An Effective Outreach: Why Direct Mailing Works
This is the time of year your fundraising efforts will have immediate and long-term impact for your organization. While you may consider placing phone calls or sending emails, direct mail will put your cause at the forefront of donors' minds. There are many folks who are willing to give back, pay it forward, make a difference, and support the local community. Especially right now. You just need to be able to connect with them.
Direct mail is a more traditional, but very effective alternative in reaching individuals who are constantly inundated with digital content. It will cut through the noise of social media and digital communication. How often have you received an email, personal message, text and just deleted it without reading it? Many people open their delivered mail as soon as it is received. If your direct mail piece is in today’s delivery, it will certainly be opened. People continue to enjoy receiving mail addressed to them and is shareable with every age group, especially when it concerns making charitable donations. Target Analytics estimates that one-third of online contributions are made in response to a direct mail appeal. The simplicity and low cost of using direct mailers will help drive those crucial online donations.
COVID-19 has also affected the way that people donate their time and money. While people aren’t volunteering as often as they were last year, many donors plan to continue supporting their usual charities even amid the pandemic. Forty-three percent say they will continue to donate to the nonprofits they supported before, as they will probably be impacted by COVID-19 in some way. A quarter of donors say they will give to different organizations as a result of the pandemic—shifting part or all of their donations to organizations responding to COVID-19. There is an added bonus: direct mail encourages online giving.
With so many organizations competing for donors, it is crucial to send appeals that draw donors to your mission and inspire them to take action now. You should ensure that donors know that they have made the world better with their donations, and that their help is still needed. Direct mailers will help you communicate with them and should reflect the times we are living. It is easy for your supporters to feel lost and powerless at a time like this, so it’s important that you give them clear ways to help your cause. A direct mailer will help you make that connection. An added reminder is that their donations are tax deductible and their funds will go directly to your mission, especially during COVID-19.
Utilizing direct mailers will make your organization stand out and give your recipients confidence that they are making the right choice in their donation. Reaching donors right before the holidays will help them feel like they’re making a change, that they can also use during tax season. This is important because lots of establishments have not been able to publicize their mission through events. Nor ticket sales to bring in those much-needed funds. You can connect on a different level with everyone you send a mailer to, and you can be as imaginative as possible. You can thank your supporters, inform them of the things you need assistance with, or even new programs they may not know about. Direct mailers will ensure that your appeal will end up in the hands of the right people.
Are you ready to submit your end of year appeals with direct mail? Let us handle it for you. We will ensure that your special message is provided in the most unique professional way. Contact us today to get started.
