By Wayne Gurley
President & Creative Director

2.   Making it difficult for donors to respond to your appeals.

Your reply slip should be fully personalized with the donor’s name, address, city, state and zip code.

Preferably, you should have check boxes with gift amounts and fund designations so that with just a few swipes of a pen, a donor can indicate how much he or she wants to give and how it should be used.

Design your reply slip to ensure that the hardest thing your donor has to do is write a check or possibly go online to make a gift.

In most cases, you should use a business reply envelope so that your respondent doesn’t have to search for a stamp.  But don’t take this for granted.  In several tests we’ve done, the use of a “courtesy reply envelope” (i.e., one without pre-paid postage) has been shown to increase response. So test this for yourself – and probably more than once.

Copyright 2018 Allegiant Direct, Inc.

By Wayne Gurley
President & Creative Director

1.  Boring your donors and prospects with irrelevant, uninteresting copy

Next to your mailing list, your message or copy is the most important element of your direct mail package. There’s nothing worse than irrelevant or uninteresting copy.

One of the worst violations of this rule is using copy that’s too focused on the organization and not on its mission and the role of the donor. You must sufficiently make a strong case for why a gift is needed, and you must also include verbiage on what’s in it for the donor – like how their gift will help you accomplish your organization’s mission (which in reality is your donor’s mission).

Failure to achieve this will result in your donors being bored with your letter and dropping it in the “round” file.

Don’t ever forget:  A trash can is always nearby by when someone is opening their mail.

Copyright 2018 Allegiant Direct, Inc.

By Sarah Tedesco, guest blogger
Executive Vice President of DonorSearch 

Sarah Tedesco is the Executive Vice President of DonorSearch, a prospect research and wealth screening company that focuses on proven philanthropy. Sarah is responsible for managing the production and customer support department concerning client contract fulfillment, increasing retention rate and customer satisfaction. She collaborates with other team members on a variety of issues including sales, marketing and product development ideas.

Fundraising events can be a fantastic way to give your donors the opportunity to get to know one another and connect with your organization — all while raising money for your cause.

Whatever type of event you’re hosting, prospect research can help you strategize so that you make the most of your valuable face-to-face time.

Prospect research helps nonprofits find out more information about their donors and prospects by analyzing basic information, like names and addresses, as well as more complex data like past giving histories and affiliations with other organizations.

If you’ve already done things like maximized your fundraising strategy with robust online donation tools or hired a fundraising consultant to optimize your campaigns, prospect research can really take your organization’s fundraising event efforts to the next level.

To help you and your nonprofit benefit from this incredible resource, we’ve compiled a list of ways to make prospect research work for your cause.

Here are five easy ways to use prospect research for your next fundraising event:

1. Determine which donors to invite to events.

2. Optimize your communication strategies.

3. Make donors’ interpersonal connections work for you.

4. Leverage your donors’ affiliations.

5. Connect with donors after an event.

If you’re ready to maximize your nonprofit’s impact with more effective prospect research, read on!

1. Determine which donors to invite to events.

Deciding on a guest list for a fundraising event can be a difficult task. You have to consider venue size, cost per person, and numerous other factors. While it would be nice to invite all of your donors, that isn’t exactly ideal. How can you pare down the list without unintentionally excluding a key donor?

With the help of prospect research, your organization can better manage your guest list and ensure the inclusion of a variety of supporters, from lower-level to major gift donors. Researching prospects ahead of time can make sure that your organization includes a healthy balance of all types of contributors on your guest list.

So how can you use prospect research to identify your most likely giving candidates? You’ll want to analyze various data to uncover their capacity and affinity for giving.

For example, to identify a donor’s capacity to give, you can check things like their: 

• Property ownership, including real estate holdings or boat ownership.

• Political giving history.

• Stock holdings.

• Employment.

While these identifiers are reflective of wealth, they do not always indicate whether or not a prospect is willing to give to a nonprofit organization.

To identify a donor’s affinity for giving, you can check their: 

• Past giving at your nonprofit.

• Past giving at other nonprofits.

• Volunteering history.

• Membership on nonprofit boards.

All of these characteristics can give you a better understanding of your prospect’s values and priorities. You will be more successful in raising money for your organization by seeking out those with histories of giving than those without.

If you know what types of nonprofits they like to be involved in, you can also emphasize the aspects of your own organization that align with their views while you talk to them at your event. Make sure that they understand that your organization shares their values!

All of these elements should be analyzed in tandem to gain a more comprehensive picture of your donors. If you don’t know where to begin, consider taking a look at Donorly’s article, Donor Research: 5 Key Concepts and Tools to Get Started.

By gaining a greater understanding of your event’s attendees before they even come through the door, you can pinpoint the donors who aren’t just able to give a major gift, but who are connected enough to your cause to want to provide the funds in the first place.

When you invite these candidates to your events, you have the chance to pitch your latest campaign, learn more about the donors’ interests, make a deeper connection, or even ask for a donation in person.

2. Optimize your communication strategy.

Have you ever logged onto Facebook after a few days away from your computer and realized you missed an invitation to an event? Have you ever lost your mailbox key, only to realize that a letter from someone has been sitting in there for weeks?

You don’t want that to happen to your donors!

By analyzing the information that you have about your donors, you can make some informed assumptions about how they best receive information. Younger supporters may be more receptive to online outreach due to its efficiency, while older ones may respect the effort that direct mail takes.

While you should absolutely cover all your bases by inviting donors on multiple platforms, you should keep in mind both traditional and innovative communication strategies.

Some donors keep their calendars digital, and will respond best to emails or social media campaigns. Other donors may prefer the older system of doing things, and will think highly of your and your organization after receiving a printed invitation to your event in the mail.

Some different vehicles for communication are:

1. Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)

2. An online newsletter

3. A dedicated mail campaign

4. A phone call follow-up

If your organization uses a CRM (constituent relationship management) service, you can use this program to your advantage. Keep track of your donors’ preferences in this database so that all of your information is centralized and accessible.

By applying these different strategies to your supporters based on what you already know about them, you’ll create stronger relationships and improve your retention rate.

3. Make donors’ interpersonal connections work for you.

Prospect research can help you decide how to seat donors at events. If you’re hosting a gala, dinner, or auction, you will need to develop a seating chart.  

Doing some research ahead of time can help you group donors together who will interact with one another and talk positively about your organization. If you place an important gift prospect alongside an existing donor, you might be able to raise more money than if you randomly placed donors in their respective seats.

Use your previous understanding of your donors to make connections between current donors and potential donors. People who both own boats might share a love of fishing, or people who live in the same neighborhood might share a taste in architecture or design.

By encouraging donors to make warm connections at your events, you are creating a friendly and inviting environment. This atmosphere will encourage donors to enjoy your events and be more likely to return, or even look forward to future events as fun social gatherings with like-minded people.

4. Leverage your donors’ affiliations.

Prospect research can provide you with a goldmine of information. It can reveal anything from a donor’s age and marital status to employers and other business associations.

Prospect research can help you manage your donors’ extensive personal and professional networks, so that you can leverage the connections that will be most advantageous.

By making connections between your existing donors and potential donors, you can promote your fundraising event to more people and potentially gain new supporters in the process.

The following affiliations can all be used to extend the reach of your organization:  

1. University or alma mater

2. Employer

3. Board of director service

Say that you learn that one of your current donors serves on a board with someone with a history of donating to organizations like yours. Ask if they can connect you with that person, or invite them to your next event! In fact, your current donor could even be the one to invite them.

A new contact is much more likely to attend if they know someone else who will be there.

In your research, you may also identify employees at top matching gift companies. In this scenario, employers will double the amount of an employee’s donation as long as it’s eligible. Identifying matching gifts opportunities can help your team steer donors toward applying for a matching gift.

Many people are unaware of their employer’s matching gifts policies. By knowing where they work and approaching them directly, you can increase the impact of your donors’ gifts without your donor having to empty out their wallets!

Business connections can also be leveraged for corporate philanthropy, which can support your event or future campaigns.

For example, businesses can provide: 

• In-kind donations.

• Cause marketing.

• Sponsorship.

• Advertising channels.

Some companies will even give money to your organization based on hours of volunteer work that their employees do for your organization through a volunteer grant. By recognizing which of your contributors work for these companies, you can reach out to them regarding these opportunities.

All of these contributions can be used to support your fundraising event. By doing the legwork before your event, you can maximize your time with the donors and make sure you don’t miss any valuable potential connections.

5. Connect with donors after an event.

Staying in touch with donors after an event can not only boost donor retention, but it can also encourage donors to give more at the next fundraiser you invite them to. A great first step would be to send a donor acknowledgement letter.

Again, remember your supporters’ preferred communications method, and follow up with them that way. This method will show your appreciation for their support.

Remember, some donors require additional attention. If you invited a major gift donor who contributed a significant sum to your fundraiser, make sure you don’t just thank them. Check in with your major gift donors in between fundraising events to keep them posted on the projects and missions that your organization is accomplishing with their donations.

Did any new faces attend your event? Gather some information on them when you meet them!  

Some important information to learn immediately is:  

• How did they learn about your event?

• Did they attend with someone already connected, or did they come of their own accord?

• Do they have a connection to your mission?

This information, along with basic demographic information, will help you hone your marketing and communication strategies as well as allow you to perform prospect research on them once the event is over.

If you do identify potential major donors, you’ll want to begin cultivating them with carefully crafted follow-up materials. Tell your nonprofit’s story. Show the impact of their attendance.

A great way to involve new supporters in your organization’s mission and ongoing projects is to show them what your organization has been up to in the past year.

If you don’t know how to build the perfect annual report or have never done it before, take a peek at this list of annual report best practices from DonorSearch to get started.

The first step in building any relationship with a donor is ensuring that you and your organization are on their minds, even after the event has ended. The key is to use the data you have to maximize your chances of success before, during, and after your event.

Prospect research can be an invaluable tool when planning your next fundraising event.

By doing the research necessary ahead of time, you can create a strategic plan for communication and networking before, during, and after your event.

You can not only determine which donors to invite and where to seat them, but you can also leverage existing donor connections and discover which donors should receive extra attention after a fundraising event has ended.

By applying these five tips, you’re sure to maximize your organization’s potential and ensure its continuing success. Put on your researching hat and get to work!

By Wayne Gurley
President & Creative Director

7. Your mailing list is made up of “donors” who aren’t really donors, and prospects who aren’t really prospects. 

When I ask an organization how many donors they have, they usually give me a number that is the total size of their mailing list, including donors and in-house prospects.  They do this because they’re used to printing that quantity for an entire mailing or to send out a newsletter.

But a mailing list is not a donor file, and what you may think of as prospects are probably better categorized as “suspects” or simply “people we’ve added to our mailing list” over the years.

A lot of mailing lists have donors on them who may have paid to attend an event. These are not donors. You may also have a lot of people who have made memorial gifts. Technically, these aren’t donors, either. The motivation for making a memorial gift is the death of a person they knew, and they responded because they were asked to send a gift to your organization “in lieu of flowers.”

Event and memorial donors usually don’t convert to regular donor status. You can try, but the success rate is usually quite low.

For this reason, it’s important to segment your file into groups that are similar so you can track response. You may find that the response from certain groups is not adequate and you may want to eliminate them from future mailings.

Copyright 2018 Allegiant Direct, Inc.

By Wayne Gurley
President & Creative Director

6. You asked for an inappropriate amount of money.

If there is such a thing as a 100% “truism” in direct marketing, it’s this…

The more money you ask for, the lower your rate of response will be. I’ve tested this many times, and it always ends up the same: If you ask for more than the prospect or donor thinks is appropriate, instead of sending something less than what you’ve asked, they simply do nothing.

(For another excellent take on this subject, read Jeff Brook’s blog by clicking here: “Because we need it is not a fundraising strategy”.)

In many cases, a person will give you a gift that’s a lot smaller than what they’re capable of giving. They do this because they’re not that committed to your organization – at least not yet – and they want to see how they feel about you after they make a gift.  Or as Jeff suggests, your donors may not think you’ve given them enough of a reason to send a larger amount.

First time donors often use their first gift as an “audition.” They will send a smaller amount just to see how you’re going to treat them. If you pass this test, they may send you a second gift. But if you fail, you may lose them as a donor forever.

Thanking your donor via a letter and phone call (if at all possible) is an EXTREMELY important first step in the cultivation of a new donor.  It’s also one of the best ways to avoid high attrition rates.

Copyright 2018 Allegiant Direct, Inc.

By Wayne Gurley
President & Creative Director

5. Your outside envelope left no mystery as to what was inside.

If your outside envelope “billboards” or “telegraphs” what’s inside your package, your donors and prospects may decide to trash it even before they open it.

That’s why it’s always best to leave a little “mystery” about what you’re sending.

Your logo without a picture or teaser on the front is probably the best way to craft an outside envelope. Why? Because if you put a lot of stuff on the envelope that leaves nothing to the imagination, then the decision as to whether or not to take a look inside can be made before it’s even opened.

If you know how to “tease” with copy and art, then by all means, proceed. But most people are woefully inadequate at this task. They usually say too much, and as a result, response can be negatively affected.

When they first see your package, you want them to think, “Hmmm…I wonder what this is about?” Your #1 objective is to get people to OPEN your envelope.

That’s half the battle of being successful with direct mail. If you can get a person to open it, then there’s a chance they’ll read your letter, understand your message AND send a gift. But that will never happen if they trash it first.

Copyright 2018 Allegiant Direct, Inc.

By Wayne Gurley
President & Creative Director

4. Your graphics were very colorful, creative and vibrant, but they distracted your audience from making a gift.

Anything that distracts a donor or prospect from making a gift is to be avoided at all costs.

Yes, pictures can be used successfully if used judiciously. But too many pictures, or too many things to look at and/or read can distract your donors and prospects from figuring out just what it is you want them to do – which is to send a gift.

People have a “timer” in their heads, and it’s set for just a few seconds. When they first see your package, they don’t even know how much time they have before it goes off (it’s longer for some and shorter for others).

But when it does go off, that’s when your envelope and its contents go into the trash. If your readers can’t quickly and easily figure out what you want them to do – or if you make it too difficult or complicated for them to focus on your main objective – they won’t take the time to figure it out. They’ll just move on to the next thing on their mental “to do” list.

Do you really think your package is so important your donors will give it unlimited time? If so, think about what YOU might do under similar circumstances with lots of pieces of mail to go through (and a ticking timer ready to go off in your head.)

Copyright 2018 Allegiant Direct, Inc.

By Wayne Gurley
President & Creative Director

3. You wrote about something your audience cared about, but you bored them to tears

Sure, you can have an exciting and motivating message. But then you can write it in such a way that makes your audience yawn and want to throw it in the trash can. For example…

• You can include a lot of statistics, which are deadly in direct mail.

• You can write using the institutional “we,” which comes across as cold and impersonal.

• You can brag about what your organization does or has done, instead of bragging about what the donor has done to help you achieve your goals.

• You can use big words, long sentences and long paragraphs.

• You can write at a college reading level, instead of a 6th-grade reading level.

• You can try to change the way your donors think, instead of meeting them where they already are.

Copyright 2018 Allegiant Direct, Inc.

By Wayne Gurley
President & Creative Director

2.  You wrote about something your audience didn’t care about.

Many times an organization will pick a copy theme THEY think is important for their organization to talk about.

However, it may not be something their donors care much about.

To be successful, direct mail appeals must be “donor-centric.” The copy theme needs to be something that will resonate with donors and motivate them to give.

Remember: It’s all about your donor and what THEY can do to change lives and help you achieve your mission, not about your organization or what you is important.

Copyright 2018 Allegiant Direct, Inc.

By Wayne Gurley
President & Creative Director

1. You mailed to the wrong audience.

Your mailing list is the single most important element for success in any direct mail appeal. A letter that might have worked gangbusters for some other organization may fail miserably for yours.

At the risk of sounding obvious, the best audience for a direct mail appeal are your active donors. Next best is lapsed donors (those who haven’t given in at least a year).

Keep in mind that the further away in time from a donor’s last gift you get, the worse your response will be. With most of our clients, we can’t go much further than five years from the date of a donor’s last gift.

Ideally, you’re going to want to acquire new donors while you’re also going to the effort to prepare a direct mail appeal. So your prospects should be more than just “suspects.”

A good prospect list will include people who are the correct age for fundraising, and either have more than a casual relationship with your organization, or match up closely with your existing donor base (as in the case of an affinity-oriented rented list). Hopefully, they also will be philanthropically inclined and direct mail responsive.

Copyright 2018 Allegiant Direct, Inc.