Jeff Brooks, of Donor Power Blog authorship, has an article in this month’s Fundraising Success magazine. In it he talks about the approaching (US) Junk Mail Awareness Week, which aims to highlight the shocking waste of paper that currently occurs and the resulting environmental impact. Jeff comes up with 7 ways to ensure your mail is not seen as junk by the recipient. A summary of what I see as the most important suggestions would be:

The need to personalise (“it’s about the donor”), to commoditise (“explain something real the donor can do”), allow and listen to feedback (“give donors control”) and keep your supporters fully informed on both your progress and future plans (“close the loop”).

The thing to note is how these apply just as strongly to email solicitations for support or funds. If online giving is to expand it is important that we do not - however tempting - go down the mass mail route, as ultimately it will devalue this potentially invaluable mode of communication. We should have the sagacity to learn from our mistakes….not repeat them in a different medium.

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