Chag Samayach!!

Dear Jewish Donor Blog Readers,

Chag Samayach!

The writers at the Jewish Donor Blog want to wish you and your family a healthy, joyful and prosperous new year!

Yoav, David and Chana

Coping With a Down Economy

Does Wall Street have you cringing at the latest mega company closers and government bailout plans?

Worried that your non-profit will suffer as a result of the down economy?

Are you a planner that has to navigate your clients through this financial mess?

We will pull out of this downward spiral eventually, but for now here are some tips for fundraising in this bear market.

From the Fundraising Success enewsletter here are Five Tactics to Rev Up Fundraising in a Down Economy

Back To Basics - The Merge/Purge Process

Data processing and specifically the merge/purge process remains a mystery even to many long-time direct marketers.

Here’s the skinny:

You need this service and it is the most cost-effective part of the direct mail process. It can literally save you tens-of-thousands of dollars depending on size of your mailing.

Here’s what happens during a typical Negev Direct merge/purge:

1) List inputs from all lists you are using are format-standardized so they can be compared. Intra-file duplicates are eliminated.

2) Keycodes are added to each list so you can track the list source of your donors and see which lists performed best.

3) Bad and incomplete addresses are identified and deleted. National Change of Address is run and address changes are made.

4) All addresses and zipcodes are compared and matched against a US Postal Service supplied database for accuracy. Bad zips and addresses are flagged and corrected when possible. Zip+4 is added for additional postal discounts.

5) Names matching those in the Direct Marketing Association’s “Do Not Mail” Pander file are suppressed.

6) Names matching those in the Negev Direct Jewish Nixie File (a Negev exclusive) are presumed uncontactable are also suppressed.

7) Any additional names that you have given us to suppress (like your house file)
are dropped from the mailing.

8) The lists are prioritized and compared to each other. Duplicates between the various lists are identified and only one version is kept on the final mailing output.

9) The final list is split into segments, if necessary, according to your directions.

10) A postal presort is performed on the remaining names to ensure that you receive the lowest possible postage rates available.

So how does a merge/purge save you money?

Let’s say you are mailing 50,000 names. Each piece that you mail, on average is going to cost you $0.50. You identify 7,500 duplicate names between the lists and another 1,000 that are on your house file.

You just saved $4,000 by not mailing a second package to the same person.

Also, let's say that the National Change of Address identified 200 people who moved and no longer have a valid forwarding address. That’s another $100 saved. Plus we found an additional 800 people who have moved and would not have received you mail if we had not corrected the address. More money saved.

Finally, your postal presort drops your mail costs from 28 cents per piece to 13 cents per piece. Congratulations; you just saved another $7,500!

Wasn’t that fun and easy?

David

Are You Addicted?

I just got back from two and half weeks of vacationing in Brazil and had an amazing time.

I think I checked my email a total of two times the entire two and a half weeks!

At first I thought that checking in on my email would be something I wanted and needed to do. Guess what? I was wrong! I actually enjoyed being off the grid and away from news and emails.

I was fortunate in that I had a colleague who was able to check my emails in my absence. Many thanks to David Rubin who did me a huge favor by keeping an eye on my work email box and many more thanks to David for answering the important ones.

As far as my personal email account went, here are the rough stats of what I found after not checking my email for a week:

350 emails in my inbox. 20 or so emails that really needed my response and that I really cared about!

I really wonder how much time we waste everyday sorting through emails that really need our attention and contrast that figure with how much of that time we could use on other more worthy causes like spending time with friends and family!

I always say that there is a huge difference between an email I receive from a Jewish cause that I am interested in Vs. an email trying to sell me the latest and greatest fake Rolex. My favorite spam subject line at the moment is: "The best replica watch deals in the universe". Really, the best deals not only on earth but in the universe! I'll have to check that out some day....not!

Still with my anti-spam programs in place, why am getting emails from spammers that clog up my email account... every single day!

If anyone out there knows of a better way to block unwanted spam emails other than the standard Norton anti-spam program please give me a buzz, shoot me an email or leave a comment on this post.... because G-d only knows how much time that I waste on checking my email every day that could be used for other more worthy causes.

Hat tip to Denny Hatch's Business Common Sense for the inspiration. Here's the quote from the article that set this post in motion...

"E-mail Addiction: Five Signs You Need HelpAre you addicted to e-mail?

Study finds the odds are good you checked your e-mail within the last 15 minutes.

Here are five warning signs. Quick: When's the last time you checked your e-mail? If you're like most Americans, the answer is likely within the last 15 minutes--even if you're not at work. And if you carry a PDA in your pocket, your problem is probably far worse.

Some doctors estimate more than 11 million people have e-mail habits that interfere with their lives. Are you one of them? Forming a deep relationship with your inbox can eat away at your real-life relationships--you know, the ones with your friends, kids, or significant other ... those people you used to converse with face-to-face."

--JR Raphael, PC World Blogger, Sept. 10, 2008

From Denny Hatch's Business Common Sense.

Yoav

Back to Basics - Package Design

Don’t let BPD – Bad Package Design – ruin your mailing.

When the writing is done you are going to need an outstanding graphic artist with direct mail and print experience.

They can bring your package to life: make the envelope stand out in a bundle of mail; make your organization look exceptionally professional; make your letter easier to read and your reply card easier to fill out.

The outer envelope above is well designed: clear graphics, bold colors. It grabs you attention.

The outer envelope below is poorly designed: a confused muddle of unclear images.

Don’t think it’s necessary? Too much of an expense?

Then you would be wrong.

We have conducted tests over the years where we split lists in half and each half received the same package but with different designs.

There was always one clear winner: often with a dramatic difference in response rates within each segment of the same list. Only the design differed.

After all, the design is like your calling card. If it stands out; if it makes a professional impression, people will respond accordingly.

Don’t skimp on design, It’s like scribbling your name and phone number on a piece of scrap paper and giving it to a potential donor.

David

Back To Basics - Writing

If there is one element in the direct marketing fundraising process that is worth spending extra time and money on, it is writing.

Ironically, this is not only the most important element of your package, it is the one thing that most organizations are hesitant to spend any money on.

Most people can write, but good writing is an art. I can write a blog post but I don’t think I’ll win the Pulitzer Prize anytime soon.

Most great direct marketing copy takes time, diligence and effort to produce.

It weaves a compelling story and not only describes what your organizations does, but…and this is key…it motivates people to donate.

If your next letter starts out with the phrase “As we approach the High Holiday season” you have a big problem on your hands because it sounds like dozens of other letters.

A good direct mail writer will find a unique way to present your organization to potential new donors and have them reaching for their checkbook by the time they have finished.

Of course a good writer will also develop all of the ancillary copy; outer envelope tag line, reply card, inserts as well, so the package is built around a coherent theme.

A great direct mail package is your calling card to tens of thousands of potential new donors. It’s not the place to scrimp or rely on a writer with limited or no experience in direct mail.

David

Welcome Back

Probably a lot of you have felt the absence of Yoav Kaufman from our offices over the past two weeks.

I know I have.

Yoav is not on a only a first-rate list manager and broker, he is also the creator of this blog and the developer behind Negev Direct Marketing's innovative and much-copied website.

Yoav, his wife Tali and their daughter Karen have been in Brazil attending the wedding of Tali's brother.

They are flying back to Israel even as I write this post.

I'm certainly glad to have him back. It's difficult running a business without creative, motivated, engaged employees like Yoav.

I hope you have people as good as Yoav on your staff.

David

Kudos

Life isn’t just about direct marketing.

Kudos to our President, Chana Rubin, on the printing of the 2nd edition of her book “Food For The Soul, Traditional Jewish Wisdom for Healthy Eating” only five months following its initial release.

In additional to running a thriving list business, Chana is a Registered Dietician.

You can read a review of the book in the Jerusalem Report and sign up for her blog Healthy Kosher Eating With Chana. Even if you don’t keep kosher, you’ll love the recipes and advice on nutrition.

David