Direct Marketing Fundraising 101 Seminar

Session Introduction

Direct Response Mail

• How to get started
• What you need to know

Acquiring New Donors

• Prospecting for acquisition
• Segmentation strategies — treating your donors differently
• How to evaluate a donor acquisition effort

The “Package”

• The letter
• Reply devices
• The use of photographs
• The “three questions” test
• Inserts
• Lift notes
• Premiums
• Memberships
• Special appeals

Production

• Lettershops/vendors vs. do-it-yourself
• Mail decoys

Copywriting For Your Fundraising Letter

• Develop and define your “offer”
• Create a call for action — ask for a gift
• How to thank your donors
• Insert return envelopes
• Include donor communications

Day One Wrap-Up/Q&A

Day 2
9:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.

Review Writing the Fundraising Letter

Data Collection

• Computers and Software
• In-house versus vendor
• Web-based or not?
• The “bare bones” of donor records
• Expanded donor records
• Reports

Data & Response Analysis

• Calculate average gift size
• Were there upgraders/downgraders?
• Geography analysis
• Find trends in donor behavior
• Determine lapsed donors and appropriate follow-up action
• Project results and revenue

Test, Test, Test

• What and when to test
• How to set up a test
• Develop useful reports
• Create your budget for testing

Real-Life Examples

• Review actual mail pieces
• Discuss what works (and doesn’t work) in direct marketing

Fundraising Ethics, Privacy & Regulations

• DMA “Privacy Promise”

Seminar Wrap-Up/Q&A