Customizing Direct Mail Appeals

Description: Messaging is a powerful skill set for nonprofit staff, boards, and volunteers. If we want community members to engage in our mission, volunteers to serve, and donors to increase giving, we must first give them more. Strategic messaging has the power to motivate people into action. As fundraisers, it is easy to develop “asking tunnel vision.” But at the end of the day, we are asking other people to volunteer time or part with their hard-earned money. How do we pair direct mail opportunities and best practices with a powerful message to build organizational capacity and stability? This workshop offers simple strategies and best practices for engaging recipients of direct mail to open doors and generate support. By focusing on impact, the value of a dollar, and follow-up reporting, you will be able to connect with a donor, emotionally, mentally, and intellectually.

Take-Aways:

• Understand the lengths and format of the most successful appeals.
• Direct mail best practices.
• How to manage segmenting effectively.
• Determine how to tweak letters to achieve different goals.
• Learn new approaches to crafting a compelling call to action.
• How and when to consider direct mail as a new funding stream.

Click here to learn more about our Fundraising Fundamentals course series.