Please Mr. Postman: Starting a (direct) mail program

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. The Donor Pyramid

5. 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 library’s 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

6. Cons of Mail Programs • Competitive • Cost-effectiveness is dependent on volume • Can be perceived as impersonal • Detail dependent • Acquisitioning is expensive (unless you’re creative!) • Mail campaigns that depend on volunteers can take a long time to turn around

7. 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

8. Attitudes to Standard Upgrade Strategies: • Monthly-giving: • 97% indicated this it was unlikely they’d 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

9. 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

10. What determines success? • The List – 50% • The Offer – 25% • The Package – 15% • The Art – 5% • The Copy – 5%

11. Other Influencing Factors for Success • Clear, consistent message • Database • Newsletter • Annual schedule • Diversified fundraising program

12. Components of a Direct Mail Package • Outer Envelope • Appeal Letter • Enclosure or Lift Letter • Premium • Response Coupon • Reply Envelope or Self-Mailer

13. 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

14. 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

15. Enclosure or Lift Letter • Reprinted newspaper article • Special appeal • Personal note • Photo and message

16. Premium • gift – calendar, address labels, cards • promotion – lottery tickets, joke

17. 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

18. Business Reply Envelope (BRE) or Self-Mailer • Preprinted address • Postage paid • Space for return address • Combined response form and envelope

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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”

22. Questions? • Ann’s email: aandrusyszyn@city.barrie.on.ca • Rob’s email: rlavery@sols.org