Is the Graphic Design of Your Fundraising Appeals Hurting Response Rates?

“In direct mail, copy is king.”

Who said it? No one seems to know. But it’s a truism that’s as old as direct mail itself, including direct mail for fundraising. 

But does that mean graphic design doesn’t matter in fundraising appeals?

Not at all. In fact, fundraising appeal design does matter a great deal. But the design is there to support and enhance the verbal messaging, not overshadow it. 

And that overshadowing part — that’s where you run into problems. Headlines and teasers are placed on top of images, making the text all but unreadable. Headlines are way too small, especially on the outer envelope, causing donors to overlook the message as they’re sorting through a stack of mail. Reverse type is everywhere. Sans serif fonts are used for letter text — and in really artsy examples, these sans serif fonts are gray instead of black. 

All these things hamper readability. They may seem trendy to a 20-something graphic designer working at a fundraising agency or on a nonprofit marketing team, but to the over-60 baby boomer who’s getting the appeal, these things just make it difficult to read. Even worse, they make older donors feel the appeal isn’t intended for them. 

That’s too bad. Because like it or not, most donors are older. And most graphic designers aren’t. Therein lies the disconnect. 

Direct mail is primarily a verbal medium. It’s the messaging that creates an emotional connection with donors, presents the offer, tells the story and asks for the gift.

That’s not entirely true in other channels. Take print ads, for example. They’re mainly visual. The copy is often there to reinforce the visual concept of the ad.

Not so in direct mail. Here, the words do all the heavy lifting. And that means readability and clarity have to be paramount.

Design Choices That Help Donors Read — and Respond

With that in mind, here are some things to be aware of in the fundraising appeal design phase for maximum readability:

Do Use a Serif Font for Body Copy

Serif fonts like Times New Roman are generally easier to read than sans-serif fonts, especially for longer text. While research findings vary, several studies point to readability advantages for serif fonts in print. 

Do Use a Reasonable Font Size for Body Copy

Most donors are older folks, so it’s best not to go smaller than 12 pt or so. In addition, small print carries negative connotations, reminding people of contracts and other documents. But don’t go too large either. You don’t want your letter to look like a page from a large-print book. Besides, using an unusually large font size makes it seem like you’re shouting at your donors.

Don’t Use Color Fonts

The font should be black — not grey, blue, red or any other color — especially for body text. Black text on a white background is the most readable.

Don’t Use Reverse Type

Reverse type — light-colored text on a dark background — may look trendy, but studies have found that it reduces readability.

Do Use Boldface, Italics and Underlining

Use these sparingly because if formatting is overused, it will look like you’re trying to emphasize everything, and the result will be emphasizing nothing.

Do Indent Paragraphs

A block format without paragraph indents makes your appeal look like a business form letter. That’s not what you want. 

Don’t Put Photos, Graphics or Color Behind the Text

It’s distracting, and it drastically reduces readability. The letter should be black text on a white or light background. That’s what is the easiest to read.

Do Grab Your Donor’s Attention on the Outer Envelope

Ensure that any graphics on the outer envelope support the envelope teaser copy instead of overwhelming it. You have only a few seconds on the outer envelope to get your donor’s attention. The messaging needs to stand out and be as clear as possible.

Simplicity Wins in Fundraising Appeal Design

If it seems like these guidelines restrict a graphic designer’s creativity, don’t worry. There are thousands of ways to grab attention with photos, graphics and color without hampering readability and obscuring the messaging. And in the end, as with the copywriting, the real power in the graphic approach lies in simplicity.

And don’t think that a simple graphic approach will bore your donors. Just the opposite. Most donors will appreciate the clarity and directness. They’ll be more likely to take in the messaging. And that means they’ll be more likely to become a supporter and give a donation because strong fundraising appeal design is about clarity and connection — where the graphics bolster the message instead of overpowering it.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of NonProfit PRO.