Don’t let your fundraising solicitations end up in the junk mail pile.
Let’s face it. We all get too much postal mail, and most of it is unwanted junk. Busy people pile up their postal mail and take just a few minutes to sort them. I know I do – I make three piles. Urgent messages and bills in one pile, junk mail to be recycled in another pile, and “Things I Will Open And Read Later” in another. You want to be in the first pile. How can you stand out and not end up in junk mail?? What can you do to make your nonprofit marketing message stand out?
1. A message on the outer envelope that grabs attention. For example, “You can make a difference,” or “Open now for urgent information about XYZ Nonproft.”
2. Personalize the inside content. A handwritten sentence will grab attention. Yes, I know you send hundreds or even thousands of pieces every year. Find a way to pull out your top donors and write personal messages, This makes a huge impact, Better yet, include a message handwritten by a program participant that says, “Thanks to you, my life has changed…”
3. Or, “Thank you in advance for your support,” written by a program participant, staff, or board member goes a long way. Watch how your responses change, especially if you include a return envelope pre-addressed with gift options.
Any other ideas? I’d love to hear yours!
