How to … Use Snail Mail to Raise Money
For all of the fundraising promise that online initiatives show, the good ol’ USPS still remains a proven medium for scaring up resources. GuideStar, excerpting from Larry Stelter’s How to Raise Money by Mail, recently offered some tips on using snail mail to solicit planned giving.
Such solicitations must be targeted, Stelter writes, ideally to those who have given at least twice to your organization, regardless of the amount, and are at least age 55, “the point … where people seem most open to learning about and acting on philanthropic opportunities.” Delivering mail to such a group can take a lot of scratch, of course, so for budget-conscious organizations, Stelter has additional advice:
- Seek “donors who, in terms of their giving history, strike a balance between longevity and consistency,” such as those who have donated to the annual fund three years out of the last five.
- “Narrow the list further to those people aged 55 or older who have made at least four gifts at any time in the past seven years.”
- “If you’re still over budget, focus on those who have made gifts in five of the past eight years or mail to those who are age 60 or older instead of 55.” | 501(c)
