Mailing Lists: Where and How to Discover the Best Ones for Your Next Direct Mail Appeal

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

Acquire new donors and members by mailing to the people most likely to respond to your appeals.

The most important part of your direct mail fundraising program is your list.

Your list is even more important than your letter. And that’s hard for me to admit, seeing that I make my living writing fundraising letters.

You can mail a mediocre appeal letter to a good list and generate some gifts, maybe even enough to cover your costs. But if you mail a letter—any letter, even a terrific letter—to a lousy list, you will get lousy results.

As Benjamin Hart says in his book, Fund Your Cause With Direct Mail, “A mailing list is not just a way to reach your market. It is your market.”

But you face a challenge.

Last time I checked, there were 25,000 response lists and 50,000 compiled lists currently on the market. Among all of these lists, you’ll find hundreds that work for fundraising appeals. Actually, you likely won’t find them. Locating the best names for your mailing is complicated and best left to an experienced list broker.  You need help.

Mailing Lists: Where and How to Discover the Best Ones for Your Next Direct Mail Appeal  is the 19th Handbook in the Hands-On Fundraising Series, published by Andrew  Spencer Publishing. It describes in detail how to acquire new donors and members  by mailing to the people most likely to respond to your appeals. That means  finding the right lists.

Find the most profitable lists

Learn how to find:

• donors who give to similar non-profit organizations
• magazine readers who share your vision
• donors whose specific interests match yours
• kindred spirits you may otherwise overlook
• profitable donors on obscure compiled lists
• donors who are known direct mail buyers
• people who match your donor profile

Learn how to work with a list broker . . .

• discover the eight things a broker does to help you find profitable new donors
• review all 10 steps of a typical list rental transaction
• learn the role of data cards in finding your ideal donors
• review an annotated data card that shows you what to pay attention to so that you maximize your investment
• learn the 12 questions you must ask to make sure you recognize a good list when you see one

Find answers to these and other frequently asked questions:

• How much do lists cost?
• What is a “net name” rental arrangement?
• How many times can I mail to a rented list?
• How do I get the list?
• What’s a “minimum”?
• In what format is the list supplied?

This unique resource includes a listing of the names and website addresses of  the top 15 US non-profit list brokers and a glossary of over 30 odd and obscure mailing  list terms that help you master the list rental process quickly and easily.

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: 20
Publisher: Andrew Spencer Publishing
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-9784052-9-8
Dimensions: 8.5 x 11
SKU: sharpe024

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