Snail mail is more effective creating online gifts than E-appeals!

A recent national study confirmed what fundraising results have been saying for a long time:

===> “Donors are more than three times likelier to give online in response to a direct-mail appeal than an e-appeal, according to a new national Dunham+Company study.”  You can read the whole story here.

Another way of saying this is that a direct mail appeal is three times more effective at creating an online donation than an e-appeal.  AND you get the added bonus of the gifts that will come in via snail mail.

Of course, digital is usually cheaper (which is music to the ears of most nonprofits).  But let us save you some pain and heartache.  Here’s what usually happens when most organizations go digital-only or digital-heavy with their fundraising; they save money in the short term, but the long term they raise less money and their donor retention rates go down.

In other words, don’t stop using the mail.  You’ll spend more to print and mail your fundraising, but you’ll almost always raise far more money and retain more donors.

Look, we just want you to raise more money so you can make the world a better place.  And we understand the attraction of e-appeals and e-newsletters.  If you are getting pushed to go digital with your fundraising, please test digital vs. snail mail before going all-digital.  Let us know if you want to talk about it; email jim@theedgegroup.org.