Nonprofit & Public Sector / Nonprofit & Fundraising Campaigns
Donor retention marketing for renewal and lapsed-donor appeals
Donor retention marketing from MBI serves the renewal and lapsed stage of the donor relationship: a segmented direct-mail renewal or lapsed-donor re-engagement appeal, Facebook reinforcement for those direct-mail donors, an opt-in donor text-communication and reengagement campaign, and the personalized donor letters and envelopes that carry the mailed appeal.
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What is donor retention marketing?
The short answer
Donor retention marketing is the work aimed at the donors already on an organization's file: the ones due to renew, and the ones who have lapsed. At MBI it runs as three campaigns together — a segmented direct-mail renewal or lapsed-donor re-engagement appeal, Facebook reinforcement for those mailed donors, and an opt-in donor text-communication and reengagement campaign.
The three campaigns. The three campaign concepts recorded for this vertical are a segmented direct-mail renewal or lapsed-donor re-engagement appeal, Facebook reinforcement for direct-mail donors, and an opt-in donor text-communication and reengagement campaign.
One team. MBI plans, produces and delivers direct mail, print and digital campaigns from a single team in DeLand, Florida, and data, print and delivery have been in-house since 1989.
direct mail marketing services direct mail and digital marketing
One appeal, two versions
Postcard · Direct Mail
Direct mail
What goes into donor renewal direct mail?
The short answer
The renewal half of the segmented direct-mail renewal or lapsed-donor re-engagement appeal: a personalized donor letter and its envelope, addressed to a donor whose support is up for renewal. Direct mail is identified as one of the leading methods for donor retention, so the renewal appeal goes by post. MBI prints the letter and its envelope and mails them.
The documented channel. Nonprofit marketing benchmark material identifies direct mail as one of the leading methods for donor retention and re-engaging lapsed donors.
USPS Domestic Mail Manual 602.5 provides that each address, except for mail bearing an alternative address format, in a mailing at commercial First-Class Mail presorted or automation prices or USPS Marketing Mail prices is subject to the Move Update standard, and that each address and associated addressee used on the mailpieces in a mailing must be updated within 95 days before the mailing date with one of the USPS-approved methods, which include Address Change Service and the National Change of Address Linkage System (NCOALink).
USPS Domestic Mail Manual 602.5
Letter · Direct Mail
Lapsed donors
How does a lapsed donor re-engagement campaign reach someone who stopped giving?
The short answer
By post, as the other version of the same segmented appeal. Direct mail is identified as one of the leading methods for re-engaging lapsed donors, so the lapsed-donor version is a personalized donor letter in an envelope addressed to a donor who has stopped giving. MBI builds that version of the appeal, prints it and mails it.
USPS Domestic Mail Manual 201.1.1.1 sets machinable letter-size mail at not less than 5 inches long, 3-1/2 inches high and 0.007 inch thick, with a minimum thickness of 0.009 inch for pieces more than 4-1/4 inches high or 6 inches long, or both; not more than 11-1/2 inches long, more than 6-1/8 inches high, or greater than 1/4 inch thick; rectangular with four square corners and parallel opposite sides; within an aspect ratio (length divided by height) of 1.3 to 2.5, inclusive; and subject to additional dimensional restrictions depending on mailpiece design.
USPS Domestic Mail Manual 201.1.1.1
Letter · Direct Mail
Facebook and Instagram
Why do donor retention Facebook ads go to the donors already on your mailing list?
The short answer
Because Facebook advertising shown to direct-mail donors reinforces the broader donor communication program. The audience is the donors already being mailed the renewal or lapsed-donor appeal rather than a fresh one, so the advertising works the same stage of the donor relationship as the mail. MBI builds the creative and runs it to that audience.
What is on record. Nonprofit fundraising guidance documents showing Facebook ads to direct-mail donors as a way to reinforce the broader donor communication program.
Meta's advertising standards state that advertisers are responsible for understanding and complying with all applicable laws and regulations, and that ads must not promote products, services, schemes or offers using identified deceptive or misleading practices, including those meant to scam people out of money or personal information.
Meta, Advertising Standards
digital advertising services direct mail and digital marketing
Meta ad · Facebook
Meta carousel · Facebook
Reel · Instagram
Donor texting
Where does donor texting get its permission?
The short answer
From the donor, before anything is sent. Texts are a donor-communication channel whose use requires a lawful contact basis, donor-preference management and opt-out handling, and CTIA's messaging principles say messages should be sent only after the consumer has opted in, and that senders should ensure consumers can opt out at any time.
What the research names it. Multichannel donor research includes texts as a donor-communication channel; use requires a lawful contact basis, donor-preference management, and opt-out handling.
CTIA's Messaging Principles and Best Practices state that message senders should support opt-in mechanisms and that messages should be sent only after the consumer has opted in to receive them, and list entering a telephone number through a website, clicking a button on a mobile webpage, sending a message containing an advertising keyword, and signing up at a point-of-sale or other on-site location among the mechanisms by which a consumer might demonstrate opt-in consent; senders should also document opt-in consent by retaining seven kinds of data where applicable, among them the timestamp of consent acquisition and the consent acquisition medium.
CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices, May 2023, §5.1.2
CTIA's Messaging Principles and Best Practices state that senders should ensure consumers have the ability to opt out of receiving messages at any time, that senders should support multiple mechanisms of opt-out including phone call, email or text, and that senders should acknowledge and honor all consumer opt-out requests by sending one final opt-out confirmation message per campaign, after which no further messages should be sent; senders should also not use opt-in lists that have been rented, sold or shared, and should create and vet their own.
CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices, May 2023, §§5.1.3–5.1.4
digital advertising services direct mail and digital marketing
SMS
SMS
What it stands on
Printing
What is involved in personalized donor letters printing?
The short answer
Personalized donor letters and envelopes are the printed formats, in the two versions of one segmented appeal: renewal, and lapsed-donor re-engagement. What personalizes the letter is variable-data printing, and commercial and variable-data printing at MBI is produced in house, so the letter and the envelope carrying it are printed by the team that mails them.
The formats. Personalized donor letters and envelopes.
In house. Printing at MBI is commercial and variable-data printing produced in house.
One-sheet · Printing
Kit · Printing
Questions
Questions a development team asks before it mails
Searched for donor retention agency, donor retention strategies or donor retention program? Same work, same answers.
What does a donor retention program actually involve?
Three campaigns: a segmented direct-mail renewal or lapsed-donor re-engagement appeal, Facebook reinforcement for direct-mail donors, and an opt-in donor text-communication and reengagement campaign. MBI plans the program, prints the personalized donor letters and envelopes, mails them, and runs the advertising and the texting.
How is a donor renewal mailing quoted?
Every quote resolves to two costs rather than one: producing the donor renewal letter, and mailing it. Seven decisions move those two numbers, among them quantity, format and finished size, paper and weight, and postage, mail class, and sortation. All seven are set out on the direct mail cost page, /capabilities/direct-mail/direct-mail-cost, before a renewal quote is written.
How does a donor stop the texts?
By replying STOP, or by asking another way. CTIA's messaging principles say senders should ensure consumers can opt out at any time, should support multiple mechanisms including phone call, email or text, and should honor every opt-out request by sending one final opt-out confirmation message per campaign, after which no further messages should be sent.
What rules sit on a Facebook ad shown to donors?
A donor appeal ad sits under Meta's advertising standards: they say advertisers are responsible for understanding and complying with all applicable laws and regulations. They also say ads must not promote products, services, schemes or offers using identified deceptive or misleading practices, including those meant to scam people out of money or personal information.
What happens to the renewal letter when a donor has moved?
The renewal letter's address is updated first. USPS's Move Update standard requires each address in a mailing at commercial First-Class Mail presorted or automation prices, or USPS Marketing Mail prices, to be updated within 95 days before the mailing date by an approved method such as NCOALink or Address Change Service; mail bearing an alternative address format is excepted.
What are the size limits on a mailed donor letter?
USPS caps machinable letter-size mail at 11-1/2 inches long, 6-1/8 inches high and 1/4 inch thick, and a piece more than 4-1/4 inches high or 6 inches long must be at least 0.009 inch thick. The personalized donor letter and its envelope are made to sit inside those limits.
How do the mail, the Facebook ads and the donor texts fit together?
As three campaigns aimed at the same donors: the segmented direct-mail renewal or lapsed-donor re-engagement appeal, Facebook advertising to direct-mail donors that reinforces the broader donor communication program, and the opt-in donor text-communication and reengagement campaign, which moves only after the donor has opted in. MBI plans, produces and delivers all three.
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