[Dalya’s Note: This guest post by Vanessa Chase was originally published on May 20, 2013 on her website, Philanthropy for All.]

We go to great lengths in annual giving (and development) departments to build quality relationships with donors. Thank you calls, handwritten notes and other genuine tokens of appreciation are extended to donors when they make gifts. Perhaps your non-profit has a healthy flow of gifts at the end of the calendar year when people seem to be naturally inclined to give. But what about the rest of the year? Do you find yourself disappointed by appeals with low response rates during the Spring and Fall?

Sometimes, all of the other things you do to steward and cultivate donors are overshadowed when that donor has an appeal letter in their hands. In that moment, copy is the deciding factor.

The Frustration of Low Response Rates

The Direct Marketing Association estimates that a successful retention appeal garners a response rate of 5.53%. From my experience, I think this is a low-ball estimate. But it does vary from organization to organization, so it’s really best to set your own benchmarks. If you have an appeal that falls below your organization’s average, it can be super frustrating when you’ve put in tons of time writing, editing, designing and segmenting data only to have a low response.

There can be a number of reasons for low response rates, but the aspect of your appeal that offers the most room for improvement is your copy. Continue reading →