For nonprofits, 2017 offers an avalanche of political and technological changes, yet we don't see any trend sweeping direct mail or e-mail out from under fundraising marketers just yet. In fact, NonProfit PRO magazine recently found relevant mailing insights when it asked nonprofit pros nationwide for 2017 fundraising trend predictions. For example, Roger Craver and Tom Belford, editors of The Agitator, predicted that the continued rise of digital technology and data will paradoxically foster an increase in “old fashioned” pre-digital methods of communication and relationship building, such as direct mail, printed "thank you" notes, personal phone calls and print newsletters. Why? Because old-fashioned non-digital communications "provide a key—and currently missing—fundraising ingredient: a human, real-life interaction between an organization and its donors." Meanwhile, Claire Axelrad, J.D., CFRE, principal of Clairification, advised nonprofits to recognize that they are now dealing with an all-encompassing "Generation Connected" (GenC) and must be in multiple spaces simultaneously—but with consistent and integrated messaging. Merely fundraising through multiple channels does not equal integration from the consumer’s perspective, she warns; integration requires coordinated images, messages and offers across channels to avoid muddling the brand. Plus, direct mail is still a top fundraising tool—but not if used as a blunt instrument. Nick Ellinger, vice president of marketing strategy at DonorVoice, noted recent Dutch research that found 63% of the revenues of an additional nonprofit mailing aren’t new revenues but rather cannibalized from the revenues of other communications. However, by investing in donor knowledge and targeting, customization and personalization rather than just mail volume, test programs report stable gross revenue and a significant increase in net revenue in year one (or year two at worst), Ellinger reported. For more trend predictions, see http://www.acculistusa.com/fundraising-pros-forecast-2017-trends-for-direct-mail/
No comments:
Post a Comment