What’s in my Mailbox | What does a new donor welcome pack look like?

November 18, 2015

Whatsinmymailbox


Some of my most often asked questions center around welcome packs. What should they include? When do I send it? Should it include a new ask?

Creating your internal processes to welcome new donors into your organization’s family is a major component of our online course, Power of Thank You | Basics & More™. The process typically includes:

  1. A thank you call, followed by…
  2. A personalized thank you letter (or handwritten note) sent within 48 hours, followed in the next 30-60 days by…
  3. A welcome packet

I was a little dismayed to see one popular nonprofit blog, citing an unnamed survey, state unequivocally that new donors should not be asked again for seven months. Poppycock! My own experience has been that what donors say they respond to versus what they actually do respond to are two different things. I’m big believer in the ‘honeymoon phase’ in marketing, which would dictate that the best time to ask for a new gift is within the next 30-60 days of a donor’s first gift. Of course, your own processes should be created by testing, tweaking, and gaining a solid understanding of your donor base.

Here’s a stellar example from Mercy Corps of a new donor welcome packet. The packet includes:

  • A letter from the founder featuring a personal welcome to the Mercy Corps family. I get a true understanding of what my gift is accomplishing through donor-focused messaging: ‘You can build schools for children who have never seen the inside of a classroom.’
  • Mercy Corps’ Summer print newsletter
  • A terrific bookmark
  • A response device which includes the opportunity for monthly giving and a brief, two question survey
  • A BRE (check out the swipe-able language on the envelope)

This is probably a textbook example of an ideal welcome packet. I’m a Mercy Corps donor. Do I feel in any way put out by the ask included? Not at all. I view it as an opportunity to change the world.

Remember, it all lies in how you’re framing it.

Download the package by clicking the image below.

Screen Shot 2015-11-14 at 1.38.55 PM

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