Direct Mail a Very Effective Fundraising Method for Charities

Apr 13, 2017 | News

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Direct mail and direct marketing doesn’t just have to be about expanding your business and increasing profits. It can also be used to do a lot of good in the world too. Below we have looked at how charities can add one other tool to their toolkit to help make a difference by using direct mail as a very effective fundraising method.

Why should charities use direct mail?

Essentially, a charity is a business. While their aims aren’t to make profits as normal businesses aim to do, they still have to establish a brand, source data, look to gain new donors and market themselves.

With this in mind, charities can approach their marketing methods in much the same way as any business. Of course, the message will be different, but the use of emails, social media, billboards and other forms of marketing remain the same.

The usual favourable statistics that apply to businesses using direct mail also apply to charities as well. 70% of people say that they find direct mail more personal than email or the internet, and only around 25% of people will open emails that are from non-profit organisations. To further support why direct mail is a very effective fundraising method for charities, a huge 79% of all charity donations come from direct mail.

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The effect of direct mail on fundraising

Below we have looked at two charities and how direct mail has affected their fundraising:

American Cancer Society

In 2013, the American Cancer Society (ACS) decided to halt all direct mail for fundraising. Here’s the effect that it had:

  • They lost the acquisition of new donors by 11% in one year
  • Donations from new donors dropped by a huge £7m
  • The charity’s own income dropped from £572m to £543m in one year

These are just some of the impacts that stopping direct mail had on ACS, but should provide enough of a warning sign to any other charity considering their use of direct mail!

The Alzheimer’s Society

The Alzheimer’s Society launched a Christmas direct mail campaign in 2007, with the aim of having a 10% response rate and to raise £99,750. By using an emotive campaign that direct mail allows for with the use of a pack that an email couldn’t provide, this charity smashed their target.

While the response rate was 11%, only 1% higher than the target, the average donation was almost three times the target average, meaning they ended up raising a total of £165,164. A huge reason for this was down to the varied direct mail that the charity was able to put together, helping to tug on recipient’s heartstrings.

Sending responsible and charitable direct mail through bakergoodchild

Of course, any direct mail campaign that is being launched asking for donations needs to be structured in a responsible and professional way. Here at bakergoodchild we have plenty of experience with running effective fundraising campaigns for charities using direct mail and would be more than happy to help you too. Simply give us a call here.

 

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