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Volume 1, Issue 15 - April 28, 2009
- Kicking It Old School
- Prospecting Packages that Outperform — Even in a Downturn
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Prospecting Packages that Outperform — Even in a Downturn

Last week, I mentioned that I’ve written prospecting control packages that are outperforming industry benchmarks. I heard from my client’s agency that their other clients are green with envy over the response rates.

So today, I thought we would take a look at one package and analyze why it is performing so well despite tough economic times.

This fundraising prospecting package focuses on the plight of wolves in the Northern Rockies. Looking back on the creative process involved with bringing this direct mail package to life, I see a number of factors that contributed to its success:

“Above-and-beyond” research: Knowing that donors often respond when baby animals are in trouble, I searched beyond client-provided documents to learn about wolf family dynamics. When I read that orphaned wolf pups have no chance of survival once the rest of the wolf pack is killed, I knew we had the centerpiece message for the outer envelope.
Email testing: When conducting direct mail tests, we used to find that plain envelopes invariably outperformed those with photographs. But here is where email testing can help produce new results. Based on our experience with e-appeals, where we found that photographs of wolf pups motivate donors to give online, we took a chance at putting a wolf pup photo on the envelope — and it worked.
Rock-solid credentials: On the back of the envelope, the charity’s four-star rating is highlighted to inspire donor confidence.
Powerful word stories: Using the Johnson box as a mini-billboard for the main message … compelling captions under photographs … and a telegraphic lead-in sentence, the reader quickly “gets the picture” that wolves and wolf pups are in mortal danger.
Easy scannability: In fundraising, where long four-page letters are the norm, it’s important to “design” copy as you write — to draw readers in and keep them engaged. I like to vary the length of the paragraphs — using short one-sentence paragraphs to guide the eye to key points. Breaking up the copy into paragraphs of different lengths creates white space and adds a sense of rhythm in the copy that makes it easy to read and follow. Then, it’s important to go through and highlight compelling snippets of copy with underlining, boldface type, subheads, indents, and italics.
The P.S. “crescendo”: The postscript is often the most-read copy in a letter. So I always make sure it’s a strong rallying cry — in this case, reminding the reader that we cannot wait for more wolves to die before taking action.

While all the traditional direct mail fundraising techniques outlined above are important, I think the first one about "above-and-beyond" research is the make-or-break factor for creating a “donor magnet.” When you take the time to uncover and communicate a memorable message that resonates deeply, donors will turn out in full force to support your cause.

If you would like to see samples of successful direct mail packages, contact Karen at 718-680-1627 or at kg@karengedney.com.