Rent Smarter, Not Harder

"You know, people only have the capacity to give so much to charity, and so if your list is out there being sold or given away multiple times a year, you're just lowering your chance to build a loyal relationship with that donor," he adds.

This approach to list rental can produce low gift levels and land nonprofits in a constant state of acquisition -- both frustrating and costly.

The key in list rental, Baker says, is not necessarily to rent more lists and mail more people, but to mail smarter.

Todd Baker can be reached via www.masterworks.com.