Everyone needs a list. Either you sell to the list or you seek donations from the list - but without it, you have a pretty hard time reaching the people who need to see your message.
Why not borrow this list-building idea from the world of commerce?
Yesterday my postal mail contained one of those “val-pack” mailers - you know the kind that are full of little postcard sized ads for maybe 20 or 30 different products and companies. This one was for all kinds of gardening products.
What interested me was the outside of the package. It said “Sign up to win a backyard composter. Details inside cover.” So of course I looked. There were instructions to go to a website and sign up. I didn’t do it, because by the very nature of the mailing I knew that if I did I’d start getting mail from dozens more places - and I already get enough mail.
But then I got to thinking about how fundraisers could use this “free drawing” method. Most groups use raffles of some kind - but the raffle itself is to raise money, not to build a list. In fact, in many groups the tickets get tossed after the drawing. I don’t know why, but I’ve seen it happen.
What could your group get donated to make a cause-specific prize for someone who might then become a donor? It would need to be a good gift
What would make a great gift for your donors? I’m most familiar with animal rescue, so knowing what would interest a dog or cat person is easy. How about one of those big fancy dog beds for a dog? How about a climbing tree for a cat? The ideas are endless for animals, because we love to spoil our furry friends. At the same time, only people who had a dog or a cat would be interested in entering, so you wouldn’t get people who just wanted the prize and didn’t care about the cause.
For environmental causes you might offer some kind of wilderness trip - or for less active people, maybe a whale-watching tour.
For people who might support a literacy group, how about a set of good books donated in their name to the school or church group of their choice?
You get the idea… figure out a gift that would only be of interest to someone who might also be interested in your cause. Dinner for two would be a bad choice, because then you’d get everyone.
Make up inexpensive entry cards that can be mailed back in, or set up a capture form on a web page - clearly stating that all information must be filled out in order for the entry to be valid. Then collect name, postal mail address, e-mail address, and perhaps the answer to one or two pertinent questions. You might even talk about your cause and ask if they’d like to become a volunteer.
Remember to add a bold line stating that you will not share their address with anyone - at all - ever.
Be sure to follow up with a carefully crafted appeal letter and news about who won the prize. And then, start dripping messages to your new people - remembering to include news about your group’s accomplishments and the people or critters (or trees, etc.) you’ve helped.
Marte Cliff is a Freelance Copywriter who specializes in making people feel good about buying products or services - or donating to worthy causes.
She has extensive experience in writing search engine optimized web copy, direct sales letters, postcards, space ad copy, press releases, and more. She is also available for marketing plan creation and editing services.
You can visit her at http://www.marte-cliff.com While you’re there, sign up for her marketing ezine. When you do, you’ll also get access to reports that will help you get better results from your own writing.
Tags: donations, donor list, donors, fundraising, listbuilding, non-profit, raffles, volunteerism
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