Holiday Direct Mail for Fundraising – Why Now is the Time

Oct 28, 2020

With the current worldwide pandemic keeping so many of us home, digital marketing strategies are flooding consumers with emails, digital offers, and ads all over social media. For nonprofits, outreach for end of year donations is typically one of the most crucial times of the year; ensuring garnering those final donations can directly impact what the next fiscal year looks like. There are a few different reasons why end-of-year giving is so important, and such a busy time of year for most nonprofits. In order to reach the most potential donors, and to hit them across multiple platforms, linking your holiday direct mail fundraising strategy to your existing digital presence can be pivotal in your nonprofit’s end of year success.

Let’s take a look at a few reasons why end of year fundraising is so important and impactful, and the reasons why holiday direct mail can help push your donations to the next level.

Holiday Direct Mail for Fundraising – Strategizing When and How to Reach Donors

Did you know that the best months for asking for donations for your nonprofit are November (46.2% of nonprofits) and December (30.8% of nonprofits)? That means now! It’s the perfect time to craft a compelling direct mail package and send it to existing and potential donors right at home. The hesitation for many nonprofits comes from the misconception that direct mail marketing is too costly, or, in some cases, organizations don’t quite see how it fits in the big picture with less expensive channels like email and social media. Sometimes putting all the puzzle pieces together includes finding an integrated marketing service provider like ProList to ensure that your direct mail marketing strategy is cohesive and works fluidly with digital efforts too.

End of year donations play a huge role in a nonprofit’s fundraising efforts. The more touchpoints you provide for potential donors, the more likely they are to really pay attention to your cause. By crafting resounding messages and engaging people right in their homes with fundraising direct mail pieces, you’ll see your return on donations increase exponentially.

But let’s talk about the impact of direct mail for fundraising, and also take a look at the added benefits that holiday fundraising direct mail can have to help push your organization’s donations to the next level of success.

• Touchpoints – According to industry professionals, 6 touch-points is the ideal number of times your brand or message should cross paths with your potential donors. That means digital ads, direct mail, social media, radio spots, and paid search ads among many. Making contact with a personalized message or having your donors engage with your brand utilizing a cross-platform integrated marketing strategy can help you drive traffic to your site and engage your audience.
• Leverage tax write-offs – For many people, end-of-year donations are included in their budgets. For those who have a little extra to give, November and December are prime months to reach them and convince them that your message and cause is where they should be donating that allotted budget. Appealing to this idea can mean that some donors will contribute fairly sizable donations based on the amount they’ve earmarked for end of year giving.
• Engage your volunteer base – Volunteers are 2x as likely to donate to a cause when we approach the end of the year. They’re already engaged with your organization, so crafting messages that cater specifically to them is a great way to keep them included in the cause.
• Largest returns come from direct mail – A majority of private donations come from direct mail response. Not only that, if your strategy includes multiple touch points, it’s been observed that multi-platform contributions go up.
• Tell your message with empathy – Direct mail has been found to be more impactful because it piques the interest of your consumer right at home. It’s true that it takes 21% less cognitive effort to read and process a piece of direct mail. It’s also true that a surprisingly high percentage of people at the very least glance at, if not totally read, an entire piece of direct mail. The more compelling your message, the more it will resonate and stick with your potential donors.
• The psychological benefits behind giving – There’s a positive, and impactful series of mental health benefits behind donating to charities and non-profit organizations. The brain’s pleasure circuits are activated when we engage in activities like giving back or volunteering our time. Don’t overlook personalizing message catered to these individuals who may not have a lot of money to give, but who can be motivated to be involved – perhaps becoming cause-champions and ambassadors for your organization, willing to share your fundraising messaging and campaign pieces to help reach more potential donors. This encourages brand engagement and enhances brand culture that many businesses fail to cultivate.

If your nonprofit is looking to really push forward this holiday season, you may want to consider adding direct mail to your overall end-of-year fundraising strategy. Today’s fundraising mail can be highly personalized and extremely cost efficient at most any quantity, even if only on a small-scale campaign. There’s no better time than now to create compelling, well crafted, full-color digitally printed direct mail pieces and incorporate them into your nonprofit’s marketing strategy.

If you would like ProList to help you execute the perfect direct mail campaign, give us a call at 1-888-PROLIST or reach out to us through our contact page. Our team of experienced professionals will have you covered, from start to finish.