By JOE GARECHT
Most non-profits I know are skittish aboutdirect mail fundraising, because it requires an initial investment of time and money. Picking up the phone to call a donor takes courage, but it doesn’t cost money. Sending out an e-mail is easy and free.
With direct mail, on the other hand, there are lots of costs involved, so organizations worry about whether they should use it, and if they do use it, they worry about whether or not they’re doing it right. To answer those questions, I have put together this list of 4 things every non-profit – including yours – ought to know about direct mail fundraising:
#1 – Every Non-Profit Should Be Mailing their Housefile.
There are two main types of direct mail: housefile and prospecting. Housefile mail is mail you send to your current donor file – those who have already made a gift to your organization at one time or another. Prospecting mail is sent to a list you purchase or rent… in other words, a cold list of people who haven’t ever (or recently) given to your organization.
Every non-profit (no matter how small) should be using direct mail to reach their housefile list. Even if it’s your first year in existence and you only have 18 donors, mail them a solicitation letter at least once this year. Housefile mail is almost always profitable, and is a great way to stay in touch with your donors.
#2 – Prospecting Mail Isn’t for Beginners.
Successfully using prospecting mail is an art that takes time and experience to learn. Your goal with a prospecting letter is to break even… to make back the cost of the mailing, so that you can add the new donors to your housefile, where they will become profitable. If you send out a poorly worded prospecting letter, or mail the wrong list, you could lose a significant amount of money.
Don’t attempt prospecting mail unless your team is already experienced or you are bringing in a competent direct mail consultant with a proven record of successful prospecting through the mail.
#3 – Your List is Gold. Treat it that Way.
The biggest indicator that someone will give to your non-profit through the mail is if they have done so in the past. That’s why housefile mailings are almost always profitable. Your direct mail donor file is as good as gold for your non-profit. In order to keep it that way, you have to treat it with respect.
This means that, except in rare occasions, you shouldn’t over-solicit your list by sending a letter every other week. It also means that you shouldn’tonlysend asks to your list… you need to send some cultivation mailings, like newsletters, updates, thank you letters and holiday postcards to your list to keep it fresh and let your donors know that you see them as more than just their wallet.
Treat your donor file with respect, and your donors will continue to support your organization.
#4 – Don’t Use Direct Mail Unless You are Prepared to Measure and Test.
Successful direct mail fundraising is built on the foundation of testing and measuring. This is particularly true for prospecting mail. If you want to send out a certain letter to 100,000 prospects, first test the letter on 5,000 prospects randomly selected from that list. If it’s profitable in the test, it will likely be profitable for the whole list. If it’s a dud on the test, write a better letter or find a better list.
You also need to measure and test if you want to optimize your housefile mailings. While you generally won’t need to mail your letter to a test list first for housefile donors, you should keep close tabs on what letters are more or less successful for your list. For example, if your list doesn’t respond as well to a survey-style mailing as it does to a straight fundraising letter this year, the same will likely be true in the year to come.
More Resources on Direct Mail Fundraising
If you’d like to learn more how towrite and designgreat direct mail letters, read4 Tips for Designing Fundraising Mail that Works.Be sure that when writing your letter, you follow the5 Steps for Writing Profitable Fundraising Letters.
什麼每個非營利應該知道的直接郵寄籌款
作者：JOE GARECHT
我知道的大部分非營利組織都是對直郵籌款感興趣，因為它需要初期投入時間和金錢。拿起電話撥打一個捐贈者需要勇氣，但不花錢。發送電子郵件是免費的。
另一方面，通過直接郵件，涉及到很多費用，所以組織擔心是否應該使用它，如果使用它們，他們擔心他們是否正確。為了回答這些問題，我把每個非營利組織（包括你的）的4件事情整理在一起，應該知道直接郵寄籌款：
＃1 - 每個非營利組織都應該郵寄他們的房屋文件。
直接郵件有兩種主要類型：房屋資料和勘探。Housefile郵件是您發送到您當前的捐贈者文件的郵件 - 那些已經同時向您的組織發送禮物的郵件。勘探郵件被發送到您購買或租用的列表，換句話說，一個沒有（或最近）給您的組織的人的冷清單。
每個非營利組織（無論多麼小）都應該使用直郵來到他們的房屋名單。即使這是您的第一年，您只有18個捐助者，至少每年至少郵寄一封徵求信件。Housefile郵件幾乎總是有利可圖，是與您的捐贈者保持聯繫的絕佳方式。
＃2 - 探望郵件不是初學者。
成功使用探礦郵件是一種需要時間和經驗學習的藝術。您的目標是尋找信件是打破平衡，以彌補郵件的費用，以便您可以將新捐贈者添加到您的房屋文件中，在那裡他們將獲利。如果你發出一個不好意思的探礦信，或郵寄錯誤的列表，你可能會損失大量的資金。
除非您的團隊已經有經驗，否則您不要嘗試尋找郵件，或者您正在通過郵件獲得成功的探礦記錄，從而引進一名有能力的直郵顧問。
＃3 - 你的名單是黃金。對待這種方式。
有人通過郵件給你的非營利性的最大的指標是過去這樣做。這就是為什麼housefile郵件幾乎總是有利可圖。您的直接郵件捐贈者文件與您的非營利組織的黃金一樣好。為了保持這種方式，你必須尊重它。
這意味著，除了罕見的情況外，您不應該每隔一周發一封信，來超越您的名單。這也意味著你不僅要發送你的列表...你需要發送一些培訓郵件，如通訊，更新，謝謝信和節日明信片到你的列表，以保持新鮮，讓你的捐助者知道你看到他們不僅僅是他們的錢包。
尊重您的捐贈者檔案，您的捐助者將繼續支持您的組織。
＃4 - 除非您準備測量和測試，否則不要使用直接郵件。
成功的直郵籌款建立在測試和測量的基礎之上。這對於尋找郵件尤其如此。如果您想向10萬名前景發出一封信，請先從該列表中隨機選擇的5,000位潛在客戶的信件進行測試。如果在測試中有利可圖，整個清單可能會有利可圖。如果這是測試中的一個dud，寫一個更好的信件或找到一個更好的列表。
您還需要測量和測試是否要優化您的房屋郵件。雖然您通常不需要將信函郵寄到測試列表，首先是家庭捐贈者，但您應該密切留意您的列表中哪些字母或多或少的成功。例如，如果您的名單不像今年的直接籌款信函那樣對調查風格的郵寄做出回應，那麼今年也可能是這樣。
更多關於直郵郵資資源
如果您想了解更多如何編寫和設計好的直郵郵件，請參閱設計籌款郵件的4個提示。確保在寫信的時候，請遵循撰寫盈利籌款信的5個步驟。
Souce:http://www.thefundraisingauthority.com/fundraising-by-mail/know-about-direct-mail/
