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Direct Mail Fundraising for GLSEN Chapters
Table of Contents
Dear GLSEN Chapter Leaders, You probably just threw out a stack of "junk mail" last night before you sat down to read this. We all receive so much of it that it is hard to imagine it as a cost-effective way to raise money. In actuality, direct mail is still the most productive way to raise money and recruit new members. Mail is easy to do, cheap and can get you fast results. The purpose of this guide is to help you understand what makes for a successful direct mail effort. It offers you a step-by-step game plan for organizing such an effort for your chapter which, if followed carefully, can help rapidly expand your donor base and budget. Although you may feel deluged by the amount of direct mail you receive, the fact you get so much of it tells you something: it works, or folks wouldn't do it. Good luck! Sincerely, Kevin Jennings Executive Director SOME BACKGROUND ON DIRECT MAIL First, let's start off with some basic education. There are two types of direct mail. The first is called "prospecting." This involves reaching out to non-members in hopes of finding new donors, and typically has a low rate of return (1-3%) The second is mailing to known donors, which has a much higher rate of return (2/3 of members will renew their annual membership, and many will also make additional gifts during the course of a year). A successful effort balances these types of mailings. Prospecting pieces are necessary tasks as they build your number of donors and bring new folks into the organization. Known donor mailings are vital, and they allow you to generate a steady supply of income and keeps the donor informed of your work. A direct mail effort that employs only one of these types of mailings will not be a long-term success. TO WHOM SHOULD WE MAIL APPEALS? This decision is perhaps the critical one in your direct mail campaign. Mailing to the right folks makes or breaks a campaign. Thinking this through wisely is thus a vital decision. Mailing to Known Donors This is an easier decision to make when you are mailing to known donors. Obviously, you want to use your chapter's list of paid members. These folks have already given, demonstrating a commitment to GLSEN, and will probably lend more support if asked. Don't be afraid to ask them for money more than once a year: the Church asks every Sunday, so why does GLSEN have to restrict itself to once a year? You don't want to "over-ask," but certainly a few requests a year is appropriate. Three annual requests is average for organizations comparable to GLSEN. The goal of known donor mailings is to get current givers to move GLSEN up on their priority list of charities to which they contribute (or "move up the giving pyramid," in fundraise-ese). We want to use these repeat mailings as a means of educating donors about your work (much like a newsletter), which builds their interest in, and knowledge of, GLSEN, even if each letter doesn't yield a gift. These mailings provide many valuable outcomes in addition to gifts, such as raising awareness and building goodwill toward the organization. The general rule of thumb is this: take the amount the person gave the first time and add a zero to the end - that's how much they would give if GLSEN was their most important charity. But here's the catch: they'll only give that amount if you ask them to do so, so you've got to do those mailings! Prospecting Mailings For a prospecting piece, other sources must be utilized. These fall into two categories: names you use once and names you can re-use. One-time use names are those you acquire from other organizations, and have the advantage of being readily available and easy to access: their disadvantage is that after the campaign you only retain the names of folks who actually replied to your appeal (generally 1-3% of whom you mailed to), so they don't help you rapidly build your own database of donors. There are two major sources of one-time use names. The first is to get them by trading lists with other organizations. This is only possible if you have fairly sizable list (generally it's a one-for-one name trade, so you've got to have a fairly sizable list of names if you expect to get many in return): GLSEN National has very strict policies around trading names, so don't proceed on this without consulting with us first. Most people only allow a one-time use of their list (i.e. you can't keep it) and you are giving them your names in return (which means your folks get more junk mail), so relying heavily on trades heavily is problematic. The second option is to buy a list. This is expensive in many cases (the going rate is $75-125 per one thousand names) and often groups have minimum purchase requirements (2500-5000 is typical), so this would be something you'd do only if you have substantial resources to invest in such an effort. They also run the disadvantage of allowing only a one-time use. If you are interested in this option, contact GLSEN/National so we can assist you in identifying lists to buy - you can often target your city/region within a larger list (that of the Human Rights Campaign, for example), so think broadly. Creating a list you can re-use has the advantage of being a renewable resource, but is time-consuming, as someone has to build that database, which is slow and tedious data entry work. The most effective (and most overlooked) source of names for such a database are your chapter member's personal address books. Get those holiday card lists and enter the folks on them into your database! These folks probably already know something about GLSEN because they are friends with a member, so they are good prospects. Another resource is available through acquiring existing lists of donors to political campaigns. These are a matter of public record and are available to any citizen, generally through the Secretary of State's office: you simply have to pay the cost of photocopying, and the list is yours, complete with name, address, and amount the donor gave. If there have been anti-gay ballot initiatives or a gay/lesbian or pro-gay individual candidate in your neck of the woods, these lists can be valuable ways of identifying potential supporters, as the individuals on it have already shown a commitment to the values GLSEN espouses. The better way to go is to build your own database: you can do several mailings a year to it, and research shows that people tend to give after repeated asks, not just because of a one-time letter. The proverb that rings truest here is one we all know: "Feed me a fish, and I eat for a day; teach me to fish, and I eat for a lifetime." One-time use is a snack: a database prides ongoing nourishment. WHAT DO WE MAIL? Now that you have a list, you need a good direct mail "package." It includes:
The basic challenge here is getting the person to open your envelope (not easy - think of how many you throw away), read your letter and feel moved, and then take out their checkbook. The more things you can do to make this easier, the better. Most people spend less than 10 seconds on a direct mail piece (if they open it at all) so you have to grab their attention. You have to find a way to avoid this trap. Each part of the package can help you do this. Here's how: The Outer (Carrier) Envelope The key here is to find some way to engage the reader so they'll want to open the envelope. The rule of thumb is this: Anything that makes your envelope look like "real mail" helps you get your envelope opened. If envelopes are hand-addressed (a labor-intensive but effective technique), people think it's personal mail and they tend to open it. First class letters are expensive but look more like a "real mail" than one with a window, and this ups your chances of getting it opened. You just have to determine whether you have the people-power (to do the stuffing, hand-addressing, etc.) and financial resources (to afford first class postage) to pull off a mailing like this, but the lesson is clear that more personalized appeals are more effective.If you don't have the resources to personalize a mailing or if it is just too big, there are two schools of thought with the carrier envelope. Some put a "tease" on it ("Find out how you can help save the next generation" or something like that) in hopes of that this will intrigue recipients and get them to open it. This seems corny but seems to work. (Do bear in mind a word of warning here: many people don't want to be identified as gay through their mail, so only use the GLSEN acronym and a generic type of tease, that doesn't "out" the recipient). Some folks toss anything with a tease. so a plain envelope can reach them better. You probably want to mix the two up and track the results to see which works in your community. The Letter Assuming you've gotten them to open your envelope, you now have to give them a letter that will engage them and make them want to give. There are two ways to do this - a letter that sounds good (has a compelling message)and/or one that looks good (is eye-catching in its lay-out or appearance). In terms of "sounding good," one direct mail marketer identified the following motivators as the most effective: exclusivity, guilt, greed, need for approval, fear, and anger. Your goal is to break through the compassion fatigue we all feel, so you've got to seem compelling in some way. Tell a moving story, tell about right wing attacks on your work, tell a successful story - just find a way to reach into people's hearts. Letters of 2 or 4 sides (always double-side your letters, to save on paper costs and get the reader more physically involved with your piece) are the most successful, as they engage the reader more (if they keep reading) and leave reader feeling more invested in the cause and more likely to give than would a short note that provides little information on our work. Use short, to-the-point sentences and short paragraphs to keep the reader's attention focused. And repeat your main point in a P.S. which reiterates the need for support – surveys show this is the most-read part of any letter! "Looking good" requires a person with computer skills who can lay out things well. The basic rule of thumb is that you want it to be easy-to-read and you want key points to jump out at the reader (current research says courier font is the most effective font to use). In this era of desk-top publishing., many chapters have the folks who know how to make this happen. Find them. Remember here that you are still following the rule of making your piece look as little like junk mail as possible. Try to "mail merge" letters so the salutation is "Dear Kevin," not "Hey You." If you can write a short hand-written note on each letter, that is an invaluable way of adding to the feeling that it's a personal appeal and not just another piece of junk mail. This is the best way to raise your return rate: even if you just write "Hope you can support us!" you'll stand a much better chance of getting a reply than if you write nothing at all. The "Lift Note" A "lift note" is an item such as a news clipping or personal essay that provides more information on the work you are asking the reader to support with a gift. Why, you ask, is it called a "lift note"? Because research shows that inclusion of such materials statistically "lifts" the number of people who mail back contributions. The lift note should tie in to the letter: if you have written a letter about right wing attacks on your work, a new clipping detailing these is good to include. If your letter is about the work you do and how it helps students, a sheet of moving quotes from students might be good. Remember that this lift note accentuates the motivation the letter is building and adds credibility, information, and often a "human face" to the message. The Contribution Form The contribution form should be simple and user-friendly so that it is easy for folks to give you their money! Consider using a different-colored sheet of paper for this form so that it stands out. Then make sure the options for giving are clear - we suggest levels at $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, $1000 and "other" (for these cantankerous ones who want to give $53 and don't like being told what to give), to encourage folks to give at a level appropriate to their means. If it's a known donor, you might consider circling the next-higher level than their last gift and adding a note like "Your gift at this level will allow us to reach more schools this year!" so they get on up that "giving pyramid." You should also offer them a chance to volunteer with a check off box on the form and, if you do so, you MUST follow up on that (or else you look like a schmuck who just wants their money). Finally, instructions for returning (including address) should be clear on the form. Make it easy for the reader to give. The Return Envelope This should also follow the "make it easy" rule. It should be a #9, so that it fits easily in a standard envelope. It should be self-addressed, which is easily done through either having them printed (if you're doing a large mailing) or stamping them with a cheap rubber address stamp you have made up for $15 at a local store. Studies show a much higher return rate for packages that include a return envelope. Don't skip this step - it's critical. HOW DO WE MAIL IT? Now it's time to actually get it in the mail box! You have two options: doing it yourself or going through a mail house. If your mailing is small, go the former route, as it saves money and allows you to personalize it. This is especially true of a first-class mailing. If you have a large mailing, you might want to consider a mail house as they can process large amounts and take advantage of the bulk rate. This is cheaper but follows bizarre rules (you must have your addresses in zip-order as the mailing house has to present them in a certain way) and also requires filing two applications (see below) with the local post office for a bulk mail permit (for which you'll have to pay a one-time fee of approximately $170 and will need a tax-exempt number (see below), as it is only available to not-for-profits. Our advice? If you'll be doing a lot of mailings, establish a relationship with a mailing house (find one by calling other organizations in your community and finding out who they use - agencies who employ mentally or physically challenged people often have good rates) and set up a bulk mail permit at the post office where they do their "drops." If your mailings will be small, process them with your own volunteers. Becoming Tax-Exempt You don't need to be a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt group to have your own non-profit account. What you do need is a tax ID number so your vendors can open a GLSEN account. To get your ID number, fill in IRS Form SS-4. You can send in the form and wait for your number, or you can phone the IRS office (see reverse side of Form SS-4), and they will assign your number by phone to be filled in on the form for the vendor. The bank may ask if you have a GEN, or Group Exemption Number. The answer is "no." You are a non-profit, but have no tax umbrella organization. The vendor should still be able to open the account for you. Bulk Mail Permits After you receive your tax-exempt number from the IRS you can now get your non-profit bulk mail permit, which allows you to mail at an drastically reduced rate ($.12 per piece). You'll need to fill out two forms from the Post Office: 3602-N and 3624. Complete these forms and pay the permit fees ($170 total). There are three technical things to consider here: first, the Post Office only accepts bulk mail in zip-order; second, your mail drop has to be at least 200 pieces; and third you need a properly designed permit imprint (see below). This probably sounds like a lot of work, but think of GLSEN/Boston: they send out 4,000 conference brochures, and going bulk rate over first class saves them $800!
A Properly-Designed Bulk Mail Permit Imprint WHAT DO WE DO ONCE IT IS IN THE MAIL? First off, cross your fingers for good luck! Then carefully track returns. If you're using GLSEN/National materials, donations will be mailed to New York, and entered into the national database, thus kicking out a thank-you letter from us (required by law, and which must include a statement about tax-deductibility of the contribution - i.e., "Note: Your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. The IRS requires us to inform you that no goods or services were provided to you in exchange for this donation."). As with other memberships, you will receive the chapter rebates for these donations quarterly. If returns are directly to you, you need to send your own thank yous, and be sure to send on the data and appropriate rebates to GLSEN National so we enter it into the national database so the person gets the newsletter and other materials. Unless a mailing is for a specific local project for which all proceeds remain in your community (such as a scholarship fund approved in your chapter's programming plan for that year), we encourage you to take advantage of GLSEN's services in terms of database management, sending thank-yous, and sending renewals by having donations sent directly to New York. It will save you some of the time and effort.
A FINAL NOTE You can lose a bundle on direct mail. Read the above closely (it's all based on research) before you design your campaign. Try to project costs and potential revenues before spending a dime (remem-ber that 1-3% return - you won't be exempt from that!). And proceed accordingly. Prospecting pieces rarely make money: they bring in new donors. It is in the follow-up with your donors, asking for repeat gifts, where you'll make your money. So try to balance the two, doing enough of each to build your membership as well as to generate a steady stream of income. Good luck!
ATTACHMENT #1: PLANNING YOUR DIRECT MAIL STRATEGY 1) Assemble a Direct Mail Committee Putting together a direct mail effort requires a great deal of time and effort as well as a variety of skills. You must build a group that can meet this challenge. The committee must serve three functions: design, production, and execution of the mailing. "Design" involves the writing and "look" of the piece, so you'll want folks with those skills (graphic designers, writers, etc.). "Production" involves folks who will negotiate with printers, oversee the process, and handle business details (a great place for a control queen!). "Execution" involves securing lists for mailing and similar activities, which means you need folks with good people skills and/or extensive contacts in the community. Your group must balance these qualities and be composed of a group of committed folks who can work together if it is to be successful. 2) Plan Your Year. Now that you have a committee, it is time to design your strategy for the year. Take out calendars and deiced how many direct mail "drops" you want to do. Consider intangibles such as people's tendency to give year-end gifts, the fact that most folks are away in the summer and throw away direct mail pieces right away as they sort through their mail when they get home, and the like. You want to spread out your campaign so that they incur a steady cash flow but you also want to make sure they land at times when folks are likely to reply to them. Plan accordingly! 3) Brainstorm. Spend some time thinking of ideas and concepts you can write about that will interest members and potential donors. Try to link your mail to current events, the political climate, timely work you're engaged in, or notable recent achievements, so that people understand why they need to give now. And always try to find a way to insert the "human interest" angle so that the personal impact of your work is evident to readers. Use the ideas from your brainstorming to craft the pieces you will send. 4) Make a time table for each campaign. Once you've planned what you want your letters to say and when they should be in people's mailboxes, you should devise a production schedule to get them in their mailboxes on time. The rule of thumb is this: take the date you want folks to get the letter and count back 12 weeks. That's the gestation period for a successful direct mail campaign. Use the worksheet in Attachment #2 to plan an individual campaign. 5) Assess results. Learn from your experience by carefully tracking your results. Try to "code" responses so you can see which are the most successful efforts. One way to do this is to color-code reply forms so you know which campaign folks are replying to. Another is design a reply form that specifies which campaign the contribution came from. And it's always good, if your lists are from different sources, to somehow code them (by color, a special form, or similar activity) so that you can know which lists are successful and which aren't. This kind of self-assessment of your efforts will help you determine the size of target of future mailings so costs are down and returns are up!
ATTACHMENT #2: WORKSHEET FOR PLANNING AN INDIVIDUAL CAMPAIGN Note: This is the plan we follow for GLSEN's large campaigns which always involve mailings of at least 30,000 pieces. For a smaller mailing, you can probably shorten this timeline and make it less bureaucratic: you may be just running your letters off a personal computer and not need not go to a printer at all, for instance, so a lot of the steps in Weeks 3-8 can be cut. Feel free to adapt this, as it is a guideline, not a Bible. But remember the Number 1 rule of all tasks – It's going to take longer than you think – especially since everyone involved is a volunteer! Day 1
Committee meets to determine "pitch" for campaign (i.e., the "selling points" of the letter and the types of enclosures to send along). Weeks 1 & 2
"Design" folks write initial draft of letter send around for review "Execution" folks identify potential sources of list, and determine rough size of mailing. Meeting 2 (Day 14)
Committee reviews drafts of letter and discusses direction of final appeal; "execution" folks report back on list sources and size of mailing determined. Weeks 3 & 4
"Design" folks finish final draft of letter and lay out visuals "Production" folks put out bids to printers to get quotes on cost of materials "Execution" folks begin to secure lists. Meeting 3 (Day 28)
"Design" folks present package for final approval; "execution" folks report on progress of list procurement; "production" folks present quotes on costs and printer is chosen. Week 5
"Design" folks make final changes to package and deliver camera-ready copy to printer; "production" folks make deal with mailing house or assemble volunteers to stuff the mailing. Weeks 6 & 7
Printer takes forever to finish. Week 8
Production folks deliver final products to mailing house or to volunteers; "execution" folks supply labels. Weeks 8 & 9
Volunteers/Mailing House process letters; letters go in the mail. Weeks 10 & 11
Donors receive letters (Week 10 if first class, week 11 if bulk). Week 12
Campaign completed: returns start to come in and committee monitors results.
ATTACHMENT #3 SAMPLE DIRECT MAIL PIECES FROM GLSEN
Sample A – January 1996: package includes letter, "lift note" of Anne Simon's testimony before Congress, and return envelope
I go to school every day, feeling that I can't be honest, that I have no right to be proud, that I am a second-class citizen. – lesbian high school student I was pushed, kicked, thrown against lockers, and – worst of all –- spit upon, like some vile piece of trash. – gay male high school student School is not a place where I can feel comfortable, so it is not a place where I want to be. – lesbian high school drop out
March, 1996
Dear Friend,
If you ever felt out of place or just "different" at school, the voices of the above students probably speak to you. For decades, gay and lesbian students have come to expect such treatment, and little has been done to make schools places where they can hope to be treated better. School is so bad for many of them that 28% of gay and lesbian students drop out, almost three times the national average. Schools are also places where young straight people learn to be prejudiced against gay and lesbian people – people who are often their own family members. But now there is something you can do to help change that: you can support GLSEN in our work to make schools places where respect for all is taught. The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network is the only national organization dedicated to ending homophobia in K-12 schools. Our mission is to create schools where every person is valued and respected, regardless of sexual orientation, and we welcome all who share that commitment as members. Through community organizing, curriculum development, on-site trainings, and public advocacy, we make a difference in what is happening in our schools. And our work has produced results. In 1993, we led the fight that made Massachusetts the first state in the nation to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in its schools; in 1994, we helped establish October as the first-ever Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual History Month, an occasion now honored by three governors and over one hundred different community organizations; and by the end of 1995, we had built a network of over thirty local chapters, all over the country, working together to create programming that would change the climate of their community's schools. But the most important differences we have made have often been at the one-on-one level. This is what one lesbian senior wrote to us about the impact a GLSEN member had on her life: One day I went to this teacher and asked him a question ... Because I was so distraught, I began to cry. He took time out of his class to help me. From that time on, he has been there to talk about whatever I am feeling. With this teacher, my life, which is normally fairly stressful, has been a little happier and easier to deal with. Straight students often benefit just as much as lesbian and gay ones from our efforts. One member shared with us this excerpt from a college application essay written by one of his heterosexual students: When I heard that the young teacher who would later be my coach, history teacher, and advisor, was gay, I was shocked. "No, he can't be," I thought. "He's a nice guy." It is sometimes hard for me to believe how much I have grown and changed since then ... I am proud of how much I have learned from him and changed because of his influence. But not everyone is a fan of our work. Our efforts have drawn the fire of the Religious Right, who have targeted many of our programs and members. Examples of their work recently include that:
These kinds of attacks are why we need your help. The next generation deserves better. If they're straight, they deserve to learn understanding instead of bigotry. If they're gay or lesbian, they deserve a chance to go to school without fearing harassment or mockery. And they all deserve to learn the fundamental lesson to which we all pledged allegiance ourselves as kids: that America is a land of liberty and justice for all. They shouldn't be taught that this doesn't apply if you're gay or lesbian, which is what they're learning now. Please return the enclosed envelope with as generous a gift as you can afford. Let's give the next generation a gift of real meaning – schools where homophobia is a thing of the past. I'll look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely,
Kevin Jennings Executive Director
P.S. Your gift today is critical for our future. According to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 44% of all anti-gay ballot and legislative initiatives filed in 1995 dealt directly with school issues. And we don't expect things to get much better in 1996, with the upcoming elections offering new opportunities for demagogues like Pat Buchanan to try to exploit this issue to advance their candidacies. Please be as generous as you can with your gift. Each donor of $35 or more will receive a copy of our "What You Can Do" packet of ideas and resources for fighting homophobia in your community's schools. And remembers: next generation is counting on us! Each donor of $35 or more will receive a copy of our "What You Can Do" packet of ideas and resources for fighting homophobia in your community's schools.
Sample B – September 1995 "Back-to-School" Campaign letter Included a brochure featuring Grag Lougand as the "lift note" with a detachable contribution form and envelope
"I was pushed, kicked, thrown against lockers, and – worst of all – spit upon, like some vile piece of trash." – a gay student's testimony about life in his high school September, 1995 Dear Friend, I am writing to ask you to go Back to School – and to help end homophobia in this generation. This September, hundreds of thousands of gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth will go back to school. The schools they return to are often hostile places for them. Witness these facts:
* 45% of adolescent gay male youths and 20% of \tadolescent lesbians are physically or verbally harassed at school * 28% of gay youth drop out of schools * One out of every three gay youth attempts suicide – meaning that a gay youth tries to kill him or herself every thirty-five minutes in this country. Yet teachers and administrators around the country continue to think that homophobia is not a problem in their school! That's why GLSEN is asking you to join our "Back-to-School Campaign." We need every gay, lesbian, and bisexual adult to write a teacher or administrator at their former school and tell them what it was like to be a student there. The enclosed brochure explains the campaign, but the basic message is a simple one: We need to stand up for our youth and demand that they be given the respect they deserve. You can do this by writing your letter today. GLSEN is the only national organization that brings together gay and straight people working to end homophobia in schools. Begun in 1990 as a local group in Boston, GLSEN today has over twenty chapters nationwide and has been the driving force behind such initiatives as:
* the successful fight to make Massachusetts the first state to ban discrimination the basis of sexual orientation in its schools * the recognition of October, 1994 as The First Annual Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual History Month in numerous official proclamations * the establishment of in-school support groups, called"Gay-Straight Alliances," for students in high schools in over twenty different states. But our work is far from finished. In August, I traveled to Merrimack, New Hampshire, to support local organizers whose school board has been taken over by the Radical Right. That night, the Merrimack school board voted to ban any programming that did not condemn homosexuality. In Merrimack, guidance counselors can now lose their jobs if they refer suicidal students to a local gay youth support group or to a gay-supportive switchboard. English teachers can be fired for suggesting that Walt Whitman's poetry was enriched by his perspective as gay man. Health educators can be dismissed for saying that homosexuality is a normal variation on human sexuality. Freedom of speech has disappeared in Merrimack's schools. These kinds of attacks are being made across the country, due to a well-funded and orchestrated campaign backed by the Christian Coalition. GLSEN is expanding to meet this challenge. That's why we have mapped out our most ambitious calendar ever for 1995-96, with events in over fifteen states. That's why we'll stage our first lobby day on Capitol Hill this November. And that's why we need you to go Back-to-School this fall – to be the voice for thousands of young people who are at risk every day in our nation's schools. Please write your letter today and make a gift to support GLSEN today. Join Greg Louganis and thousands of other gay and lesbian Americans in putting a human face on the issue of homophobia for your old teachers. And return the enclosed coupon with a donation so GLSEN can reach more and more people as we fight to end homophobia in our schools. I'll look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely,
Kevin Jennings Executive Director
P.S. Your participation in the Back-to-School Campaign and your financial support of GLSEN will make a real difference in the lives of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth. Please take the pledge to support GLSEN's work to end homophobia in our schools today. |
 
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