When it comes to acquiring new donors, public broadcasting fundraisers have an option that the typical non-profit organization doesn’t have – and it’s an important one: Pledge.  While this is a great resource others can’t employ, it does have built-in limitations and is therefore just one source that should be considered in addition to all the others.

Each source of income – mail, on-air, online and telemarketing – has its own long- and short-term effect on your membership database and should each be seen as just one tool in your fundraising kit. Since each tool plays a different role in building membership and raising funds, none should be deemed replaceable by another or “too expensive” to use.

Just about everyone in public broadcasting knows that donors generated from on-air, online, telemarketing and direct mail perform differently when it comes to retention. We also know that members have individual preferences when it comes to how they want to communicate with the station they love. (Read on …)

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We’ve heard what the pundits have to say.  Now we want to know what public broadcasting professionals think!

Answer the quick CBA poll below, then tell us in the comment section of this post how you think it has affected your fundraising and what your members are telling you.  Your comments can even can be anonymous.

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What are the best criteria to use when building a list plan for your acquisition mail?

Yes, we all know we have to test lists and pick the ones that work.

But how do you decide what works best? What are the most reliable measurements of good list performance? Geography is important – we know that profitability differs from one zip code to another. And your station’s acceptable cost to acquire a member plays a critical role. But in selecting names it’s critical to consider the future pay-off on your investment in acquiring new members. What kind of a “customer” are you “buying” for your business long term?

A lot is riding on your judgment when putting together a plan for sending your appeal to many thousands of prospects in your viewing or listening area – like the financial health of your station and what will be judged the success (or failure) of your fundraising. (Read on …)

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The Postal Regulatory Commission‘s decision yesterday to reject the US Postal Service’s request for a rate increase means much more than sending your Christmas cards won’t be any more expensive this year.  It could have resulted in 5-6% increase for bulk (including non-profit) mailers as well.

(Read on …)

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