Navigating Direct Mail Production in 2022
As we approach the end of 2021, our uncertain future seems more uncertain than it has before. As if the emergence of new variants of COVID-19 weren’t enough, supply chain issues, labour and resource shortages and natural disasters feel like they are squeezing us from all sides. The direct mail world is not exempt from […]
Let Your Donors be the Jury
I’ve been a partner at Good Works for 25 years now. But, before I became a Good Worker, I was a client – twice! Back in the 1990s, I learned direct mail fundraising from the experts at Good Works. There was one lesson they taught me that stands above all the others – and that […]
My Big Benchmarks Surprise
Poor direct mail. It’s been the unpopular cousin of other fundraising channels in many people’s minds for years now. To many fundraisers, direct mail fundraising had its heyday back in the 1980s and 1990s, but then started its long, steady decline toward oblivion. ‘Cutting edge’ thinkers and fundraising pundits predicted that direct mail would just […]
Unlocking the Power of Donor Surveys
What single, magical tool can help you generate revenue, deepen donor loyalty, uncover donor interests, upgrade giving, AND find new leads? You guessed it: donor surveys. That’s exactly what I spoke about at this year’s Nonprofit Technology Conference, alongside Crystal Mahon of STARS Air Ambulance. We took a deep dive into how to build donor […]
Introducing the 2021 Canadian Direct Mail Benchmarks Report
The wait is over! For those of you looking for up-to-date, pandemic-proof, all-Canadian direct mail benchmarks, look no further. The 2021 Canadian Direct Mail Benchmarks Report is here—and you can download it (for free!) right now. Early, non-biased reviews are already pouring in, and they’re electric: […]
When Things Go Off The Rails – and they surely will, at some point!
We’ve all had it happen. Things are humming along and all the ducks are waddling along in their rows when BAM! Printing errors happen. Like, the lettershop calls and the postal indicia on the envelope is too small. Meaning it might not be accepted for induction by Canada Post. Or BAM! – a Neighbourhood Mail […]
Don’t Go Breaking My (Direct Mail Loving) Heart
How to Write Direct Mail for Donors Who Don’t Read Direct Mail 💌 Here at Good Works, we’re passionate about sharing emotional stories with your donors. But we also know a little secret about direct mail donors… Lots of them decide to give without even reading the letter! (If you love writing stories for donors […]
Your Guide to the Recent Canada Post Service Changes
In case you missed it, Canada Post made some changes earlier this year that may affect your direct mail program. If you’re feeling a bit lost trying to figure out what’s new, we’re here to help! Below is our annual summary of the service changes that are most likely to impact your program. (Note that […]
3 Metrics to Help Drive Your Fundraising Performance
If you don’t know the destination, how will you know when you get there? It seems we spend a lot of time during the month of January taking stock of where we’ve been the past year and setting ourselves up for success in the year ahead. This is a great time to consider which investments […]
How Aging Changes The Way We Read Mail
Just last week, I read this tweet showed up in my newsfeed. Now admittedly, this is pretty old, but it did offer up a Groundhog Day moment for me. I was both transfixed and blown away by this image: Astigmatism is when the cornea is slightly curved rather than completely round.. With astigmatism, light focuses […]