Please Mr' Postman: Starting a direct mail program

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Please Mr. Postman Starting a (direct) mail
program

• Ann Andrusyszyn, Development Officer, Barrie
  Public Library
• Rob Lavery CFRE, Resource Development Consultant,
  
• Southern Ontario Library Service
• OLA SuperConference 2006 Session 1709

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Agenda

• How mail fits into an annual fundraising program
• The pros and cons of direct mail
• The components of a direct mail package
• What aspects will influence success
• How to start a program Barrie Public Library
  case study

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An Annual Giving Program

• The activities that provide a stream of
  unrestricted donations
• Objectives of Annual Giving
• Acquire new donors
• Renew current donors
• Upgrade current donors
• Methods include
• Mail
• Telephone
• Events
• Personal solicitations

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The Donor Pyramid
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Pros of mail programs

• A good way to get lots of small donations
• A good way to begin the donor relationship
• A good way to convey the librarys message
• A good way to convey messages of educational
  value
• Mail campaigns are very mathematical, easy to
  determine results
• Most donors by mail will give as often as they
  are asked
• Lists of donors can be very powerful
• Lots of flexibility in package to reflect culture
  of the library
• You can contract out pieces of the process
  opportunity costs

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Cons of Mail Programs

• Competitive
• Cost-effectiveness is dependent on volume
• Can be perceived as impersonal
• Detail dependent
• Acquisitioning is expensive (unless youre
  creative!)
• Mail campaigns that depend on volunteers can take
  a long time to turn around

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A good fit for libraries?

• The following statistics were gathered from a
  recent survey of Canadian mail respondents
• 70 of mail respondents are 65 years of age
• women outnumber men 2 to 1
• 70 have post-secondary education
• 59 attend religious service regularly
• 39 could surf from home, only 3 had ever made
  an online donation
• 35 give to more than 20 charities in a year
• 46 are also volunteers, 80 of which give
  volunteer for the same organization
• Taking the Donors Pulse, by Fraser Green,
  CFRE, Front Centre, May 2003, published by the
  Canadian Centre for Philanthropy

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Attitudes to Standard Upgrade Strategies

• Monthly-giving
• 97 indicated this it was unlikely theyd give on
  a monthly basis
• Major gifts
• 85 are not motivated by special recognition or
  gift clubs they will respond to a clearly
  demonstrated need when they feel a larger
  contribution will make a substantive difference
• Bequests
• 35 are open to the idea of a bequest, 53 have
  never been solicited for one

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What Mal says Direct Mail will do for you -

• Growth Recruit new donors
• Involvement Deepen relationships
• Visibility Raise your public profile
• Efficiency Increase income
• Stability Diversify your funding base

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What determines success?

• The List 50
• The Offer 25
• The Package 15
• The Art 5
• The Copy 5

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Other Influencing Factors for Success

• Clear, consistent message
• Database
• Newsletter
• Annual schedule
• Diversified fundraising program

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Components of a Direct Mail Package

• Outer Envelope
• Appeal Letter
• Enclosure or Lift Letter
• Premium
• Response Coupon
• Reply Envelope or Self-Mailer

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Outer Envelope

• address information window, label, hand-written
• return address information
• address correct request
• indicia, stamp or metered bulk rate or first
  class
• special message, colour

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Appeal Letter

• Stationery
• Length
• Air white space, easy to read
• Persuasive wording, urgency
• Style and tone
• Typed, printed or computer generated
• Request for specific amount
• Underlining, highlighting
• Signature
• PS

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Enclosure or Lift Letter

• Reprinted newspaper article
• Special appeal
• Personal note
• Photo and message

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Premium

• gift calendar, address labels, cards
• promotion lottery tickets, joke

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Response Coupon

• Preprinted donor information
• Gift-amount options/Gift array
• Gift club, monthly donation options
• Request for information mention in wills,
  organizational information
• Free-standing or tear-off

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Business Reply Envelope (BRE) or Self-Mailer

• Preprinted address
• Postage paid
• Space for return address
• Combined response form and envelope

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What aspects will influence success?

• Personalize the letters as much as possible
• Hand-written PS, signature, salutation
• Live stamp
• Note card size
• As few barriers as possible
• Reply envelope, postage paid
• Free-standing response coupon
• Cost-effectiveness
• Telephone follow up

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Starting a Mail Program

• Getting a list standard ways to acquisition
  from scratch
• Convert event attendees sign up lists, business
  card drops
• Opt in programs collecting names and emails
• Past donors capital campaigns, memorial
  programs
• Ad mail
• Coupon or promotion
• Insert appeal letter in another mailing
• Reciprocal exchange
• Patron database permission-based

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Starting a Mail Program Barrie Public Library

• Why did we opt to do it?
• How does it fit into our fundraising programme?
• Starting your list from scratch
• Using your patron database
• Board on board

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Questions?

• Anns email aandrusyszyn_at_city.barrie.on.ca
• Robs email rlavery_at_sols.org