41 Things You Can Mail to Donors in Direct Mail Fundraising

By Alan Sharpe, CFRE
Want to learn a lesson in direct mail fundraising from Winston Churchill? He once observed that a fanatic is “someone who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject.”

A fundraising letter fanatic, of course, is someone who thinks the only thing you can mail a donor is a fundraising letter. But that’s just one of more than 40 things you can mail to make friends and raise funds using paper and postage.

1. Acquisition package: Designed to attract new donors.
2. Welcome kit: An assortment of informational pieces and a cover letter, mailed to first-time donors, welcoming them to your organization and your cause.
3. Thank-you letter: The most important letter in direct mail fundraising, and it should never ask for a gift.
4. Renewal letter: Designed to persuade last year’s donors to renew their support again this year.
5. Member renewal letter: Mailed by member-based organizations to members whose membership is about to expire and must be renewed.
6. Reminder letter: Mailed a few weeks after your appeal letter, encouraging donors who have not responded to give. Popular at year-end.
7. Lapsed donor recovery letter: Mailed to donors who have not given a gift in 12 months or more, inviting them back on the train.
8. Monthly donor conversion letter: Mailed to annual donors (those who respond to your annual appeals), inviting them to join (convert to) your monthly giving program.
9. Special appeal: Mailed during the year to raise funds for a special cause, often an emergency, such as a natural disaster.
10. Year-end appeal: Letter that capitalizes on the year-end tax advantages and “spirit of the season” of Christmas.
11. Upgrade letter: Appeal inviting donors to increase the dollar amount (and sometimes frequency) of their gifts.
12. Donor club invitation: Letter inviting high-dollar donors to join a President’s Circle or other exclusive donor group.
13. Legacy gift prospecting letter: Mailed to a select group in your house file, asking if they are interested in making a planned gift (bequest, charitable remainder trust, and so on).
14. Special event invitation: A card or letter inviting donors and potential donors to a golf tournament, banquet, concert or other fundraising event.
15. Newsletter: Sent to current donors to inform them of how your organization is using their donations to change the world.
16. Annual report: Usually mailed to major donors, loyal donors and donors with influence.
17. Survey: Designed to solicit the opinions of donors and prospective donors.
18. Petition: Mailed by advocacy organizations (Amnesty International and Mother Against Drunk Driving, for example) to members, inviting them to complete and mail the petitions, usually to a decision-maker in federal government.
19. Member-get-a-member letter: Mailed by member-based organizations, inviting members to recruit new members to the organization.
20. Pledge appeal: Usually sent during capital campaigns, these appeals ask recipients to pledge a larger-than-normal gift (for the donor, that is) towards the campaign, a pledge that is usually honored by the donor by making a number of gifts over a period of a year or two.
21. Congratulatory card: Mailed to donors on the occasion of the donors’ wedding anniversary, birthday or other special event.
22. Testimonial: Written endorsements from clients or donors or others affected by the work of your organization, usually accompanying an appeal letter.
23. Plaque: Sent to faithful or particularly generous donors as a sign of your gratitude for their extraordinary support.
24. Gift catalog: Describes through pictures and text the items that donors can buy from your organization to support your work (a goat for a family in India, for example).
25. Resource catalog: Describes the books, DVDs and other educational materials that donors can order to educate themselves and others about your cause and the people you help.
26. Matching gift appeal: Invites donors to give gifts that, collectively, match a large gift made by another donor.
27. Newspaper clipping: Has your charity received favorable press recently? Mail a copy of the article to your donors (with the newspaper’s permission).
28. Quiz: Do you want to stir the imaginations of your donors, particularly if they are under the age of 12? Mail them a quiz that gets them thinking about a vital subject (climate change, poverty, nuclear war, homelessness, for example).
29. Factsheet: Sometimes you need to give your donors statistics and facts and figures, maybe even a history of your organization. Put these into a factsheet.
30. Special report: Dealing with a hot and timely topic that will galvanize your constituents.
31. Calendar: Special calendar that highlights special events of yours and days during the year that are of interest to you and your donors.
32. Special event teaser: Postcards or other short notices that pique the curiosity of your supporters about upcoming events.
33. Photographs: Mailed to donors to show the before-and-after results of their generosity.
34. Premium: Return address labels, notepads and other incentives designed to persuade the recipients to donate.
35. Freemium: Items enclosed with a direct mail appeal that have no intrinsic value, but help you communicate your appeal in a tangible, memorable way. A hospital, for example, might enclose a facsimile of a patient bracelet once worn by a young cancer survivor.
36. Involvement device: Scratch-off cards, checkboxes and other devices that involve the donor in meaningful ways and encourage a donation.
37. Brochure: Shows in pictures and words what you cannot discuss in the body of your letter.
38. Reprint: Has your CEO just given a speech to the United Nations? Transcribe the speech and mail it to your donors (assuming your CEO is a dynamic speaker, of course!).
39. Progress report: Mailed to donors, usually major donors, who have designated their gifts to a particular project, and who need to be kept informed about your progress with their money.
40. Follow-up note: Mailed after you’ve phoned your donor or made a personal visit, usually to thank the donor.
41. Income tax receipt: The more of these you have to mail each year, the better, right?

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Mail Superiority. Learn the proven, step-by-step process for raising funds and friends cost effectively, year after year.

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Handbook Number 10 Six Insider Secrets of Running a Profitable Annual Fundraising Letter Program. Proven techniques from the professionals for building long-term relationships with your donors and members.

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