Connecting with your potential donors through direct mail (and getting in the "A" pile at the post office) is a challenge.
Nonprofit leaders continue to experiment and grapple with designing pieces that go home, get opened, get read, and get results.
Different colors of Inks are tested, envelopes are changed, and messages are tweaked. Sometimes returns are surprising (above 4%). Other times, the effort seems hardly worth it.
One campaign I was involved with many years ago still stands out in my mind.
We broke many of the established "rules" (e.g., always include lots of inserts and response devices) of how one should conduct an effective direct mail campaign. And we found that our inexpensively-produced postcards brought our nonprofit an amazing return.
We held a contest at our local school and asked the children to draw a picture depicting what reading meant to them (the nonprofit organization was a literacy council). We chose the winner, scanned the color art, and reproduced the image with information about the artist on the front of a postcard.
On the other side of the card was a very simple message (which was printed). The salutation and closing were handwritten. A stamp (not a bulk mail stamp) was affixed to the postcard.
For minimal production costs, we found the organizational post office box to be flooded with checks!
We also discovered that the campaign really resonated with our donors.
The card's design told a simple, compelling story. It evoked deep emotions and encouraged recipients to flip it over and read its message. People kept the cards, long after they sent in their donations.
