Comments on: 5 Down & Dirty Tips to Ramp up Your End-of-Year Appeal http://www.pamelasgrantwritingblog.com/357/5-down-dirty-tips-to-ramp-up-your-end-of-year-appeal/ The Ultimate Resource for the Nonprofit Novice Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:56:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Some Last Minute YEAR END Appeal Tips « The Naked Idea http://www.pamelasgrantwritingblog.com/357/5-down-dirty-tips-to-ramp-up-your-end-of-year-appeal/comment-page-1/#comment-132 Some Last Minute YEAR END Appeal Tips « The Naked Idea Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:11:52 +0000 http://www.pamelasgrantwritingblog.com/?p=357#comment-132 [...] also found this great post from Pamela Grow for 5 more down and dirty tips you can use on your year end appeal. Thanks [...] [...] also found this great post from Pamela Grow for 5 more down and dirty tips you can use on your year end appeal. Thanks [...]

]]> By: Theresa http://www.pamelasgrantwritingblog.com/357/5-down-dirty-tips-to-ramp-up-your-end-of-year-appeal/comment-page-1/#comment-131 Theresa Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:43:06 +0000 http://www.pamelasgrantwritingblog.com/?p=357#comment-131 We have found that instead of a letter, a jazzy flyer with a few well-placed graphics and a tear off coupon on the bottom gets a great response. It may be that we are soliciting for funding for our emeergency department that has made our appeal successful, but I think the fact that it is an easy to read and digest piece helps too. We have found that instead of a letter, a jazzy flyer with a few well-placed graphics and a tear off coupon on the bottom gets a great response. It may be that we are soliciting for funding for our emeergency department that has made our appeal successful, but I think the fact that it is an easy to read and digest piece helps too.

]]> By: Scott VanDeusen http://www.pamelasgrantwritingblog.com/357/5-down-dirty-tips-to-ramp-up-your-end-of-year-appeal/comment-page-1/#comment-130 Scott VanDeusen Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:43:46 +0000 http://www.pamelasgrantwritingblog.com/?p=357#comment-130 Some interesting and tested thoughts. I would challenge one assertion however - that longer letters work better. I know that testing has shown that to be the case and have seen those results but question both the process used to get them and the segmentation that they were testing. My testing on this same subject area has found that the most effective letter is not a multiple page letter but an informative and engaging letter. Older populations will respond better to a longer letter than a shorter letter not because the letter is longer but because it is very difficult to make a case for support and illustrated story to support it in one page. Younger populations (and yes even last years college graduates will respond effectively to the dinosaur of direct mail) do not respond as effectively to the longer letter. Instead, try segmenting them out, shorten the letter to provide the start of the story and then direct them to facebook for the "rest of the story", ask them to join your page as a fan and make a gift to support you through the web on both facebook and the reply device. That will provide lift to your social networking page, connect with your younger supporters where they are and provide the highest probability of getting gifts. Some interesting and tested thoughts. I would challenge one assertion however – that longer letters work better. I know that testing has shown that to be the case and have seen those results but question both the process used to get them and the segmentation that they were testing.

My testing on this same subject area has found that the most effective letter is not a multiple page letter but an informative and engaging letter. Older populations will respond better to a longer letter than a shorter letter not because the letter is longer but because it is very difficult to make a case for support and illustrated story to support it in one page. Younger populations (and yes even last years college graduates will respond effectively to the dinosaur of direct mail) do not respond as effectively to the longer letter.

Instead, try segmenting them out, shorten the letter to provide the start of the story and then direct them to facebook for the “rest of the story”, ask them to join your page as a fan and make a gift to support you through the web on both facebook and the reply device.

That will provide lift to your social networking page, connect with your younger supporters where they are and provide the highest probability of getting gifts.

]]> By: Tweets that mention 5 Down & Dirty Tips to Ramp up Your End-of-Year Appeal | Pamela Grow's Grantwriting Blog -- Topsy.com http://www.pamelasgrantwritingblog.com/357/5-down-dirty-tips-to-ramp-up-your-end-of-year-appeal/comment-page-1/#comment-127 Tweets that mention 5 Down & Dirty Tips to Ramp up Your End-of-Year Appeal | Pamela Grow's Grantwriting Blog -- Topsy.com Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:15:25 +0000 http://www.pamelasgrantwritingblog.com/?p=357#comment-127 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Pamela Grow and Jeffrey Golembiewski, Vikki Baptiste. Vikki Baptiste said: RT @PamelaGrow: 5 Down & Dirty Tips to Ramp up Your End-of-Year Appeal http://ow.ly/BkE3 #nonprofit #charity [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Pamela Grow and Jeffrey Golembiewski, Vikki Baptiste. Vikki Baptiste said: RT @PamelaGrow: 5 Down & Dirty Tips to Ramp up Your End-of-Year Appeal http://ow.ly/BkE3 #nonprofit #charity [...]

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