It’s important to get your envelope opened, but spending too much money on it can be self-defeating. Finding a balance requires testing ideas, new and old.

By Abny Santicola

Another response booster is the Post-it note. New York PBS station Thirteen/WNET has been using a Post-it on the outer of its year-
end pledge drive mailing since 2001, with much success. On the note is a simple message: “Dear Thirteen Supporter, if you haven’t sent your Year-End Pledge Drive contribution, please do so now! Thank you.” Revenue for the mailing consistently has exceeded costs, says James Boyle, associate director of basic membership.

Post-its are expensive, Kinch says, but when a client could afford to use them, they’ve worked well.

“The Post-it note looks a little more like a real person touched it, sent it, was involved in it. It conveys this intangible value that a human being has been somewhere near the [package] recently,” she explains.

Uppercue’s firm also affixed a personalized Post-it note to the outer of a mailing it created for the Association of Fundraising Professionals. The foundation’s president signed the note, which said, “I need to hear from you.” The message made such an impact that a donor called the president, saying he received the mailing, saw the note and called as soon as he could.

‘The Post-it note … conveys this intangible value that a human being has been somewhere near the package] recently.’