How to Write Effective Direct Mail Fundraising Letter Reply Devices

By Alan Sharpe (March 2009) E-book  $9.99

Attract the gifts you need by making the donation process quick and painless for your donors (and you).

Reply devices—also known as reply coupons, donation coupons, reply slips, response forms and gift forms—are the instruments that conclude your request for funds. If your reply device  fails, your appeal letter fails—and you don’t get the gift.

So writing and  designing an effective reply device is vital to the success of every direct mail  fundraising letter you mail.

How to Write Effective Direct Mail Fundraising Reply Devices is the 12th Handbook in the Hands-On Fundraising Series, published by Andrew Spencer Publishing. It teaches you  how to attract the gifts you need by making the donation process quick and  painless for you, your donors and your organization.

Peek inside the Handbook here

Topics covered

• four functions of every reply device
• five things your reply device can accomplish
• 10 general guidelines for creating reply devices that work
• the nine things you must include on every reply device
• eight optional things to include on your reply devices (and why)

Design tips

• how to make your reply device stand out
• one type of card stock to avoid at all costs
• the overall visual impression you must create
• three tips on sizing your reply device to avoid disasters
• one formatting mistake to avoid if your package includes a petition or survey
• how to create a sense of urgency
• a tip on the right tone to adopt

Peek inside the Handbook here

The Ask

• how to discover how to structure your ask string to maximize revenue
• the maximum number of options to include in the ask string
• the best way to structure an ask string for designated gifts so that you get the gift designations you want
• four tips for persuading donors to check the amount you want them to (rather than the lowest)

Other things you’ll learn

• the advantages and disadvantages of involvement devices
• how and why to personalize the reply card
• when you need to code reply devices
• a simple way to tell donors how to fill out the reply device without wasting a lot of valuable space with your instructions
• eight mistakes to avoid

Peek inside the Handbook here

Learn from the pros

This Handbook features a step-by-step tour through two effective reply  devices, using 24 numbered annotations to show you tested methods for getting  your reply devices right.

Download this Handbook now. Start reading it—and profiting from its advice and examples—within minutes.

Product Details

Format: E-book in Adobe PDF format for immediate download
Pages: 19
Publisher: Andrew Spencer Publishing
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-9784052-2-9
Dimensions: 8.5 x 11
SKU: sharpe017

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