End-of-year fundraising will determine the success or failure of many nonprofits. According to Nonprofits Source, 30 percent of charitable giving each year happens in December, and 10 percent occurs in the final three days of the year. Planning for this critical fundraising period should begin now.
As more and more donations move online, many nonprofits have shifted their fundraising efforts to online channels, from email to social media to display advertising. While online channels can play an important role in growing your donor base and retaining existing donors, failing to take advantage of fundraising through direct mail can be a costly mistake.
Appeal to Your Biggest Donors
Blackbaud Institute data shows that Boomers were responsible for 41 percent of charitable giving in 2017. Combined with Matures (born before 1946), older generations are responsible for more than two-thirds of all giving.
Nonprofits Source reports that Matures are most likely to give through direct mail campaigns, while about one-quarter of Boomers said they made an online donation because of direct mail they had received.
Of course, direct mail isn’t just about making an impact with older donors. Millennials, now America’s largest generation, spend more time with their mail than any other generation, according to the USPS. They scan it, read it, organize it, and look forward to finding what the mail brings each day. 54 percent of Millennials even said local businesses should do a better job of using direct mail.
Capitalize on the Impact of Direct Mail
While direct mail’s appeal is strong across generations, the business value proposition applies to nonprofits. Direct mail is something tangible that you can hold in your hand. It’s personal. It’s perceived as trustworthy and “official.” It’s completely trackable and response rates are much higher for direct mail than other forms of marketing.
Also, keep in mind that fundraising doesn’t have to be online or offline. You can and should develop an integrated, multichannel fundraising strategy that includes direct mail and online channels. This allows you to create different touchpoints with donors at different stages of your campaign and their decision-making process.
The key is to have accurate, reliable data so you can segment your list and make your fundraising personal, relevant, and meaningful for each donor. Explore what’s possible with direct mail, from mobile QR codes to textured papers to personalized donation tiers based on past support, and give your mailings more impact.
Not Sure Where to Start?
You only have one chance each year to capitalize on end-of-year giving. Without the right strategy, a multichannel fundraising campaign can become disjointed and expensive. Contact us to schedule a consultation and find out how Digital Dog Direct can help you develop a cost-effective, data-driven fundraising strategy.
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