Direct Mail Marketing for Non-Profits

Unfortunately, non-profit organizations often do not have the budget that privately owned for-profit organizations have to work with. This means that your marketing efforts have to go further and be more effective in order to lure in the largest amount of potential donors without blowing a tight budget. With nearly one-fifth of all donations attributed to direct mail, it’s important that non-profits have the know-how to deliver an effective direct mail marketing campaign.

1.)    Reach Out to Former Donors

In the marketing world, this list of former contributors is called a ‘housefile’. Make sure that anytime your organization is set to run a direct mail campaign that the housefile list is always included. These are people who have clearly cared about your goals and cause in the past and, more than likely, still do. Stay in touch.

2.)    Write a Newsletter

This is important for all non-profits, but especially smaller or new organizations. Write a semi-annual or quarterly newsletter including information about current events and activities, donor contributions and how they’ve helped, and donation information. Be sure to include an addressed return envelope with the newsletter to encouragedonations.

3.)    Personalize and Connect

It may seem like writing broad letters, newsletters, etc. is the best approach to reach many different types of people. However, honing in on a certain target group is more likely to get a tangible reaction out of prospecting. Write for the target audience. Add personaltouches where you can further connect with potential donors, whether it be hand written signatures or a short letter from the president of the company. And don’t forget to send holiday cards and a thank you note to donors and volunteers each year!

4.)    Measure Success

Rather than spending the money to send your mailers out to, say, 30,000 prospects and hoping for positive return, choose a small portion of the group to send the mailers to first. See what the reaction is. If it’s not what you’d hoped for, revise the mailers wording, theme, appearance, etc. You’ll learn what works and what doesn’t and you’ll have saved precious marketing dollars.

Effective direct mail marketing is vital to the health and longevity of any business, so for all of your direct mail marketing needs, seek out the help of qualified professionals, like the experts at Tray Inc., for the best results.