Step by Step Telephone solicitation was first used in the 1950s. Over the years, it has grown to be 10 to 20 times more effective than direct mail, and much less expensive. If you have inadequate staff to make the number of personal solicitations you believe should be made annually, try to contact those you cannot visit by telephone using knowledgeable staff or volunteers.
Telephone solicitation is the second most effective solicitation method in annual giving.
It is an ideal follow up to programs that rely heavily on direct mail. For instance, if you have not heard from several hundred donors who made donations in 1995, you should call these donors and reinforce your appreciation for their earlier gift and rekindle their interest in the organization. Phonathons are mini-campaigns conducted with the help of student and alumni volunteers, or paid callers to acquire commitments from prospects or former donors. In a more mature program, phonathons generally are not the prime solicitation method. They are used more as a clean up program.