I love paper.

I love holding it, folding it and even the smell of it. There’s nothing better than ripping open a box of Annual Reports and catching a whiff of the ink on that 80 GSM.

Fundraising, is a rapidly changing and evolving industry. Ignoring trends and technology will leave you far behind – like a disappearing speck in the rear-view mirror of progress.

But I love paper.

I’ve been a Fundraiser since the early noughties, and way before that, I held various marketing roles. I’ve seen the death of bromides, the demise of Kodak and the fading out of fax machines.

And I’ve witnessed the dawn of the digital era; Adobe Acrobat, email, Facebook, emojis and chatspeak. I’ve marveled at the first apps and the arrival of iPhones. It’s been hard to keep up, but so exciting at the same time.

But… paper.

Many believed that the digital era would mean that paper would quickly disappear and some coined it “The Paperless Office”. Kindles would retire books for ever. Paper money would no longer change hands for lattés and groceries, and that no one would be writing cheques anymore.

And yet today the two worlds are still living side by side. There’s still a bit of paper in many offices. Paper and digital are co-existing in this world, and in the world of fundraising. For the moment.

So, what does this mean for fundraising in this fast-changing, digital world? If you are trying to attract donors to your cause, and to keep them there, I suggest a holistic approach, with a healthy mix of old school verses new.

Here’s are some tips to get the best outcomes from everything you do.

1. Don’t forget to put your mailing address on everything. On the home page of your website, in your email signature and on your business card (if you still use them). Do not make it difficult for donors to find you, and do not make it difficult for Lawyers to find you – they need your address details to make out a Bequestor’s will!
2. Cash should always be an option – don’t turn a donor down who wants to make a cash donation. This is your opportunity to have a chat face to face and start building rapport.  Welcome them to your front door. This kind of ‘transaction interaction’ could easily be a Major Donor just waiting to make a connection. Yes, this has happened to me.
3. Talk to people. In person. Trust and professional relationships are built on face-to-face contact. Perhaps not if you are dealing with another Digital Native, but if you are communicating with a Relationship Manager, a CEO or a Board then you can’t develop a strong long-term working relationship by “flicking them an email”. Present your Strategy in person. Ask the Relationship Manager how their day was. Take a client out for a coffee. Let them see the power of your true awesomeness.
4. Don’t forget about Direct Mail. Wrap your Digital around a Direct Mail Appeal if you can. Share your organisation’s powerful case for support across all channels and amplify your message! Many of your Direct Mail donors will also be seeing your digital. It’s another channel for you to reach out to people, many times, to get your fundraising message across.
5. Handwritten notes are appreciated. If you have volunteers, then involve them in writing notes to your donors.  When I signed up to a Melbourne-based charity recently, one of their volunteers sent me a handwritten note, in a hand addressed envelope with a little booklet on some of the organisations’ programs. Delightful! Lovely! I was so touched.

Why is this important? Because people like to be thanked. Even when they SAY they don’t want to be thanked, believe me, they want to be thanked. If you can find a way to make your THANK YOU as sincere as possible (ie. a handwritten note) then you will increase that donor’s loyalty and commitment to your organisation. Go on try it.

(Ps. Don’t forget about Christmas, birthdays, whenever you can, engage, reach out, improved the donor experience. And you’ll be winning.)

For the cynics in the audience, there’s plenty of articles and research out there on Direct Mail.

That’s it. You now have some simple tips to consider when you’re crafting your next campaign or appeal. Just remember, as life passes you by in this crazy digital world, don’t forget to stop and smell the paper.

Erica is our expert Digital Content Producer with a long love affair and history with Direct Mail.