How 2 Nonprofits Are Using Direct Mail to Get Donors Fired Up to Take Action

Nonprofits are taking incoming fire like never before. In some cases, their very existence is being threatened.

Over the past several months, the Trump administration has taken actions that directly impact the nonprofit sector, from proposing taxes on nonprofits under “The One Big Beautiful Bill,” which is awaiting a final Senate vote as of the time of publication; proposing recissions of funding for organizations like the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; and “even installing a small DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency] team to target organizations that challenge the president’s agenda.”

So, if you’re a nonprofit that’s feeling the heat, what do you do? You fire up your donors.

Environmental Defense Fund

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is dealing with funding cuts. The Trump administration has canceled or interrupted hundreds of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants, including many involving environmental justice and climate resiliency. The administration has also shut down more than 100 climate studies and ended National Science Foundation grants for projects related to climate change.

These cuts affect the EDF and other organizations working on air pollution monitoring, clean energy initiatives and climate research.

The EDF responded by taking aim squarely at the problem — and they didn’t hold back in a recent direct mail campaign.

The outer envelope of this appeal doesn’t mince words, obviously intending to motivate donors with “Fight Back!” in large letters. The rest of the appeal does the same. The letter says, “Trump’s climate agenda is backward and dangerous. We must fight back together!”

Amnesty International

Amnesty International is also feeling the funding cuts. The Trump administration stopped U.S. foreign aid, halting programs for healthcare, food security, shelter and humanitarian support. These cuts followed an executive order titled "Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid,” which led to the termination of funding for programs supporting survivors of sexual violence, refugees and marginalized communities.

Amnesty International has said that these cuts will leave millions without essential services.

Given all that, Amnesty International took action to stir up their army of supporters.

Again, the nonprofit is taking direct aim on the outer envelope with its “Fight Back” messaging. But it doesn’t stop there. Inside, the letter says, “I hope you’ll be inspired to take two urgent actions. First, help Amnesty International put pressure on repressive governments, and hold human rights abusers accountable by signing the enclosed three petitions to the Trump Administration …”

Dissecting the Approach

Both of these appeals are following a bold, in-your-face strategy to get noticed, to get the appeal opened and to incite action on the part of the donors.

There’s the oversize outer envelope (11x5” for one and 11.5x5” for the other). They’re hard to ignore when you’re sorting through the mail.

There’s the simple, powerful messaging on the outer envelope. “Fight Back” is certainly direct. It clearly tells the donor what needs to be done.

There’s the bold graphic approach, with huge fonts and attention-grabbing reds and yellows. Again, you probably won’t see anything like this in your mail. It will stand out.

There’s the appeal to donors’ outrage. You can see that in the “Fight back” messaging. The nonprofits didn’t waste time with adspeak, puns or clever slogans. They took direct aim at donors’ hot buttons to convey the urgency and immediacy of the situation.

And there’s the invitation to take action. The back of the Amnesty International carrier touts an “activist tool kit inside.” And the reverse side of the EDF envelope announces, “Petitions Inside!” Both appeals tell donors they can not only be supporters, but become activists as well.

These tactics were devised and executed to seize donors’ attention. You have mere seconds with the outer envelope to engage your donors. You’re competing with other nonprofits in the daily mail. You’re competing with donors’ inertia. You’re competing with a million other marketing messages. You’re competing to win the most precious thing there is: donors’ attention.

That’s what these two appeals are doing. They’re all about increasing the open rate to get donors to dig into the content of the appeal and become involved with the cause.

And it all happens as you’re simply glancing over the envelope. Before you even open the appeal, you know this is something important. Your interest has been piqued. Your ire has been roused. And your means for fighting back are right at hand, inside the envelope.

These are tactics and strategies that virtually all nonprofits could use in their appeals, especially now. This is a period of chaos and uncertainty for the economy, the business world, the nonprofit sector and people’s personal lives. We’re all feeling it.

That’s why, as this turmoil continues, nonprofits will have to grab donors’ attention and motivate them like never before. And that means direct mail tactics like these will become necessary not only for success, but for survival.

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.