Your Tax Appeal should have a Happy Ending

Advice for Small Charities: If you’ve never asked your supporters for a gift by direct mail, it’s time for a re-write

If you are a small charity and you haven’t made a direct ask for a donation in your direct mail appeals, now is the time to change the story.

1. Small steps – Ask for a small gift 

As your first appeal with a direct ask, you will need to establish an appropriate ask level.

Start with a small value – one that is tied to the need: “Your gift of $23.70 will pay for…”

Ensure you position that ask early in the letter – tell the reader what the organisation needs. Repeat it two or three times so that readers who skim will see what you are asking for. The low ask figure will help you identify the average gift level and will tell you how much to ask each individual for in future campaigns.

2. Segment your audience

Don’t send the same thing to all your supporters. Base the communication on their relationship with your charity. If they have given a major gift, take the time to hand sign, or even handwrite the letter.

Supporters who have made a gift before should be thanked for their support.

3. Watch the clock

Take note of the time you spend on the appeal. Every hour you spend is an investment- just like the cost of postage, printing or copywriting. Establishing the true cost of the appeal will help you manage expectations and show the board the real value of a direct mail appeal.

4. Keep it simple

If you haven’t sent a dedicated appeal to your supporters before, you should keep it simple. A well-written letter, a clean and easy to follow donation form, and a reply-paid envelope are the essentials.

5. Borrow from the copywriting professionals

Don’t reinvent the wheel. The best fundraising letters are based on a formula invented in the 19th century.

Read examples from other charities and apply a similar structure and approach.

6. Get Up, Close & Personal

An appeal letter is a direct conversation between two people – in this case, the signatory and a supporter. It should be as near as possible to a face-to-face conversation; personal, honest, engaging and human.

7. Review the results

Calculate the time you have spent on the job, the cost of putting it together and compare that to the income you received.

Look at the specific segments to understand how different groups responded. Establish an Ave gift and a response rate for each segment.

These measures will form the basis for your future appeals. Make sure you record and keep important information about the appeal income, time spent, cost to produce, segments and criteria for those segments, mail date of the appeal, as well as gift date and value information.

8. Shout about your Success

Present the results of your first appeal to the board. Demonstrate the effectiveness of the ask. Share anecdotal evidence from supporters about being asked by your charity. Manage perceptions of complaints by comparing the number of negative with positive responses to the campaign. Compare the income and effort expensed in this appeal, to your investment and return from non-ask activities.

Present your plan for the next appeal and make sure the board is supportive of further direct mail asks, based on the success of this appeal.

If you are a small charity considering producing your first appeal, please get in contact and I will share my advice. 

If you have finished this years’ tax appeal and you would like a second point-of-view, send me a copy and I will gladly give you feedback.