8 ways to make your holiday appeal even better

Direct mail appeal letters are still a very effective way to fundraise. But writing these letters in a way that engages your audience to give can be daunting. 

We’ve got you covered with eight must-dos for your next direct mail appeal campaign. 

Tell an engaging story. Storytelling is the most powerful way in which we communicate with each other. Donors make decisions on an emotional level; to get the response rate you want, you need to reach them by pulling on their heartstrings and compelling them to act. 

Focus on the donor. It is tempting to remind your donors of all the great things you’ve accomplished in the past year but you wouldn’t have been able to do those great things without them. Instead of focusing on what you’ve done, focus on what your donors enabled you to do. Using “you” language in the letter will help them feel more connected to your cause.  

Keep it conversational and brief. Your appeal letter should be friendly, simple and to-the-point in language and length. Readers glaze over letters that are too long or jargon-y. 

Write for people who will scan. Your appeal letter is likely just one of many your donors will receive. While you’d love for them to take the time to read it, make it easy to scan. Think short paragraphs, bullet points, bolded text, and subheads.

Include a clear call to action. The whole point of the letter is to ask the audience to do something, so make the ask obvious. Be clear and bold by asking for exactly what you want. Be sure to state the impact this support will have.

Think engaging design. The story you craft and the way you ask for money is important, but so is the way the letter looks. Think outside the text box and bring in a graphic designer to add photos and other design elements. There is one school of thought that the uglier the letter, the more donors will be compelled to give — but ugly doesn’t mean boring. The design should complement the letter, strengthening it, without overpowering it. Whether your letter is arriving in mailboxes or inboxes, make it attractive enough for your audience to want to read it.

Make it easy to give. Even the most moving letter, with great design and a clear call to action, won’t be a success if it’s not simple to give. Letters that land in inboxes should have easy-to-find links to donate; letters that arrive by mail should give donors the option to choose whether to send in a cheque or go online. And here’s another tip for making it easy to give! Include a QR code on your printed appeal letter, this way your donors can donate by phone right then and there.

Syndicate your content. Your campaign doesn’t end with a single letter. Turn that one piece of work into a multi-channel campaign. It can take anywhere from seven to 12 touchpoints before a donor decides to give, so repurpose nuggets of that letter in emails, social media and on your website. Doing so ensures more eyeballs on your ask.