ret to attracting new donors, renewing support, raising funds, building relationships and retaining loyal donors with direct mail is to ask yourself the tough questions before you ask anyone fI have a brother-in-law who farms and drives a 16-wheeler for a living. When I told him that I start each business day with a blank computer screen that I must fill with at least 1,000 words by noon, he almost fainted. He says he could never do it because he wouldn’t know where to start. But the same goes for me when it comes to pulling the engine out of a John Deere 6020 Series tractor.

My brother-in-law is correct, of course. You can’t write an effective fundraising letter unless you know where to start. The most important part of any direct mail fundraising appeal is what you do before you write a word of the package.

Poorly conceived appeals lead to poor results. Letters written in haste usually waste money and hinder donations.

The secret to attracting new donors, renewing support, raising funds, building relationships and retaining loyal donors with direct mail is to ask yourself the tough questions before you ask anyone f

y noon, he almost fainted. He says he could never do it because he wouldn’t know where to start. But the same goes for me when it comes to pulling the engine out of a John Deere 6020 Series tractor.

My brother-in-law is correct, of course. You can’t write an effective fundraising letter unless you know where to start. The most important part of any direct mail fundraising appeal is what you do before you write a word of the package.

Poorly conceived appeals lead to poor results. Letters written in haste usually waste money and hinder donations.

The secret to attracting new donors, renewing support, raising funds, building relationships and retaining loyal donors with direct mail is to ask yourself the tough questions before you ask anyone f

actor.

My brother-in-law is correct, of course. You can’t write an effective fundraising letter unless you know where to start. The most important part of any direct mail fundraising appeal is what you do before you write a word of the package.

Poorly conceived appeals lead to poor results. Letters written in haste usually waste money and hinder donations.

The secret to attracting new donors, renewing support, raising funds, building relationships and retaining loyal donors with direct mail is to ask yourself the tough questions before you ask anyone f

eal is what you do before you write a word of the package.

Poorly conceived appeals lead to poor results. Letters written in haste usually waste money and hinder donations.

The secret to attracting new donors, renewing support, raising funds, building relationships and retaining loyal donors with direct mail is to ask yourself the tough questions before you ask anyone f

ret to attracting new donors, renewing support, raising funds, building relationships and retaining loyal donors with direct mail is to ask yourself the tough questions before you ask anyone for a donation. You need to know who you are writing to, why you are writing them, and what you want them to do.

Here are some tips for increasing your chances of success by answering the vital questions that leading fundraisers ask before writing a single line of copy.

1. Who are you writing to?

Most of your donors share a common trait. What is it? Are they all touched by heart disease in some way? Are they all veterans? Are they all former students of your university? Are they all theatre-goers?

Understanding your audience is the first step because who you mail to is the single most important determinant of your success. You can craft the most moving appeal letter of the decade but your campaign will flop if you mail it to the