Given it’s tax appeal season in Australia, this is a question that’s coming up a lot right now. Unfortunately for those asking it, it’s also the wrong question.

The more direct mail lifts included in your fundraising mail pack, the better it will perform. Generally speaking. This is because it gives your donor more pieces of content to rifle through when they open the envelope. And this increases the chances of something catching their eye.

That’s why the real question you should be asking yourself is: “What direct mail lifts and inserts would encourage donors to give more?”.

Not all direct mail lifts are made equal

The real problem is that most charities invest all their time, creative energy and money in irrelevant direct mail lifts and inserts. One classic example is that boring tri-fold DL insert listing your charity’s services.

I’m singling this one out because the copy is almost always far too internally focused.

Not only is it chock-full of jargon, but it’s all about the charity. And what comes of talking about your work at the expense of including your donor? Nothing they read feels like it matters to them. Worse still, because the words are technical and dry, they lose interest altogether. They put down your pack and stop reading.

A simple rule for planning effective direct mail lifts

Inspiration for your best direct mail lifts usually comes from your case study. Or sometimes from the appeal messaging itself. Often it’s sparked by something your campaign hero has said. But you could also find it in the empathy of a caseworker or the passion of your CEO. Maybe it’s even lurking in the story of the program for which you’re raising money.

No matter where you draw your inspiration from, please make sure each direct mail lift hits the heart of your fundraising need. Don’t try to tell your donor what you or your charity have decided they should know. Aim to delight and surprise them instead. An easy starting place is to come up with an idea that brings them joy.

Great direct mail lifts ideas for your next fundraising appeal

Here are a few ideas to give your donors feelings of happiness and joy—

• Cute and colourful drawings from children
• Visually appealing maps, plans and diagrams – places, villages, the human body, even cross-sections of new equipment or research setups
• Personal letters of request and gratitude from the campaign hero and case workers
• Behind the scenes interviews with staff members
• Heartwarming stories of change and impact
• Designed postcards or beautiful photos of the campaign hero
• Comics that tell a story of impact
• Tactile lifts for donors to touch and feel
• Prayer diaries and devotionals for your supporters
• Treasured memories – snippets from journals, photo albums or scrapbooks
• Celebrations of achievement – awards, school reports, and other milestone markers
• Mocked up case notes that illustrate your hero’s journey – caseworkers and doctors
• Something meaningful to your campaign hero or their story – recipes, poems, artwork
• ANYTHING that sounds like it comes from the heart, not your brand manual.

Doing these direct mail lift concepts well doesn’t mean breaking the bank. Nor do you have to complicate the process. These fundraising inserts can be as simple or as involved as your time and budget allows. Similarly, a concept that allows your donor to feel something painful can be just as effective as one that brings joy.

But whatever your approach, make sure the end result means something to your story.

Make your direct mail lifts and fundraising premiums relevant

This brings me to another case in point. Irrelevant and useless inclusions: pens. Fundraisers stick pens in packs as if they’re the magic bullet for lifting response. But did you know that the success of the first ever pen premium did not come down to its inclusion alone?

Amnesty International developed the pen pack in question. You can read the case study on the SOFII website.

The pen doesn’t play its standard role of ‘writing tool’. Or even lean into its oft-cited characterisation as ‘mightier than the sword’. Instead, this powerful Amnesty pack casts the humble pen as an instrument of torture. Do you see how this pen wasn’t just stuck in the envelope as a bribe to the donor? Suddenly it’s very, very relevant to the appeal subject. A tangible illustration of the horror in this story, it comes from the heart of the appeal itself.

So follow the example of Amnesty. Don’t ask the question: how many direct mail lifts should you have in a fundraising mail pack? Instead ask what parts of the story are powerful enough to move your donor from indecision to a gift? Or from a small gift to a bigger gift?

How to test the effectiveness of your direct mail lifts

For acquisition direct mail, ideally you’ll start with your most comprehensive pack. The one with the highest number of direct mail lifts. Then in each subsequent test, take these inserts out one-by-one. This will allow you to work out the best balance between cost of production and mailing and your ROI.

However, this testing process isn’t as viable when considering individual giving appeals. Even a split test would only tell you how an extra direct mail lift affects this specific offer and pack. So there’s no bearing on your wider direct mail program.

Because of this, most charities base their decisions about the number of direct mail lifts on budget.

A final word on direct mail lifts and fundraising premiums

The emotional direct mail lift expands on the case study. It deepens the emotional connection between your donor and your campaign hero. Whereas rational direct mail lifts are for donors who need more information. They might need to justify their desire to give with data and statistics. Or read something that proves to them that they can trust your charity.

Despite what I said earlier, there is sometimes a case for including premiums with weak ties to your appeal. (Let’s hear it for socks and tote bags!) So long as your intention is to make your direct mail pack chunky. Chunky mail has higher open rates. Higher open rates mean more donors give. And when more donors give your income grows.

Having said that, the decision to give is emotional. So if your budget won’t allow you to do premiums or even multiple direct mail lifts, pick your best ideas. Figure out which ones you think for sure will touch donor hearts. And if you ever find yourself having to choose between all three options, go with the emotional direct mail lift.

Regardless, you should never include any direct mail lift for the sake of it. The primary purpose of a fundraising insert is to lift your average gift. Although if well-designed, many will also increase response rates. So remember, every direct mail lift you include should play its own role in achieving that goal.

Dreaming of direct mail lifts that will make you the envy of all your fundraising friends? Ask Creagivity to write your next appeal! Get in touch to book an obligation-free meet and greet with our fearless leader, June, at a time of your choosing.