to make your organization the star of the letter. You feel pressur...
Donor-Centered Newsletter Stories Increase Income, Boost Donor Loyalty
Your donors read your donor newsletter to discover news about themselves. You are of secondary interest. Like you, your donor...
Write Effective Fundraising Letters By Being Conversational (Includes Examples & Samples)
I am doing what you do, sitting at my computer, trying to get my thoughts out of my head and into a written form that will he...
Effective Fundraising Letters Are About People, Not Projects (Includes Samples & Examples)
Have you ever met a donor who liked funding infrastructure? I have. Once.When I served as Director of Development for a natio...
Lapsed Donors: How to Write a Fundraising Letter That Wins Them Back
Your definition may differ, but I define a lapsed donor as someone who has not donated to your organization within the last y...
Donation Request Letters Are Irresistible When You Enter Shooting
When the Argentine army surrendered in June of 1982, ending the Falklands War, some Royal Marines discovered that the quickes...
How to Use the 3 Most Common Direct Marketing Measurements to Increase Your Profits!
John Wanamaker, a 19th century entrepreneur, once famously made the statement, I know that half of my advertising is wasted, ...
Use Pain Instead of Credentials in Direct Mail Marketing Lead Generation
How do you generate sales leads with direct mail
when you have no credentials?Im talking about the financial planner with m...
An Introduction to Direct Mail Marketing
Direct mail marketing is now being used by many large retailers like Macys or Wal-Mart in order to reach their customers. The...
Nurture Sales Leads with Direct Mail Marketing
Direct mail is a cost-effective way to make sales and generate leads. But its also an excellent way to keep your brand name i...