Timing and When To
Do you have a sample annual calendar that spells out various mailings/production month by month? When is the best time to send a direct mail appeal? When should a year-end appeal be mailed? Does it matter which day of the week a direct mail piece hits? Does it matter what day of the month a direct mail appeal arrives? Are some months better than others to begin a direct mail campaign? Is it effective to send direct mail during the holiday season? Is there an ideal holiday window in which to mail? Is December too late in the year for a prospect mailing? Is it better not to mail in the summer? How early should I solicit event sponsors? What's the best schedule for membership renewals? Can you offer advice about scheduling annual membership renewal mailings? What time of year is best for a membership renewal mailing? How many appeals should we send each year? How many "matching gift" appeals should be sent each year? Are we mailing our donors too frequently? How can I maximize time spent on fundraising for a school? When is the best time to mail a voter guide? Should we phase out our voting membership program? How long do we continue to provide benefits to donors who have not renewed their support? How quickly do gifts start arriving in an advertising campaign?
Do you have a sample annual calendar that spells out various mailings/production month by month? I have started mine, but I am worried I've forgotten something. Is there a link to a reference?
Mal answers: You appear to have put your finger on something that's missing from my archives. I discuss this subject in some of my workshops, but to the best of my recollection I've never published a model calendar. So here goes . . .
This is a *suggested* sequence of mailings for a small nonprofit organization that maintains a direct mail-based donor file of 5-10,000 names and addresses, with perhaps 2-3,000 as 12-month active donors:
January -- Newsletter 1
February -- Renewal 1
March -- Renewal 2
April -- Renewal 3, Newsletter 2
May -- Special appeal 1
June -- no mail
July -- Newsletter 3
August -- no mail
September -- Special appeal 2
October -- Newsletter 4
November -- Year-end appeal 1
December -- Year-end appeal 2
Please note that segmentation is crucial in making this work. The first renewal or two go only to active and recently lapsed donors, the third only to actives; a second effort goes only to those who fail to respond to the first. The special appeals are sent selectively. The newsletter goes to all active, recently lapsed, and legacy prospect donors. The first effort in the year-end appeal goes to all active and lapsed donors, the second one only to the top active donors who haven't responded.
When is the best time to send a direct mail appeal?
We are sending out an appeal letter to a rented list. Are there better and worse months to send out such a mailing? Or does it not matter what time of year you send it out? Thanks for your help.
Mal answers: Hi! Yes, it matters -- but not nearly so much as many people think. For example, there's one time when it's not wise to mail an acquisition appeal such as yours: in December (since you're not the Salvation Army or the Red Cross or another name-brand charity). Many organizations also claim to have trouble raising money during the mid-summer months (July and August), although I know that's not true for everyone. And, of course, it's not a good idea to mail within a couple of weeks before a major election -- or the night before an earthquake!
My rule of thumb is this: the right time to mail an appeal is usually when you've got it printed, and you've got the money for postage! Good luck.
When should a year-end appeal be mailed?
Should appeal letters be mailed to arrive before a holiday or after? We are in the final stages of our annual fall campaign and need to mail end-of-year letters to donors who have not responded to earlier mailings. Is it best to time the mailing to arrive in the days leading into the Thanksgiving holiday or to arrive in the week that follows?
Mal answers: It sounds to me as though you're referring to a year-end appeal. In such cases, I believe it's most advantageous to ensure that the mail arrives at least a few days before Thanksgiving. This will give donors the opportunity either to respond immediately (as many will do) or to include the appeal in a number of other solicitations that they'll answer in the final weeks of the year. During November and December, some 40% of all charitable gifts are reportedly received.
At other times of the year, a similar rule will hold. An appeal that refers to a meaningful holiday — such as Easter or Rosh Hashanah — ought to arrive long enough before the date of the holiday to give people the opportunity to respond in time to commemorate it.
Does it matter which day of the week a direct mail piece hits?
Do you have any information on the difference in results when mailing on different days of the week? For example, is it better to have a mailing hit in-home on a Tuesday rather than a Friday? This is regarding print mail, not e-mail.
Mal answers: The answer is no. I've never had strong enough reason to test that question, which would require a significant investment, not just of money but also of management time (to oversee the lettershop and be certain that test panels were mailed on the days stipulated in the test). I don't trust any anecdotal information reported at direct marketing conferences, and I certainly wouldn't trust reports from commercial direct marketers. Responses to fundraising mail could easily be very different from those to commercial offers.
If you find a way to test this, though, let me know! I'd be happy to spread the word.
Does it matter what day of the month a direct mail appeal arrives?
Is there any study that indicates when is the best "in-home" date for your direct mail appeal? In other words, when is the best time of each month to have your appeal hit homes?
Mal Answers: I'm sure someone has tested this question exhaustively, but not I. My own experience with test results is that they vary so much from client to client and from time to time that I doubt I would trust the findings of such a test, anyway. The U.S. economy is so large and so diverse that I think it would be foolish to speculate that "people" have more disposable money at hand at one time of the month rather than another.
I wish I could give you a more straightforward answer. That's the best I can do.
Are some months better than others to begin a direct mail campaign?
When is the best time of year to start a fundraising campaign through the mail — is there a month that people are more likely to give?
Mal answers: Your question about what direct marketing professionals call "seasonality" is a common one. Some practitioners would answer by showing you a table of the months that depicts, month by month, the estimated proportion of nonprofit mailings sent overall. But I won't. I think all such tables prove is that most nonprofits mail their donors in the final months of the year and avoid the summer months — and many nonprofits neglect opportunities to mail at other times of the year.
Similar logic applies to start-up direct mail programs. I don't believe there's any really bad time to mail. However, for an initial mailing, I too might tend to avoid July and August — and I'd avoid November and December because competition is intense in those months. Just about any other time of year should be fine.
Is it effective to send direct mail during the holiday season?
Is it effective to send direct mail during the holiday season, in the end of December? Or is it more effective before or after? What are some statistics? THANKS!
Mal answers: I can't give you statistics, but here's what I know from direct experience . . .
In North America, donors are typically much more responsive in the final 8-12 weeks of the year. Most charities mail their year-end appeals before Thanksgiving, in order to take maximum advantage of that fact. Some mail shortly after Thanksgiving. I've seen good response from mailings dropped days or weeks later than that, but it's my strong impression -- call it a conviction -- that mailing in the final week or ten days of the year will miss most of the holiday season. The only circumstances in which I might mail that late would be to follow up an earlier "year-end" mailing. I can imagine exceptions to that -- but not many of them! Thank you for writing, and good luck!
Is there an ideal holiday window in which to mail?
Given all the mail arriving in home between Thanksgiving day and Christmas day, is there an ideal "window" in which to mail, or during which a constituent should receive, holiday-themed direct mail solicitations? This is an ongoing debate in our organization.
Mal answers: There's a reason why all that mail arrives between Thanksgiving and Christmas: that's when people respond most readily. The best estimate I've heard over the years is that 40% of philanthropic income is received in the three months of November, December, and January. Of course, you knew that already.
Most nonprofit organizations that depend heavily on direct mail send their year-end appeals either in late October or in November, before Thanksgiving. Others actually wait until the time between the two major holidays, which helps explain the glut.
Most of the time, I advise clients to mail a general year-end appeal during the first two weeks of November, with a follow-up (either by mail and/or by phone) early in December to their most responsive donors. It's difficult to get any more specific than that.
Is December too late in the year for a prospect mailing?
We are planning a prospect mail drop of around 30,000 pieces to arrive state-wide in the first week in December. Some in our office are worried, however, that this is too late in the year and that we should hold off until early in the new year. What is the latest time that a prospect mail should be sent to potential new donors?
Mal answers: The first week of December is late, but probably not too late, for a year-end appeal. However, it may indeed be too late for a prospect mailing — depending on (a) what list or lists you use and (b) how well known you are.
In prospecting, many nonprofits avoid the tough competition at year-end, which is the time that virtually every large charity in America appeals for funds from its donors. By large I mean Red Cross-large. Salvation Army-large. Not to mention every environmental and conservation organization in the known universe, which is probably of some interest to your organization.
If you're mailing completely out of the blue to people who've never heard of you before, yes, I suggest waiting until early in the new year.
Is it better not to mail in the summer?
Since the summer months tend to be the lowest donation months for our organization, should we push harder during these months to try and drum up more donations, or should we slack off and concentrate on the better donor seasons?
Mal Answers: This is obviously an important question, and a common one. The answer isn't so obvious.
There are at least two overarching factors to take into account in considering how to answer this question:
* First, it's important that you communicate with your donors year-round, if only for the sake of good stewardship. Letting your list lie fallow for months on end exposes your organization to the risk that donors will grow less aware of your work, and less interested. You won't be on their minds — as other charities may be.
* Second, it's good financial practice to make the best use possible of your available capital. If you're like most nonprofits, you have a fixed amount of money available for fundraising. The more times you turn over that capital in the course of a year, the higher will be your return on investment (within the limits of prudence, of course). So, even though you may profit less in the summer months, chances are that you add to the year's overall net profits by sending appeals during the summer. And much the same argument can be made for donor acquisition activities.
How early should I solicit event sponsors?
How far in advance should I solicit sponsors for a fundraiser? Can I solicit sponors before we have a date set if the rest of the fundraiser is mostly planned?
Mal answers: Time's a-wastin'! It's never too early to solicit event sponsors. In fact, if you have any hopes of enlisting a major underwriter for an event, it's not a bad idea to approach them at the outset. Perhaps an opportunity to help plan the event might persuade them to dig a little more deeply into their pockets. Best of luck, and thank you for writing!
What's the best schedule for membership renewals?
Currently, we have an expire-based renewal series. We're interested in going to a bi-monthly, quarterly or perhaps calendar year series to save money, simplify our efforts and open up some months to be renewal-free. Any tips or thoughts?
Mal answers: The question you pose is a controversial one. Some fundraisers hold that it's a mistake to build a direct mail fundraising program on a membership model -- that the average number of gifts per donor per year is maximized when you simply send frequent appeals for funds. Others insist that membership builds loyalty, that a renewal series is the single indispensable tool in a membership program -- and that it's most natural, and most successful, to renew members on the basis of their "anniversary date." Those are the two extremes, as I understand them.
My own feelings, based on mounds of evidence over the years, has led me to encourage virtually all of my clients to adopt a membership-like program (even if not technically membership), and to build a renewal series on a uniform annual calendar. In this fashion, we ask donors to renew "for the year 2002," "for the year 2003," and so forth.
You cited two advantages to simplifying your renewal program. First, that it is easier to manage (and usually saves money as well.) Second, that it opens up "renewal-free" windows in the calendar. A uniform annual calendar implies a third advantage: that everyone readily understands calendar years and can easily accept such a system, whereas they may be mystified (and ask troublesome questions) if you try to use any other model. I can usually remember whether or not I renewed last year, but I couldn't begin to tell you when I did.
The uniform annual calendar has its drawbacks, of course. Introducing it will occasion a lot of donor questions, and some complaints -- all of which you'll need to be ready to field. It will also alter your cash flow, introducing peaks and valleys into what was probably a steadier stream of income. But these are usually minor annoyances.
When clients of ous have made such a switch, they have almost invariably seen a big boost in net revenue. I heartily recommend this approach.
Can you offer advice about scheduling annual membership renewal mailings?
I was hoping you could lend some insight to renewing members. We are on an annual cycle, and we ask all members to renew in March. What do we do with the people who joined in the last few months? If they joined Nov. 1 do we ask them to renew so soon? Do we pro-rate their membership? Is it better to offer them a discount on programs or gift shop items? I understand you wrote an article about this and I was hoping for your input.
Mal answers: In my opinion (humble or not), simplest is best. I recommend that annual membership programs be run on a calendar-year basis. Members are typically asked to renew their membership early in the year, with the payment covering the entire 12-month period from January through December.
First, it's important to establish a cut-off date. If you begin to renew members in March, then Dec. 1 seems like an appropriate cut-off. Those members who have paid during the three or four months leading up to the first renewal notice would fall into two groups:
1. New members who paid their dues on or after December 1 of the preceding year;
2. Old members who (finally) renewed their membership for the preceding year on or after that same cut-off date.
I would regard those in the first group as having paid their dues for this year. I would regard those in the second group as having paid their previous year's dues late and would request this year's starting in March. (However, I would be certain to make this expectation and the cut-off date absolutely clear in all membership materials.
If someone paid on November 1, I would either count that as last year's dues — or move the cut-off date back to that point.
It's a judgment call.
In the final analysis, of course, this is all a matter of judgment. I just try to err on the side of clarity, removing the sort of ambiguity that's sure to rile people up.
What time of year is best for a membership renewal mailing?
You have mentioned sending Renewals in Jan, Feb, March and April. Our fiscal year begins in July so would July be comparable to Jan? And with the Holiday and Year end how would you recommend spacing out the renewals?
Mal answers: Fiscal years may be important to you, but they're not to donors. Think of this from THEIR point of view. Start in January.
Can you offer advice about scheduling annual membership renewal mailings?
I was hoping you could lend some insight to renewing members. We are on an annual cycle, and we ask all members to renew in March. What do we do with the people who joined in the last few months? If they joined Nov. 1 do we ask them to renew so soon? Do we pro-rate their membership? Is it better to offer them a discount on programs or gift shop items? I understand you wrote an article about this and I was hoping for your input.
Mal answers: In my opinion (humble or not), simplest is best. I recommend that annual membership programs be run on a calendar-year basis. Members are typically asked to renew their membership early in the year, with the payment covering the entire 12-month period from January through December.
First, it's important to establish a cut-off date. If you begin to renew members in March, then Dec. 1 seems like an appropriate cut-off. Those members who have paid during the three or four months leading up to the first renewal notice would fall into two groups:
1. New members who paid their dues on or after December 1 of the preceding year;
2. Old members who (finally) renewed their membership for the preceding year on or after that same cut-off date.
I would regard those in the first group as having paid their dues for this year. I would regard those in the second group as having paid their previous year's dues late and would request this year's starting in March. (However, I would be certain to make this expectation and the cut-off date absolutely clear in all membership materials.
If someone paid on November 1, I would either count that as last year's dues — or move the cut-off date back to that point.
It's a judgment call.
In the final analysis, of course, this is all a matter of judgment. I just try to err on the side of clarity, removing the sort of ambiguity that's sure to rile people up.
How many appeals should we send each year?
How many direct mail solicitation letters do most colleges & universities send out per year? We send 7 letters, each segmented to reach different donor groups for optimum results. After keeping results of the cycle for the past 3 years, I want to know if it would be wiser to send 8 or 6 letters each year.
Mal answers: Good question -- but unfortunately, not one I can answer with a few simple numbers.
In my experience with a range of schools, the pattern of direct mail usage is all across the board. Many schools are very unsophisticated and make little or no significant use of the mails. Others, typically the biggest ones, have extensive and very complex approaches to direct mail.
As for your own situation, it would be difficult at best to give you advice on the basis of the information you've supplied. For example, I could send eight mailings in a year to an alumni base -- and no single person would receive more than three or four solicitations. So it's all in the program design. There's no way to know whether you would benefit from beefing up, or from cutting back -- without testing. And that may or may not be advisable, given the number of people you write to.
For details, I suggest you contact the good folks at CASE. They have drawers-full of information about fundraising efforts at colleges and universities. Northwestern College may even be a member.
I wish I could be of more help. And I wish you luck.
Thank you for writing!
How many "matching gift" appeals should be sent each year?
How many 'matching gift' appeals in a year is too many?
Mal answers: For optimal results, two is too many. There now, wasn't that easy?
Are we mailing our donors too frequently?
We are on a pace to do about 6 or 7 in-house mailings this year. While it does vary, we usually have at least a 20% response rate. However, we often get responses to a previous mailing for a fairly substantial time after the current mailing has gone out and responses to the most current mailing are coming in. Does this mean that we are sending out too many mailings, or that we just need to segment the list, and mail less frequently to some of the people?
Mal answers: It's entirely normal for nonprofits to receive contributions using response devices included in previous mailings rather than the most recent. Why? Who knows? Perhaps some people want to give you the impression that they really meant to respond to that earlier mailing. In any case, this phenomenon most certainly does not suggest you're mailing too frequently. I've seen gifts sent in using response devices that are years old!
How can I maximize time spent on fundraising for a school?
I've been asked by my son's school (a private Montessori school) to help them with their fundraising efforts. In Australia, donations and fundraising in the education sector tend to be limited to cake stalls and chocolate selling. My expertise (and the reason for being asked) is in business development for corporate organizations. I'm looking for some suggestions as to how to maximize the time spent on fundraising efforts from a larger scale than baking cakes! Are there any good case studies that you know of?
Mal answers: There's an excellent book written to help people in situations like yours: it's "Successful Fundraising" by Joan Flanagan, now in its second edition. I suggest you acquire a copy. That should be easy, because the book has reportedly sold close to 100,000 copies. I'm sure it's readily available on Amazon.com, among other places.
When is the best time to mail a voter guide?
I am doing an election mailing for Pennsylvania. It is a direct mail piece with a voter guide included. I'd like to mail it 10/14/04. Should I mail it earlier or later because of other high volume political mail at that time?
Mal answers: Mailing patterns and procedures vary from state to state, and from locality to locality. In my experience with political mailings in California, it was always possible to tag pre-sorted bags of mail as political and time-sensitive and to ensure quick, even next-day delivery. However, those mailings always dropped much closer to election day. I suggest you talk to the postal authorities. Get their advice before deciding.
Should we phase out our voting membership program?
We are a membership organization (members have voting rights), and we are trying to decide whether or not to phase out our membership program. One of our biggest problems is that for many issues ... most of the time, members do not show up, and it is just board members, spouses, and volunteers who make up the "membership" vote. It is also costly, because our by-laws require that we mail all materials to be voted on to every member at least two weeks before the annual meeting. Can you give me some advice on a compelling argument to end the voting membership? PS: As a fundraiser, I am very confident we can move our "membership" givers to annual fund donors and not lose any revenue.
Mal answers: I agree with your reasoning that voting membership has outlived its usefulness for your organization. Clearly, it's a cumbersome and costly process and it no longer serves any constructive purpose. However, I don't agree that you should necessarily drop the word "membership" from your characterization of your donors' relationship with you.
Most nonprofit membership programs are really annual fund programs that happen to use the trappings, though not the legal baggage, of membership. That's what I recommend for you. My colleagues and I have gone to great trouble to convert simple annual giving programs to such "membership" programs for a great many of our clients — and with terrific results. Why? Because (a) a membership program, whether legally meaningful or not, allows for the possibility of an annual membership renewal series, which is a lucrative (and often the most lucrative) source of ongoing small-donor support; and (b) there is, or seems to be, a psychologically compelling attraction to "membership" for some donors. Membership implies a continuing obligation to support an organization on an annual basis. An annual fund program may not attract the same degree of loyalty.
Since your members have already bought into the concept of membership, I suggest you merely change the terms of their membership. I strongly suspect that a straightforward, honest explanation will persuade all but a hard-bitten few.
How long do we continue to provide benefits to donors who have not renewed their support?
We provide print and e-mail newsletters, passwords to the protected portion of our website, and other benefits. This is somewhat of a mixed bag: if we keep them on the mailing list, we keep them in touch with the organization and perhaps they will renew at some point in the future. However, it's expensive to do so. Do you have a suggestion?
Mal answers: As a general rule, I advise my clients to think in terms of three classes of donor:
A donor is "active" if she has last given a gift sometime within the past 18 to 24 months. The exact time limit varies with the organization's history and current preferences. Active donors normally receive all donor benefits, even though — technically — they may be "active" for only the year in which their last gift is received.
"Lapsed" donors are those whose last gift was received sometime during the period starting 18 to 24 months ago and extending backward in time to 36 or, occasionally, sometimes as long as 48 months ago. Most lapsed donors are not provided with donor benefits. However, there are two categories of lapsed donors that are sometimes given benefits anyway: donors of especially large gifts (perhaps a minimum of $250, $500, or $1000, depending on the scale of values in the organization); and donors who have lapsed because of age or illness that occasions financial constraints. The latter are often favored with continuing benefits because they may be prime prospects for legacy gifts.
A "former" donor is one whose last gift was received sometime earlier than 36 or 48 months ago (depending on the organization's preference). Former donors receive no benefits. Usually, I advise clients to include former donors in their direct mail donor acquisition programs. It's common for such warm lists to yield high rates of response.
How quickly do gifts start arriving in an advertising campaign?
How long does it usually take from the time a non-profit advertising campaign launches which solicits donations until the first check arrives? Is there a typical "giving" timeframe for this type of program that utilizes newspaper and radio?
Mal answers: I'm sure there is a "typical timeframe," and I would guess that it's very short, indeed — no more than a few days at most (though probably a little longer with newspapers, shorter with radio — but I can't cite hard numbers.
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