90-Day Renewals

There is always debate among fundraising professionals as to how long a lapsed or non-responsive individuals should remain on a mailing list and how often these non-responsive individuals should be mailed to. Regardless of whether the assumption is three years or five, or whether they should be mailed to once or twice a year, the likelihood of a response to an appeal letter from an individual who does not intend to respond is extremely slim. This logic seems almost too easy grasp and yet organizations continue to solicit this way over and over again.

Organizations large and small are notorious for soliciting individuals who have clearly demonstrated time and time again that they have no intention of responding to an appeal letter. For the organizations that I work with, I insist that this ridiculous behavior is too expensive to be tolerated and that it does not demonstrates an ounce of commitment to individual donors.

Instead of wasting tons of paper and postage, I advise organizations to implement a process I refer to as 90-Day Renewals. Beginning with the date of the last gift, mailing lists are compiled based on those who have contributed within the last ninety days. Organizations may consider expanding this window to 180 days in the fall to account for the summer slump. By identifying those who have not given in that window of time, the organization is advised to use an alternative approach to solicit the next gift. This alternative approach may include a telephone call, email, in-person meeting, or a soft ask in the organization’s newsletter. In doing so, the organization dramatically reduces the costs of its mailings and solicits by mail only those who are inclined to respond in such a manner. This approach not only respects those who prefer not to receive appeal letters, but it enables the organization to better understand exactly how the individual donor is likely to respond.