SOME IDEAS TO HELP INCREASE YOUR
NONPROFIT INCOME DURING THE
CURRENT DIFFICULT FUNDRAISING ENVIRONMENT
Post #25
August 29, 2023
Continuing from last week’s blog post. Click here to see last week’s post.
Since the COVID pandemic started in early 2020, postal mail costs are up about 25% (high inflation including postage, printing, lettershop, employee salaries, etc.). Small dollar donations ($200 and under) are down about 25%. Therefore, most all of us can use some help.
Here are some suggestions:
1. Vision. The Bible tells us, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” :… After you’ve explained the problem, be sure to paint a picture of how things will be much better if your organization has strong financial support.
2. Projects. Most conservative postal and email fundraising mail falls into a category I call cuss letters. “Democrats are doing bad things, send me money.” Of course, a good cuss letter can raise some money. However, a mailing that identifies a serious problem and offers a specific, serious, and substantial project to solve the problem will raise much more money. This is true for postal mail, email, one-on-one solicitations for major gifts, etc.
3. BRAND. When results fall short of expectations, it’s often because of a weak BRAND.
A strong BRAND is always an important part of successful marketing. Conservative organizations without a strong BRAND will suffer greatly in these storms. Review and adopt all four parts of Viguerie’s Four Horsemen of Marketing®, including having a strong Tagline. Sprinkle your Tagline throughout the mailing.
4. Work with your letter shop to comingle your mail and you will reduce your postage costs by 2-3¢ for each letter.
5. Test BRE vs. Unstamped RAE for low dollar donors.
6. Thank yous. Don’t forget to say thank you and say it often. Thank them for the project they donated to. When possible, avoid generic thank yous and stress your BRAND.
7. Pubnote. Since you usually write and print postal mail far ahead of time, it may be out of date by the time you mail the letters. A partial solution to the problem is to include a pubnote, usually 7 X 10 and 8 ½ X 11 on colored paper so that it will stand out and includes current and urgent information. Because it’s a small piece of paper and easy to print, this can usually be printed shortly before the mailing is inserted.
8. Buckslip. The typical buckslip is 3 ½ X 8 ½ and is printed on a different color than the pubnote with a strong, attention-getting headline, and is not signed. Sometimes the state disclosure is printed on the back side.
Next week, we’ll continue with more suggestions as to how to increase your income and reduce the costs of your direct mail program.
This free post is brought to you by American Target Advertising™ (ATA) and American Mailing List Corporation™—“ConservativeListsRUs.” ATA was the world’s first conservative direct marketing agency and still is the largest with over 85 team members (increasing to 135 by 2024) that will mail over 300,000,000 postal letters in the 2023-2024 election cycle for 40+ clients who will receive over 7,000,000 donations from over 2,500,000 unique donors. |
Much of the information in GoRightGoBig.com is from Richard A. Viguerie’s new book, GO BIG – The Marketing “Secrets” of Richard A. Viguerie. Copies for yourself or as a gift can be ordered at GoBigConservatives.com or GoRightGoBig.com, or at your favorite online bookstore. If you wish to buy copies to be given free to high school or college students to encourage them to seek a career in conservative politics/marketing, go to GoBigConservatives.com. To subscribe FREE to GO RIGHT - GO BIG blog, click here. |
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