10 Characteristics of Responsive Direct Mail Donors
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DENNIS HOFFMAN, CEO
ENGAGE USA
Every organization has a different donor profile. We’ve been amazed at how different the donors to organizations with similar messages sometimes are. Some things are consistent through most non profit fundraisers and these 10 characteristics can help your organization to find more donors:
The older the better. Everyone says they want younger donors. Why? Years of analysis shows that as people age, they have more disposable income, more time to get involved in causes, and a desire to leave a legacy. The older the donor, the more valuable she is to your cause.
The more you know the better they respond. It may strike you as odd – even counter intuitive – but every blank field in your database is a predictor of lower response. The more you know about your donor, the more likely he is to respond to your mailing. Even if you don’t use that data.
Neither rich nor poor. The poor donate the largest portion of their income to charity but they tend to make small donations. The rich donate large amounts and there’s lots of competition for their funds. The sweet spot for direct mail fundraising is solidly middle class.
They live close by. Where your donors live does matter. Local campaigns consistently perform better than state campaigns and state campaigns outperform national campaigns. Ask your neighbor to help.
Are they direct mail responsive? It doesn’t matter how generous your donor is. If she doesn’t like direct mail, there’s a better way to ask her. Does she subscribe to magazines or newspapers through the mail? Does he buy prescriptions through the mail?
History of giving? The opposite of characteristic #5 is also true. The best direct mail buyer may not have a philanthropic bone in her body. Does she give at church? Does she volunteer? Does she give to anyone?
Does he live here? This probably should be number one on the list because it doesn’t matter how perfect your offer and targeting are. If this address is old or wrong, you aren’t going to raise a dime.
Does she know you? If you had an emergency and needed money, the first people you’d ask are family members, right? Then you’d ask your friends. And people your friends and family know. The same is true for your direct mail campaign. The closer your connection, the more likely she is to give.
What’s in it for him? Are you raising money to preserve a Civil War battlefield? Ask civil war buffs and neighbors of the battlefield. To help orphans in Romania? Ask people from Romania and people who have adopted kids from Romania. Even people who have adopted children at all. He sees the connection. And he sees the need.
Does she have time to read your letter? Face it. Most people read their mail over the garbage can. The busier they are, the less time they have for direct mail. Kids or grandkids at home are a predictor of poor response. Roommates, spouses, smart phones, the same thing. Find people with the time to love your letter even more than you do.
