In a little over a week — starting November 8 — Tom Ahern will join me to present the Direct Mail for Small Nonprofits E-Clinic again at Nonprofit Marketing Guide. As you probably know, Tom Ahern is one of THE masters of donor communications, especially direct mail. Tom firmly believes that you don’t need a gigantic direct mail list in order to raise significant dollars — and he has proven it with several of his smaller clients. MORE
As in previous years, we asked nonprofits how often they would email and direct mail the typical supporter on their mailing lists. No surprise: monthly emailing and quarterly direct mailing remain the most popular frequencies. . MORE
Recently I asked my most fantabulous enewsletter subscribers (if you want to be one, click here ) what they wanted to learn more about, because, let’s face it, Most people don’t plan to get into fundraising. Then I got up and boldly said, “Okay, I’m ignorant as hell about fundraising, and I’m not going to take it anymore!” Here’s a wonderful question from a fabulous, talented and successful fundraiser in Oregon! MORE
Who’s got the hot fundraising job? Email fundraising? Direct mail? Direct mail?! But wait, direct mail is fighting back. Or at least, as reported in Direct Marketing , the (not disinterested) US Postal Service is. MORE
I just read a blog post by a fundraising youngster, Derrick Feldmann. From his photo, he looks like one of them/thar ‘Millennials’ Derrick’s post, which by definition I received and read online, is titled, The Paradox of Direct Mail , and makes the observation: “For many new and younger donors, direct mail is viewed as intrusive, messy, and a waste of resources. Direct mail premium MORE
For nearly 20 years prognosticators have prematurely heralded the death of direct mail. After all, they argue, “online” is far cheaper and faster, plus donor demographics are changing, so it’s only a matter of time before direct mail is dead and buried. MORE
Watch this video to learn about the six new communications calendars I’ve created for you as part of our brand-new training, Creating a 12-Month Community Engagement and Fundraising Plan. Direct Mail Leaning – Starter — Download This One for Free Now (PDF). MORE
Are you really doing direct mail well? Do they put up with your direct mail? I think if your retention rate is under 40%, your donors are sending you a message about your direct mail program. I like to say, “Be donor-centric. Be personalized. Be relevant. MORE
OK, we’ve devoted most of this week to ‘alternative’ fundraising … peer-to-peer and email fundraising. Time to end the week with a simple reminder about old-fasioned direct mail. Who reading this post doesn’t enjoy receiving real mail? Direct mail premium MORE
No direct mail isn’t dead. Still, if you need some encouragement about the future of direct mail, read on. On numerous occasions, The Agitator has urged US fundraisers to shift some focus and resource to the growing Hispanic population. But here’s some additional direct response ammunition for our case. demographic trends direct mail latinos premium MORE
On Monday we reported on the American Cancer Society (ACS) and its project over the past year to re-examine the role of direct mail in its fundraising program. Acquisition direct mail direct marketing major donors premium MORE
Tom’s post on the Obama campaign’s email testing prompts me to weigh in on one of the least understood and woefully mis-practiced skills in the direct response fundraiser’s repertoire – direct mail testing. MORE
I suspect a good part of the reason why fundraising and especially acquisition is so flat or down lies in the business-as-usual, risk adverse nature prevalent in the contemporary nonprofit mentality. Acquisition direct mail Don''t Miss these Posts DonorVoice fundraising innovation premium MORE
You may think direct mail is a relic of the past or you don’t use it much because it’s too expensive. Direct mail is still a viable way to communicate with your donors. Some donors prefer to hear from you by mail. Direct mail: dead, or immortal? MORE
One that recently caught my attention is titled: The Direct Mail Paradox and how you are losing donors. What fundraiser could resist a headline like that? These guys are mobile fundraising zealots, and so I expected their infographic would trash direct mail. And indeed they started a bit on that note, with this observation: “ For most people, direct mail is annoying (BTW, this is the. MORE
Recently someone over-enthusiastically posted a discussion topic on one of my LinkedIn Groups promoting direct mail’s benefits. I’m not against direct mail. In fact, I love direct mail too. Fundraising Ahh… love. MORE
Every marketer/fundraiser should have an addiction to testing built into their genes. His examples — all dealing with direct mail acquisition packages — cover … Two-color vs four-color carrier. Mailing labels gift vs ‘invoice’ package. Mailing labels gift vs out-of-the-box paper lunch bag package. He can’t be talking about fundraising mail, can he? I love testing! MORE
In her recent article in Fundraising Success , Angie Moore updated us on the strategy embarked upon in 2013 by the American Cancer Society. That strategy involved: Stop all direct mail acquisition to generate new direct mail donors for the organization. Stop all direct mail conversion to offer non-direct mail Society donors (online donors, event-participants/donors, information seekers, etc.) an opportunity to give a direct mail gift. MORE
He is a professional direct response copywriter specializing in the creation of highly persuasive fundraising campaigns for charities and non-profits. Mazarine: How did you get involved with copywriting for direct mail fundraising? MORE
On Monday we reported on the American Cancer Society (ACS) and its project over the past year to re-examine the role of direct mail in its fundraising program. Direct mail Donor acquisition Major donors direct marketing premium MORE
Over the 10 years we’ve been agitating, few topics are the subject of more debate than the all-too-familiar prognostication that direct mail is either dead or dying. We’ve never bought into that myth as you can see from this 2012 post, Direct Mail: The Exquisite Corpse. In fact, 2 of the 10 most popular posts of 2015 involve direct mail. MORE
When you’re fundraising for a cause, you want to make sure you don’t waste any time. You’ve got ten more things to do and you need to get this mailing out, FAST. This App helps you make sure that you never forget another appeal mailing step. MORE
One of the biggest pitfalls in direct mail testing is the ‘baby & the bathwater’ problem. The problem occurs when an organization or its consultant creates and mails a test package with numerous test elements. MORE
According to this research (on this point, from Royal Mail), customers spend 25% more when businesses use a combination of direct mail and email marketing. For example: 56% say “mail makes me feel valued”; only 40% say that about email. MORE
Join Fundraising Expert Tom Ahern. Fundraising expert Tom Ahern is cranking out some great stuff for us this year! Direct Mail Appeal Letters. Then, on July 28th, we start our very popular direct mail training with Tom. Learn more about direct mail training. MORE
There’s too much talk about whether or not direct mail is dead. I get direct mail delivered to me every day. The question should rather be about why BAD direct mail is still alive at all. BAD direct mail should be killed dead. Good direct mail should be kept alive. So what about your direct mail efforts? Have you compared the results of your direct mail efforts with the results attained from other channels? MORE
The Direct Marketing Association notes in its recently released 2012 Response Rate Report that direct mail response rates have dropped nearly 25% over the past nine years. Even so, direct mail pulls a better overall response than digital channels. for direct mail. MORE
Stacy Guidice at Grizzard sent us these interesting stats on the extent to which first-time online gifts are driven by direct mail. Analysts at Grizzard matched first-time online gifts against mailing lists used in parallel for one of their clients, Rescue Missions. A median of 35% of first-time online gifts could be matched back to direct mail appeals — with highs of 62% and 60% in two cases. MORE
During our direct mail appeal letter training , we invariably get asked about appeal letter length: How many pages should our letter be? Direct Mail expert Tom Ahern shoots down the one-page myth immediately. Fundraising Nonprofit Communications Online Courses MORE
As Mark Phillips at Bluefrog notes, this is why direct mail fundraising won’t die! direct mail fun fundraising MORE
Looking to repurpose your direct mail appeals into email? Thou Shalt Make Email SHORTER Than Direct Mail. Direct mail appeals clock in at well over 1,000 words, sometimes double and triple that. Copywriting Fundraising Nonprofit Communications MORE
Think your in-house created direct mail appeal doesn’t stand a chance against the big boys? You also don’t have to be an expert in fundraising. We know a lot of you wear many different hats and fundraising may not be your strongest point. MORE
Funniest Nonprofit Direct Mail: Photoshop Disasters! originally appeared on Wild Woman Fundraising on July 5, 2012. Want an example of a funny appeal letter? Here’s one I wrote awhile ago. MORE
He’s so smart and so practical, and he tells it like it is, all while still being a nice, supportive guy — which makes him a perfect partner for our Nonprofit Marketing Guide e-clinics on print fundraising for small nonprofits. Tom Ahern. I love Tom Ahern to bits. MORE
Tom Ahern is my go-to guy for all things direct mail. Afraid your direct mail piece goes too far and will solicit a negative response? Plus he quotes one of my other favorite fundraising bloggers, Jeff Brooks. Direct mail is not a medium that rewards meekness. MORE
Stacy Guidice at Grizzard sent us these interesting stats on the extent to which first-time online gifts are driven by direct mail. Analysts at Grizzard matched first-time online gifts against mailing lists used in parallel for one of their clients, Rescue Missions. A median of 35% of first-time online gifts could be matched back to direct mail appeals — with highs of 62% and 60% in two cases. MORE
After two infographics yesterday pertaining to email, today another one pushed into my e-mailbox, this time on direct mail. Simply: “…consumers prefer responding to direct mail via online means.” Direct mail Online fundraising and marketing premium MORE
Breaking Out of the Status Quo Direct mail Donor acquisition Donor retention / loyalty / commitment Integrated fundraising and marketing Nonprofit management Starting Over premiumWhen we first announced the Starting Over series, the very first comment we received came from Sarah Nutbrown who works for a small nonprofit in New Zealand. MORE
An experienced direct mail copywriter, with a proven track record, can command thousands of dollars for creating a direct mail package. Any nonprofit attempting to mount a direct mail campaign should think about whether your campaign can afford a seasoned copywriter. But I concede that leaves thousands of small nonprofits who have little choice — you do need to ask for donations, and do need to use mail to do so. MORE
If so, now you know why direct mail is important in fundraising, and how to write the parts of an appeal letter. Your Mailing List. Also make a folder for the list you used for this mailing. Ask your boss how this mailing fits into the annual mailing budget. MORE
Each time we hold our Direct Mail for Small Nonprofits E-clinic , Tom Ahern and I have to help the participants overcome their pre-conceived ideas of what makes a great direct mail appeal letter. We all like to think our instincts can guide us through our fundraising. MORE
Question: What percentage of nonprofit solicitation mail is tossed without reading? [] 5.6% [] 13.4% [] 31.2 % The answer in a moment. Consequently, this weekend I found myself reading Modes of Delivery and Customer Engagement with Advertising Mail , a report by the Postal Service’s Inspector General. Direct mail aficionados can download it here. Today , nearly 1/3 of all nonprofit fundraising appeals are tossed away unread. Direct mail premium MORE
You can put both concepts to work for you with your direct mail appeals. Renowned direct mail copywriter and fundraiser Tom Ahern is going to show 24 nonprofits how to do just that during our July e-clinic, Direct Mail for Small Nonprofits. MORE
The Agitator
APRIL 20, 2017
According to this research (on this point, from Royal Mail), customers spend 25% more when businesses use a combination of direct mail and email marketing. For example: 56% say “mail makes me feel valued”; only 40% say that about email.
The Agitator
JUNE 30, 2015
Who’s got the hot fundraising job? Email fundraising? Direct mail? Direct mail?! But wait, direct mail is fighting back. Or at least, as reported in Direct Marketing , the (not disinterested) US Postal Service is.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MAY 12, 2015
Looking to repurpose your direct mail appeals into email? Thou Shalt Make Email SHORTER Than Direct Mail. Direct mail appeals clock in at well over 1,000 words, sometimes double and triple that. Copywriting Fundraising Nonprofit Communications
The Agitator
MAY 11, 2017
OK, we’ve devoted most of this week to ‘alternative’ fundraising … peer-to-peer and email fundraising. Time to end the week with a simple reminder about old-fasioned direct mail. Who reading this post doesn’t enjoy receiving real mail? Direct mail premium
The Agitator
JULY 16, 2014
On Monday we reported on the American Cancer Society (ACS) and its project over the past year to re-examine the role of direct mail in its fundraising program. Acquisition direct mail direct marketing major donors premium
The Agitator
JULY 25, 2012
The Direct Marketing Association notes in its recently released 2012 Response Rate Report that direct mail response rates have dropped nearly 25% over the past nine years. Even so, direct mail pulls a better overall response than digital channels. for direct mail.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
APRIL 12, 2012
Each time we hold our Direct Mail for Small Nonprofits E-clinic , Tom Ahern and I have to help the participants overcome their pre-conceived ideas of what makes a great direct mail appeal letter. We all like to think our instincts can guide us through our fundraising.
The Agitator
AUGUST 13, 2014
I just read a blog post by a fundraising youngster, Derrick Feldmann. From his photo, he looks like one of them/thar ‘Millennials’ Derrick’s post, which by definition I received and read online, is titled, The Paradox of Direct Mail , and makes the observation: “For many new and younger donors, direct mail is viewed as intrusive, messy, and a waste of resources. Direct mail premium
The Agitator
JULY 26, 2011
As Mark Phillips at Bluefrog notes, this is why direct mail fundraising won’t die! direct mail fun fundraising
iMarketSmart
APRIL 11, 2016
There’s too much talk about whether or not direct mail is dead. I get direct mail delivered to me every day. The question should rather be about why BAD direct mail is still alive at all. BAD direct mail should be killed dead. Good direct mail should be kept alive. So what about your direct mail efforts? Have you compared the results of your direct mail efforts with the results attained from other channels?
Wild Woman Fundraising
DECEMBER 12, 2011
He is a professional direct response copywriter specializing in the creation of highly persuasive fundraising campaigns for charities and non-profits. Mazarine: How did you get involved with copywriting for direct mail fundraising?
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
FEBRUARY 6, 2012
Tom Ahern is my go-to guy for all things direct mail. Afraid your direct mail piece goes too far and will solicit a negative response? Plus he quotes one of my other favorite fundraising bloggers, Jeff Brooks. Direct mail is not a medium that rewards meekness.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
NOVEMBER 4, 2014
Think your in-house created direct mail appeal doesn’t stand a chance against the big boys? You also don’t have to be an expert in fundraising. We know a lot of you wear many different hats and fundraising may not be your strongest point.
The Agitator
MAY 29, 2014
I suspect a good part of the reason why fundraising and especially acquisition is so flat or down lies in the business-as-usual, risk adverse nature prevalent in the contemporary nonprofit mentality. Acquisition direct mail Don''t Miss these Posts DonorVoice fundraising innovation premium
The Agitator
OCTOBER 28, 2012
For nearly 20 years prognosticators have prematurely heralded the death of direct mail. After all, they argue, “online” is far cheaper and faster, plus donor demographics are changing, so it’s only a matter of time before direct mail is dead and buried.
The Agitator
DECEMBER 28, 2015
Over the 10 years we’ve been agitating, few topics are the subject of more debate than the all-too-familiar prognostication that direct mail is either dead or dying. We’ve never bought into that myth as you can see from this 2012 post, Direct Mail: The Exquisite Corpse. In fact, 2 of the 10 most popular posts of 2015 involve direct mail.
The Agitator
JULY 8, 2014
No direct mail isn’t dead. Still, if you need some encouragement about the future of direct mail, read on. On numerous occasions, The Agitator has urged US fundraisers to shift some focus and resource to the growing Hispanic population. But here’s some additional direct response ammunition for our case. demographic trends direct mail latinos premium
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JUNE 6, 2011
You can put both concepts to work for you with your direct mail appeals. Renowned direct mail copywriter and fundraiser Tom Ahern is going to show 24 nonprofits how to do just that during our July e-clinic, Direct Mail for Small Nonprofits.
The Agitator
JULY 16, 2014
On Monday we reported on the American Cancer Society (ACS) and its project over the past year to re-examine the role of direct mail in its fundraising program. Direct mail Donor acquisition Major donors direct marketing premium
Wild Woman Fundraising
AUGUST 22, 2011
When you’re fundraising for a cause, you want to make sure you don’t waste any time. You’ve got ten more things to do and you need to get this mailing out, FAST. This App helps you make sure that you never forget another appeal mailing step.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
OCTOBER 28, 2011
In a little over a week — starting November 8 — Tom Ahern will join me to present the Direct Mail for Small Nonprofits E-Clinic again at Nonprofit Marketing Guide. As you probably know, Tom Ahern is one of THE masters of donor communications, especially direct mail. Tom firmly believes that you don’t need a gigantic direct mail list in order to raise significant dollars — and he has proven it with several of his smaller clients.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JUNE 19, 2014
Join Fundraising Expert Tom Ahern. Fundraising expert Tom Ahern is cranking out some great stuff for us this year! Direct Mail Appeal Letters. Then, on July 28th, we start our very popular direct mail training with Tom. Learn more about direct mail training.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
OCTOBER 7, 2014
Watch this video to learn about the six new communications calendars I’ve created for you as part of our brand-new training, Creating a 12-Month Community Engagement and Fundraising Plan. Direct Mail Leaning – Starter — Download This One for Free Now (PDF).
The Agitator
MAY 5, 2015
Question: What percentage of nonprofit solicitation mail is tossed without reading? [] 5.6% [] 13.4% [] 31.2 % The answer in a moment. Consequently, this weekend I found myself reading Modes of Delivery and Customer Engagement with Advertising Mail , a report by the Postal Service’s Inspector General. Direct mail aficionados can download it here. Today , nearly 1/3 of all nonprofit fundraising appeals are tossed away unread. Direct mail premium
The Agitator
DECEMBER 3, 2012
Tom’s post on the Obama campaign’s email testing prompts me to weigh in on one of the least understood and woefully mis-practiced skills in the direct response fundraiser’s repertoire – direct mail testing.
Wild Woman Fundraising
JULY 5, 2012
Funniest Nonprofit Direct Mail: Photoshop Disasters! originally appeared on Wild Woman Fundraising on July 5, 2012. Want an example of a funny appeal letter? Here’s one I wrote awhile ago.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JULY 13, 2012
He’s so smart and so practical, and he tells it like it is, all while still being a nice, supportive guy — which makes him a perfect partner for our Nonprofit Marketing Guide e-clinics on print fundraising for small nonprofits. Tom Ahern. I love Tom Ahern to bits.
The Agitator
JULY 13, 2014
In her recent article in Fundraising Success , Angie Moore updated us on the strategy embarked upon in 2013 by the American Cancer Society. That strategy involved: Stop all direct mail acquisition to generate new direct mail donors for the organization. Stop all direct mail conversion to offer non-direct mail Society donors (online donors, event-participants/donors, information seekers, etc.) an opportunity to give a direct mail gift.
Ann Green
JUNE 8, 2015
You may think direct mail is a relic of the past or you don’t use it much because it’s too expensive. Direct mail is still a viable way to communicate with your donors. Some donors prefer to hear from you by mail. Direct mail: dead, or immortal?
iMarketSmart
MAY 2, 2016
Are you really doing direct mail well? Do they put up with your direct mail? I think if your retention rate is under 40%, your donors are sending you a message about your direct mail program. I like to say, “Be donor-centric. Be personalized. Be relevant.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
NOVEMBER 30, 2012
As in previous years, we asked nonprofits how often they would email and direct mail the typical supporter on their mailing lists. No surprise: monthly emailing and quarterly direct mailing remain the most popular frequencies. .
iMarketSmart
JULY 21, 2014
Recently someone over-enthusiastically posted a discussion topic on one of my LinkedIn Groups promoting direct mail’s benefits. I’m not against direct mail. In fact, I love direct mail too. Fundraising Ahh… love.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JULY 7, 2015
During our direct mail appeal letter training , we invariably get asked about appeal letter length: How many pages should our letter be? Direct Mail expert Tom Ahern shoots down the one-page myth immediately. Fundraising Nonprofit Communications Online Courses
The Agitator
SEPTEMBER 5, 2012
Stacy Guidice at Grizzard sent us these interesting stats on the extent to which first-time online gifts are driven by direct mail. Analysts at Grizzard matched first-time online gifts against mailing lists used in parallel for one of their clients, Rescue Missions. A median of 35% of first-time online gifts could be matched back to direct mail appeals — with highs of 62% and 60% in two cases.
The Agitator
SEPTEMBER 5, 2012
Stacy Guidice at Grizzard sent us these interesting stats on the extent to which first-time online gifts are driven by direct mail. Analysts at Grizzard matched first-time online gifts against mailing lists used in parallel for one of their clients, Rescue Missions. A median of 35% of first-time online gifts could be matched back to direct mail appeals — with highs of 62% and 60% in two cases.
The Agitator
APRIL 25, 2011
Every marketer/fundraiser should have an addiction to testing built into their genes. His examples — all dealing with direct mail acquisition packages — cover … Two-color vs four-color carrier. Mailing labels gift vs ‘invoice’ package. Mailing labels gift vs out-of-the-box paper lunch bag package. He can’t be talking about fundraising mail, can he? I love testing!
The Agitator
APRIL 28, 2011
An experienced direct mail copywriter, with a proven track record, can command thousands of dollars for creating a direct mail package. Any nonprofit attempting to mount a direct mail campaign should think about whether your campaign can afford a seasoned copywriter. But I concede that leaves thousands of small nonprofits who have little choice — you do need to ask for donations, and do need to use mail to do so.
The Agitator
DECEMBER 4, 2012
One of the biggest pitfalls in direct mail testing is the ‘baby & the bathwater’ problem. The problem occurs when an organization or its consultant creates and mails a test package with numerous test elements.
Wild Woman Fundraising
AUGUST 28, 2012
If so, now you know why direct mail is important in fundraising, and how to write the parts of an appeal letter. Your Mailing List. Also make a folder for the list you used for this mailing. Ask your boss how this mailing fits into the annual mailing budget.
Wild Woman Fundraising
SEPTEMBER 6, 2012
Recently I asked my most fantabulous enewsletter subscribers (if you want to be one, click here ) what they wanted to learn more about, because, let’s face it, Most people don’t plan to get into fundraising. Then I got up and boldly said, “Okay, I’m ignorant as hell about fundraising, and I’m not going to take it anymore!” Here’s a wonderful question from a fabulous, talented and successful fundraiser in Oregon!
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