End the year with a bang with a great fundraising event

As a small nonprofit, maybe you have seen some of the full color professional mailings that the "big guys" do and felt a hint of jealousy. Perhaps you struggle with writing a really captivating letter that will really motivate people to give. Since I've been in your shoes I know how tough it can be!

That's why I was really excited to learn about the services that Starfish Marketing offers. Each month they have a complete, professionally written and laid out mail package. Each piece is created by a team of pros who constantly test to see what works and what doesn't. You provide some custom elements like your logo, photos and mission statement. Then start with their letter template and tweak it, or use your own letter.

This system takes out a lot of the guesswork and the postal, data, and creative hassles that can make direct mail so difficult and time-consuming for you. You'll have a high quality mailing that has the best chance of success.

If you did this on your own it might be cost prohibitive. But because Starfish sends out mailings from multiple nonprofits at once, it becomes affordable, even if you're just sending 1,000 letters. And the nice thing is, your mailing is customized so it doesn’t look like anyone else’s.

Take a look at some of the upcoming mailings: In October the theme will be Thanksgiving, with a special gift for your supporters - a recipe booklet. In November it will be a holiday card that uses handwriting style type. If you hurry you could even get in on the September mailing, an annual membership drive (sign-up by July 13). For more information on any of the mailings scheduled for the rest of 2009, call Margaux Parento at 954-943-7740.

Speaking of Direct Mail...

Two of the main ideas that I took away from my recently interview with fundraising expert Steve Lieberstein were to start planning early and to mind the details.

The one hour interview I conducted with Steve is part of the new audio seminar course Secrets of the Charity Auction Experts. 

Take a listen to this 8 minute audio clip (or read the transcript) to gain some insights:

360 Degree Planning for Fundraising Events: An Interview with Steve Lieberstein