Go to content Go to navigation Go to search

September 23, 2008

Why a Good Letter Isn't Enough

Many fund raisers get frustrated when their carefully crafted direct-mail appeals create lower-than-expected results.

In many cases, charities blame the letter for the poor response.

But Sandy Rees, a fund raiser who works with nonprofit groups in Knoxville, Tenn., says the real culprit for poor direct-mail results often lies elsewhere.

Ms. Rees, writing on the Get Fully Funded Blog, says the letter accounts for only about 10 percent of a direct-mail appeal’s effectiveness.

The most important factor in getting results, she says, is the mailing list.

“The list you use to mail to will make or break your appeal,” Ms. Rees writes. “After all, if you don’t mail to the right people, it doesn’t matter how good your letter is.”

She estimates that the mailing list accounts for about 40 percent of an appeal’s success.

Other important elements include the timing of a mailing (20 percent), the offer (20 percent), and the envelope (10 percent).

Do you agree with Ms. Rees’ assessment? Are factors like the mailing list and the timing of an appeal more important than the message carried in the letter?

Click on the comments link below this post to share your thoughts.

— Peter Panepento

Tuesday September 23, 2008 | Permalink

Comments

1. Ms. Rees’ main point — that a number of elements have an important effect on a direct mail campaign’s success — is entirely correct. However, like many direct mail mavens, Ms. Rees does herself a considerable disservice by attaching statistically meaningless weights to various elements. Rather, by making a mockery of statistical analysis, she undercuts her authority to all but the least educated.

   — Mike from Jersey City    Sep 23, 01:56 PM    #

2. I really appreciate Ms. Rees’ emphasis on a good list. I would add that create context for the letter is also important. We urge our clients to use the appeal letter as a part of an annual fund packages that includes a preliminary newsletter send in advance of the the appeal. The newsletter shares with readers the success of last year’s annual fund program, announces the focus for this year’s drive, acknowledges donors, and spells out the annual fund program for the coming year. The description of the annual fund program should include the donor acknowledgment system that will reward donors often in the spring of each year. By creating this context the letter will get a much better reception, especially when both the newsletter and the appeal letter are sent to the “right” people.

   — Don Chalmers, SparrowHawk Consulting    Sep 23, 02:01 PM    #

3. I have seen messaging (embodied in direct mail letter copy) significantly lift response, so I’m not ready to agree with the article’s conclusion. But, yes, list and timing are also huge factors.

   — James Read, Creative Director    Sep 23, 02:33 PM    #

4. Ms. Rees makes a great point about a common problem with direct mail pieces. However, the mailing list is just one key to a successful return. I would take her point a step further by emphasizing the dual importance of having the right message to go along with the right list. You could have the greatest list in the world, but sending one version of a letter to all your constituents isn’t going to net any results. Take the time to segment your list (loyal donors, new prospects, volunteers, etc.), and then also spend time crafting a message that speaks directly to each of those particular constituents. After focusing on those two aspects of your direct mail campaign, then consider the timing, the envelope, etc.

   — Marianne Requarth, Qbase    Sep 23, 03:13 PM    #

5. The statistics Ms. Rees cites are like the oft-mentioned “fact” that we use only ten percent of our brain’s capacity: not provable, therefore, not true. Besides that, of what use would such statistics be even if they could be proven true? Only spend ten percent of our time writing the letter? I think not. Please spare us such baseless, uninformed opinions in the future.

   — Tim Kersten    Sep 23, 04:45 PM    #

Commenting is closed for this article.

Previous: How Colleges Can Improve Their Fund Raising in Hard Economic Times
Next: Earning Donor Trust in a Cynical Society

---

Copyright © 2009 The Chronicle of Philanthropy