Category Archives: Testing
Penelope Burk Versus Donor Behaviour: Direct Mail Fundraising is Not in Decline
Fundraising consultant and researcher Penelope Burk of Cygnus Applied Research says direct mail is declining in popularity. She is wrong. —————————————————————- Receive a free fundraising tip like this each week by email. Sign up for Raiser Sharpe Tips here Browse … Continue reading
When to Ignore Your Direct Mail Fundraising Test Results
Direct mail fundraising is a soccer game where the opposing team keeps moving the goal posts. A premium that worked last year doesn’t work today. A package design that worked at your last charity doesn’t work at your new one. … Continue reading
Five Indisputable Laws of Direct Mail Donor Acquisition
I am not a prophet, I am not the son of a prophet, but I do serve on the board of a non-profit. And I’ve discovered through the years that charities who succeed at acquiring donors through the mail obey … Continue reading
Should a Donation Thank-You Letter Ever Ask for a Donation?
I got a big surprise the day I closed my direct mail fundraising consultancy and started working for a national charity. I discovered that my new employer used its gift acknowledgement letters as a way to raise funds. With every … Continue reading
Dear Alan, What are “cells” in direct mail fundraising?
In list terminology, a cell is a statistical unit or units, a group of individuals selected from a file on a common basis and isolated as a group. See more definitions at the Glossary of Direct Mail Fundraising —————————————————————- Receive … Continue reading
Dear Alan, What is a “Back Test” in direct mail fundraising?
A Back Test is a mailing designed to reproduce, and therefore confirm, the results of a recent direct mail test. Also called a retest or confirming test. Usually run when the results of a test fall within an acceptable range … Continue reading
Direct Mail Fundraising Tests: Follow these Eight Rules for Success
The best way to improve your direct mail fundraising program is through testing. Don’t follow fads, board whims, or a gut feeling that turns out to be indigestion. Instead, test. And, to save money and time (and further indigestion), follow … Continue reading
Will Direct Mail Fundraising Work for You? Ask and Find Out
Back in 1997, as I sat in the departures lounge at Ottawa International Airport, I didn’t know if Ruth would accept my proposal of marriage. I fidgeted. I procrastinated. Finally, as they announced the final call for her flight back … Continue reading
Prevent Costly Direct Mail Donor Acquisition Blunders with Test Mailings
I know a non-profit that mailed a direct mail donor acquisition package to thousands of potential donors and generated a response rate of exactly zero. That’s not a typo. Not a single person responded to the mailing. —————————————————————- Receive a … Continue reading
Measure Your Success in Direct Mail Fundraising with Just Four Numbers
A while back I realized that measuring the effectiveness of direct mail fundraising campaigns is a lot easier than I’d thought. —————————————————————- Receive a free fundraising tip like this each week by email. Sign up for Raiser Sharpe Tips here … Continue reading
In Direct Mail Donor Acquisition, Compare Cost Per Donor with Cost Per Dollar.
The best way to measure your success in direct mail donor acquisition is to examine your cost to raise a donor rather than your cost to raise a dollar. —————————————————————- Receive a free fundraising tip like this each week by … Continue reading
Fundraising Letter Response Rates: Boost Them (And Your Revenue) By Watching Nine Vital Statistics.
Direct mail fundraising is a numbers game. A game that changes all the time. Who could have predicted the advent of online giving? Or the popularity of sweepstakes? Or the rise of a generation of young donors whose primary method … Continue reading
Increase Average Fundraising Gift By Segmenting Your Donor List.
How many of your current donors would give you a larger gift if you only knew how to ask them? Quite a few, quite likely. —————————————————————- Receive a free fundraising tip like this each week by email. Sign up for … Continue reading
