The seven habits of a highly effective Christmas direct mail appeal

HABIT #1 Write to a person

It might be an obvious point to make, but when you’re planning a direct mail appeal you’re not a charity talking to a donor - you’re a person talking to another person. Think about the individual opening the envelope and reading your letter and be sure to:

• Use their name: Did you know that your brain lights up when it hears your name? True story. Good fundraising will always be highly personalised – so make sure their name is the first thing people see on the letter and in the salutation (and that it’s spelt correctly!).
• Continue the conversation: We know you want money. They know you want money. But you know what else? People have lives, and a history with you. If they’re a current or regular donor, find the space to say thank you. If their donations have lapsed, there’s no harm in checking in and referencing this. Be a human. Talk to a person. Don’t just deliver a blanket ask.
• Embrace the science of ‘YOU’: As well as using a donor’s name, you should also make active use of the word ‘you’. This makes it easier to address your reader directly. It also helps build a relationship between the ‘messenger’ and ‘receiver’ and involve the reader in your story - all key drivers of a positive response rate (thanks for the insight, The Modern Nonprofit).

It sounds good in theory, but the reality is that when you’re sending a mailer out to thousands of people you can’t tailor it to everyone. That’s why it is so important to use your donor portraits to segment your data and create different templates that work for different audience groups. The more specific your segments, the more personal and targeted your mailer can be. You could even cherry-pick a few top-level donors and write the envelopes and signatories by hand. It might seem like a haul, but if it drives response rates and donations up, then it’s worth it.

HABIT #2 Think about your frame

You’ve got seconds before your direct mail appeal goes in the bin. If you do not get your base concept right, people won’t open the envelope – let alone donate. That’s why every great Christmas mailer starts with a concept, a frame. This is the hook, your way into people’s hearts. Don’t try and do everything in one appeal. Pick an area of work, a single project, story, message or goal to be the foundation of your campaign. Use this to frame your ask. It will give you a beginning, a reason for your middle, and the motivation for supporters to take action at the end. It is the bow that ties your campaign together.

HABIT #3 Tell a story

Numbers and stats are great for grant applications, but direct mail fundraising should always put the story first. This will help you create a personal connection and shared experience with your reader. It will help your donor empathise with the situation and show them how their support can make a difference.

To do this, you need to think about who the person is and the story they will tell. Don’t just plump for your CEO. You need someone your audience can relate to. Cast your net wide. Is there a service user you can interview, or even better, work with you to create a draft? Authenticity is the key here. When you’re working with direct mail, it can be tempting to put words into someone’s mouth, or to tell the story as you think it will most appeal to your donors. But it’s not your story. It’s someone’s life. As a sector we have a responsibility to share stories ethically and responsibly, so work with your service users to create a narrative that raises their voice and doesn’t just work to amplify yours. At the end of the day, people give to people – so take the time to find and tell a real story, and do it well.

HABIT #4 Punctuate your appeal with regular ‘asks’

The ‘ask’ is an essential part of direct mail fundraising, so don’t leave it until the end. It should appear several times throughout your mailing – at least once on the first page, and then at chosen points in your appeal content. There is a careful balance to strike here. Overdo it, and you risk sounding ‘salesy’. Don’t do it enough, and you might miss out on an important gift. Remember, if you’re going to ask someone for money, you need to be clear about what you’re asking for. Tell people what their donation can help achieve, and give tangible examples for each giving level. If you’ve got a charity CRM (like Access Charity CRM) you could even use it to generate tailored gift amounts. Just make sure you leave space for charity donors to input their own donation if they want to. You never know when someone might be feeling extra generous!

HABIT #5 Say ‘yes’ to response devices

Adding a response device is a great way to spark donor engagement and keep the conversation moving. Traditionally, like the mailer, a lot of response devices are paper-based, but why not go hybrid and ask people to get involved digitally? It’s easy to snap and share photos on social media and user-generated content will help engage your donors, build a community and raise the profile of your fundraising campaign.

HABIT #6 Don’t forget about your envelope

It might seem pointless, given that all envelopes are destined for the (recycling) bin, but it could be what stops your whole mailer from ending up there. You’ve got seconds. Literally seconds, to catch someone’s interest. The words and design on your outer envelope matter. Use them to draw people in.

HABIT #7 Cross channels

A good charity direct mail appeal should be part of a broader, cross-channel fundraising campaign. This means that when it lands, the rest of your communications (your donate page, website and social media for example) are set up to match. You need to take people on a journey and reinforce your key messages at every touchpoint. And of course, if you’re asking people to donate online you need to make sure that your technology is up to the task, and that your donate page is Simple, Savvy and Secure!

Finally, as with any fundraising campaign, it’s important to keep track of your progress. Monitor income and engagement against key milestones and share the results with your team and Trustees. Whether you fall short or sail past your target – see if you can understand why and save those lessons for the future.

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