Transform First-time Direct-mail Donors Into Repeat Givers

Transform First-time Direct-mail Donors Into Repeat Givers

Feb. 14, 2006

By Alan Sharpe

I know an executive director who, over the course of a 20-year career at the helm of a national charity, signed every single donor acknowledgment that left his office. He took them home after work, sometimes working his way through a pile of 300 thank-you notes before retiring for the evening.

To my knowledge, he never tested his method against generic, computer-generated gift acknowledgments. But you can imagine which method worked best at turning his first-time donors into repeat givers. He seemed to know intuitively that the most important gift in direct-mail fundraising isn't the first gift. It's the second one. Here are some tested guidelines for converting your one-time direct-mail donors into annual supporters.

1. Say thanks using the "Four Ps."

The first step to generating a second gift is to thank your donor profusely for the first one. Donors who aren't thanked for their first contribution are almost guaranteed not to make another. Say thanks like this:

Promptly. Mail your gift acknowledgement within 48 hours of receiving the gift. Each day of delay adds to the impression in your new donor's mind that you are either ungrateful or unprofessional (or both).

Personally. Address the donor by name. Acknowledge his or her thoughtfulness and concern. Put your warmth and enthusiasm onto the paper. Hand sign with a contrasting ink (blue, if possible). Mail using a closed-face envelope, with First Class stamp. No teaser. No postcard.

Particularly. Shun the generic thank-you. Mention the gift amount and date received. Refer to the project, issue or emergency that prompted the gift. Say what you are doing with the donation. More specifically, say what the donor is doing through his gift to your organization.

Politely. Don't ask for a second gift in your thank-you letter. Ever. You haven't earned the right to. In a study conducted by Penelope Burk and Cygnus Applied Research Inc., 53 percent of individual donors said asking for another gift in the body of a thank-you letter is rude. Eight percent said they stop giving if this happens. Enough said. (Ed. Note: The sector seems to be divided over whether or not it's appropriate to ask for a second gift in a thank-you letter. Past stories in FundRaising Success have suggested that it's not only perfectly fine, but almost necessary. What has your experience been? Tell us by e-mailing asanticola@napco.com.)