Still others will make regular, monthly contributions. In the broadest terms, mailings either acquire new members or resolicit previous members for additional support. Thus, whether designed to acquire new donors or new members, acquisition or prospect mailings seek to persuade individuals to take the step of giving a first gift. The success of acquisition mailings is measured by the number of new members or donors and by the acquisition cost for each member or donor. The trick is to avoid spending too little or too much in these acquisition mailings.
Many fundraising programs mail a special appeal each month.
But it's unlikely that any one member will receive every appeal. In short, an effective direct mail fundraising program seeks to acquire as many new members as possible at an acceptable member acquisition cost. Then, the entire membership file is analyzed, cultivated, and re-solicited to derive the maximum net revenue. Your organization is the most important ingredient in any direct mail program. This is by far the most important ingredient we can control.