Direct mail was and remains a powerful medium for raising funds. Fundraising via direct mail has the potential to reach a wide audience and can be used to complement other fundraising activities such as sales and online fundraising.

Direct mail fundraising is bound by certain laws that vary with the state and certain common rules of etiquette that should be followed if your organization expects to succeed in its fundraising initiatives and stay in the good books of the community.

The direct mail may start off as unsolicited communication. You must give the prospective donor an opportunity to either accept or reject the invitation to make a donation. You must confirm promptly if the donor requests that he should not be sent any more communications and you should remove his name from the mailing list.

If a donor requests information you are bound by law to immediately provide it. The information could pertain to your organization’s contact details, contact person, the source from where you obtained donor contact information, etc. You should be aware of the maximum time frame within which you are expected to provide the donor with the information.

If you select a third party and outsource your direct mail fundraising campaign then you should have the terms and conditions written down. Decide upon the financial terms clearly; the supplier can select between a fixed pay and a percentage of the funds raised. You will have to be aware of the jurisdiction that will apply in the case of a dispute with your organization and the donor. Also make this known to the donor.

If the prospect obliges your fundraising effort then you have to give him a receipt which should include the donor’s name and address, the date and amount of donation, mode of payment, if the donor is an honorary member of the organization and a frequent donor. The receipt is to be sent to the donor within a specified number of days.

The promotional material that you use for your direct mail fundraising should be factually accurate and clearly identifies your organization as being responsible for the fundraising. Also spell out the objective of the fundraising clearly. The donor has to know where his money will go. The promotional material should also comply with federal and state laws pertaining to direct mail fundraising.

The fundraising material should not hurt the feelings and sensibilities of any group of people and it should not lead to any inconvenience or embarrassment to the recipient.