Direct Mail

Direct Mail for Non-Profit Organizations

Fundraising is a critical task for any non-profit organization. With limited resources, it’s necessary to invest marketing dollars in the campaign type that yields the highest return over time. So, which marketing medium has the highest long-term return? In our experience, the answer is direct mail.

Local Non-Profit Organization

One of our current clients, a local non-profit organization, recently shared with us their direct mail success. The highest percentage of active accounts and projected dollars lifetime giving are the donors acquired via direct mail.

Of all donors acquired, the number of active direct mail donors is 177% higher than donors obtained from other methods.

The projected lifetime donations from direct mail donors are 147% higher than donors acquired by other methods.

Knowing this, why are so many non-profit organizations hesitant to launch direct mail campaigns? Our client shares, “One thing I know is when people are doing acquisition mail they are sometimes hesitant because they get caught up in the fact that they will probably lose money on the initial mailing… But they have to look at the lifetime value of the donor.”

direct mail investment

American Cancer Society

So, direct mail worked for one non-profit, but what about additional examples? The American Cancer Society (ACS) discovered that their five-year direct mail hiatus ended up costing them nearly $30 million in donations. ACS Director of Marketing, Catharine Holihan shared,“It’s tempting to look at things through a one-year lens but the runway for direct mail acquisition is much longer than that. For every $1 we invest in direct mail acquisition, we bring in $7 over the course of three years.” Read the entire ACS article here.

It’s easy to see that direct mail pays out well for non-profit organizations, but remember that the key to a successful direct mail campaign is having the right data. ANS has over 20 years of experience in direct mail. We love helping non-profit organizations succeed in gathering donations. Data packages start at just $299 for 5,000 donor records. To start your next campaign, contact Patricia Thompson at pthompson@a-names.com.

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