Worthy Causes Worldwide That Charities Term Paper

Donors want to be sure there is a purpose for their gift; they want to know their money will be used wisely and will make a difference in the lives of others.

It seems counterintuitive that long letters would make effective appeals, but Clark (as cited in Kluth) recommends long letters as the best means to evoke a response from potential donors. Clark cites research that has demonstrated time and again that long letters are effective. By "long," she means two-sided copy on standard business letterhead paper and up to three or four pages. Such letters provide donors with information on which to make their funding decisions. It is part of ensuring donors that their "hard-earned dollars" will be well spent on a mission that has a clear purpose and is well thought out in terms of implentation.

Sims and Rees (2010 caution fundraisers to anticipate campaign results realistically. House, or renewal, mailings are sent to current donors and often result in significant giving. Still, response rates average in the range of 5-10%, although some organizations can boast a rate of return nearer twenty-five percent. As might be expected, results from acquisition, or cold, mailings are much less, usually below one percent. With these figures in mind, Sims and Reese advise fundraisers to send enough mailings to generate adequate responses to calls for funding. Lister (date) says that results from direct mail campaigns should be evidenced in about six weeks, with receipt of the bulk of donations at the end of three months.

Larry Crouch, who developed a fundraising manual for Boy Scouts of America, makes a simple claim: Most people like mail. Even in the age of electronic communication and other technology-driven means to connect with potential donors, "retrieving mail is part of everyone's daily routine" (Crouch, 2009).Mail is personal and tactile. "People touch it, handle it, and get involved with it. There is no other media hat offers this level of personal and physical contact with Scouting's message." The same can be said for any organization that wants that sort of personal and physical contact with its message.

Direct mail fundraising, despite modern advances in communication technologies, remains an effective way for organizations to promote their mission and solicit support from donors. Many resources exist to help organizations design effective direct mail campaigns that resonate with donors and compel them to share financial support for causes they can believe in.

References

Brickmill Agency. (2010). Brickmill direct mail tips. YouTube.com Nov. 10, 2010. Retrieved

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8_52zXk35c

Crouch, L. (2009). Boy Scouts of America: Direct mail fund-raising manual. Boy Scouts of America.

Kluth, B. (n.d.) 18 proven ideas for better direct mail fundraising. www.kluth.org. Retrieved from http://www.kluth.org/fundraising/18IdeasDirectMail.htm

Lister, (date). Chapter 1: Understanding direct mail fund raising.

Sims, S., & Rees, S. (2010). Direct mail fundraising basics -- Three important questions & answers. Step-by-Step Fundraising. Retrieved from http://stepbystepfundraising.com/direct-mail-fundraising-basics-three-important-questions-answers/

Verhaert, G., & Van den Poel, D. (2011). Fundraising direct/database marketing. YouTube.com January 2, 2011. Retrieved http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otxi1ypxcGg.....