EDITOR’S NOTE: Information in the following article, though zeroing in on fund-raising, can be applied to anyone selecting mailing lists.
“Dishonesty sometimes occurs”
TIPS ON USING FUND-RAISING MAILING LISTS—Most nonprofit groups use mailing lists in their fund-raising work. Some, like schools, use only their one “house” list of alumni, parents, etc., Others mail millions of appeals to the general public. If you use more than your house lists, here are some tips from List Consultant Craig Huey.
List brokers get commissions from the list owner, so you’re not charged a fee when they help you rent lists. Since their advice is free, it makes sense “to tap their expertise and experience before you make your list decision,” Mr. Huey says. But check the references of any broker before you follow his or her advice.
Testing is the key to successful use of lists. Test between 5,000 to 10,000 names.
See if a list can be rented in segments. Perhaps the most recent names are available separately, or the names of the largest donors, etc. If such segments are available, test them individually.
Plan your mailing 5 to 6 weeks in advance, and order your lists 2 to 3 weeks before you need them.
Examine the list when it arrives to make sure it looks like the right list.
After a test, if you decide to use the list and to continue with a larger mailing, omit the test names from the continuation.
Use caution when you continue; don’t assume the continuation will automatically work the same as the test did. “Dishonesty sometimes occurs,” Mr. Huey cautions. Some list owners will give you a test sample containing their very best names, but it won’t be representative of the whole list. So test again, but with a larger number of names.
If you’re using a list broker, share your mailing results with him or her so you can get the broker’s best, most informed advice.
If a list is responsive to your appeal, remember that there’s no set formula for how many times and how often you should mail it. Mr. Huey recommends, “Continue using the list until response falls below your profit point.”
Recognize that the best lists often cost more than less responsive lists. Consider the net gift income a list produces, not its price, which will represent only a small part of your mailing costs in any case.
