Direct Mail Archives

“Our Donors Are Different” Is Hurting Your Acquisition

June 22, 2026

Jeff Brooks

I remember the first time I heard it: Our donors are different. I was working with a small environmental nonprofit — smart, passionate people doing genuinely important work. We were talking about their fundraising, and I suggested some changes to their…

The Shocking New Realities of Direct Mail Fundraising

June 15, 2026

Jeff Brooks

Bequests and Legacies, Direct Mail

I don’t want to annoy with a “good old days” story. But listen to this: Back in the day – like back in the 20th century – donor acquisition was so much easier (and less expensive) than it is now. It was a dependable and…

Why AI is Making Direct Mail Fundraising More Important

May 18, 2026

Jeff Brooks

Digital Fundraising, Direct Mail

Imagine a world where you have a list of donors. You send messages to them. The delivery rate is very nearly 100%. They arrive in uncrowded in-boxes – even at the busiest times of year, there are seldom more than…

How to Turn a Single Direct Mail Appeal into a Full Campaign

September 15, 2025

Jeff Brooks

Digital Fundraising, Direct Mail, Fundraising

Double your income! This post is part of a series on specific steps you can take to meaningfully increase your fundraising revenue. This is part 3. As much as we may hate to admit it, one of the top reasons…

Winning Direct Mail Lifts: Where to Invest to Improve Response

September 8, 2025

Jeff Brooks

Direct Mail, Fundraising, Major and Mid Value Donors

Double your income! This post is part of a series on specific steps you can take to meaningfully increase your fundraising revenue. This is part 2. It’s easy to say “Spend more to get more.” But what exactly should you…

How to Increase Direct Mail Open Rates using Mystery

August 25, 2025

Jeff Brooks

Digital Fundraising, Direct Mail

Curiosity is one of the most human traits. When we don’t know what’s going on, we feel compelled to find out. Think monkeys. Or kittens: We perk up and pay a lot more attention when we don’t know what something…

10 Design Tips for Stronger Direct Mail Fundraising

August 18, 2025

John Lepp

Direct Mail, Donor Love

There’s a reason I’ve spent more than 25 years peering into donor mailboxes. The truth is: most of what shows up in there is easy to ignore. Perfectly branded. Polished. Bland. It’s mail that’s trying to be liked by the…

How We Survived the End of Cheques, What We Learned, and What You Can Do Now

November 4, 2024

Sean Triner

Crises Fundraising, Direct Mail

A “storm” hit the charity community in New Zealand a few years ago. It did some serious damage. But it could have been much worse, if not for the work of some wide-awake organisations and people. The storm: the end…

How the 40-40-20 Rule Gives You Freedom, Confidence, and Success in Fundraising

November 14, 2022

Jeff Brooks

Creativity, Direct Mail

Let me share a rule I learned from a grizzled old-time direct response professional. He learned it from the classic days of commercial direct response, when he’d spent years creating direct mail for magazine subscriptions. It’s called the 40-40-20 Rule. …

5 More Winning Ways to Start Your Next Fundraising Appeal

October 3, 2022

Lisa Sargent

Direct Mail, Writing

Lisa Sargent’s last post on this blog, 6 Winning Ways to Start Your Next Fundraising Appeal, was so popular, that we asked her to give you even more! Over to Lisa… The right lead on a fundraising letter is like…

The Fundraisingology Lab is open this week. Doors close Fri, Feb 20.

“Our Donors Are Different” Is Hurting Your Acquisition

The Shocking New Realities of Direct Mail Fundraising

Why AI is Making Direct Mail Fundraising More Important

How to Turn a Single Direct Mail Appeal into a Full Campaign

Winning Direct Mail Lifts: Where to Invest to Improve Response

How to Increase Direct Mail Open Rates using Mystery

10 Design Tips for Stronger Direct Mail Fundraising

How We Survived the End of Cheques, What We Learned, and What You Can Do Now

How the 40-40-20 Rule Gives You Freedom, Confidence, and Success in Fundraising

5 More Winning Ways to Start Your Next Fundraising Appeal

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