Spring Cleaning your Direct Mail Appeals

Summertime is coming soon – and that’s typically a dead zone for direct mail fundraising. You should plan on sending out any letters and materials by mid-May, and that means the time to start designing those pieces and refining those lists is now.  Take a moment to review your copy and photos – do they tell a story with an emotional center? Do they make it clear what each donation will accomplish? Are the stakes high enough – and is the donor set up to be a hero?

Pull out your last five direct mail pieces and lay them on a table. Take a critical look at them – are you getting complacent in your storytelling and approach? Does each one sound the same? Make it a goal to overhaul your direct mail – make it look and sound different. The Irish know the power of a good tale– and the same goes for your donors. Keep them engaged and turning the pages over in your pieces with great storytelling. 

Image by Freepik

Amanda Irwin