direct mail agencies
What does an ideal new direct mail donor look like?
How can you spot one in a crowd? Or in a list of
potential donors? Look for the 3 Cs.
Capacity
The most important measure is a potential donorÂ’s
capacity to give. Some development officers trip
here, concentrating their energy on wealthy donors.
But in direct mail fundraising, the majority of gifts are
small. Donors donÂ’t have to be wealthy, just willing.
ThatÂ’s the beauty of appealing for funds through the
mail.
So look for people who are able to give the size of
gift you want. Some apparently wealthy people have
zero disposable income. And some apparently poor
people (and some actually poor people) have
disposable income. So the first criteria to look for is
not how much money a potential donor has, but
whether the person is able to give away what they
have, preferably to you, of course.
Connection
The second criteria to look for in potential donors is
their level of connection with your organization.
Every potential donor fits in here somewhere on a
scale of 1 to 10. At the high end you have the nice
folks who sit on your board of directors. They are
10s. At the other end of the scale you have the
strangers who know nothing about who you are or
what you do or who you help or where you operate.
They are 1s. In the middle you have clients (the
people you
serve), volunteers and vendors.
Commitment
Finally, you measure all potential supporters by their
level of commitment to your cause. You can measure
commitment by the amount of money that potential
donors give to similar organizations. Or the length of
time they have supported similar initiatives. Or the
frequency of their donations (assuming you can
discover such things). Or their level or length of
volunteer service.
An ideal new direct mail donor will be able to give,
have a strong connection with your organization, and
feel committed to supporting you. Some potential
donors have the capacity to give but donÂ’t know
you. Others know you but are not committed.
Whenever you can find people who meet all three
criteria, you will be blessed. And so will they.
—-
About the author
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
AD GAMES..THE NEW STANDARD IN HUNTINGTON BEACH DIRECT MAIL ADS?
