Why do charities use direct mail in their fundraising campaigns?
Receiving mail in the post makes you feel valued, just to think someone has taken the time out of their day to write you a letter and send it to you. Even if it is a promotion, or a charitable fund-raising campaign, a well written and personalised communication can lift the spirit and encourage you to at least look at the content, considering the messaging and what to do next.
There is something inexplicably exciting about receiving mail
When loyal supporters donate to their chosen charity on a regular basis, they expect to be kept informed about the results of the fund-raising efforts. What the money is spent on, how it is benefitting the recipients of their donations and what the plans are for the future
*Did you know, 72% of supporters like to receive something in the post to honour their support?
During the festive season, it is natural for these supporters to turn their thoughts to those who are less fortunate than themselves and as a result, supporters would be more inclined to donate to the charities that touch
However, the need for these charities to maintain the fund-raising campaigns throughout the year is ever-present.
*As research shows 60% of supporters consider receiving printed information as part of membership benefits.
Here we are at the beginning of a new year and new decade, with new challenges. Not least, to keep in touch with existing supporters and look to grow the support needed to meet the financial requirements in providing much-needed services.
*56% of supporters think print is the most trustworthy of all communication channels
We have worked with many charities for some years and understand how important it is to manage the content, design and the costs. Giving the supporters valuable information and the opportunity to contribute, but also to keep the campaign budgets under control to give the charity maximum monies to spend on the good work. There are many ways to achieve this and here are just a few:
Data cleaning and acquisition will reduce costs and increase results
An important factor when creating a direct mail campaign is to ensure the data is targeted and clean. Existing supporters do move out of the area and unfortunately pass away and therefore, removing these from the database is important.
Acquiring new data to grow the supporter numbers, to counteract the above reductions and enable new initiatives in delivering the service is a challenge. GDPR inhibits cold campaigns to named recipients, but there is a targeted option to reach people who match your existing supporters’ profile.
Blue Print can profile your existing database, then provide data for consideration in your preferred areas to match that profile. This allows you to be in control and choose a preferred profile, numbers and the data you wish to prospect. Here at Blue Print, we understand the importance of data security. Therefore, all operations at Blue Print are GDPR compliant, ensuring the right procedures are in place to maintain our ISO 27001 standard for information security.
Supporting charities to design the VAT out of their campaigns
Charities struggle with financial pressure and limited resources for fundraising. Therefore, it is important to provide the most cost-effective Direct Mail solutions. Advising on the design to apply for a nil VAT campaign is just one way to help with these constraints.
Also looking to supply the most efficient postal service is vital to reduce the costs to a minimum.
Blue Print has grown to offer a comprehensive range of services, from data management, design services, print, fulfilment, to post and returns management. This enables us to deliver immaculate campaigns, from just one record to a million records.
