The United States Postal Service is in crisis. That probably means your donor revenue stream is also in crisis.
To put things in perspective, here are the statistics regarding mail delivery since the onset of the pandemic, published by the Alliance of Non-Profit Mailers:
- First Class Mail was late 9.18 percent of the time,
- Marketing Mail was late 10.50 percent,
- and Periodicals were late 23.09 percent.
What is most frightening about these stats? They tally delivery rates BEFORE the most recent Post Master General proposals— which are sure to delay mail even more.
Year end direct mail fundraising could be imperiled.
This is why we at Faircom New York are urging our clients to integrate now more than ever their direct mail with digital. Why?
1) Adoption of online payment is at an all time high: Increasing numbers of people of all ages are turning to online payment since they have been trapped at home. They have no choice. Look at soaring sales on Amazon. Even people 65 and older are transacting online with huge frequency.
2) Your donors need to hear from you. What if the delay impacts you receiving their gift— not just them receiving your appeal? They could think you are late in thanking them, but in fact, you didn’t realize they gave a gift. Let them know you’re concerned about the delays in mail.
3) Year-end fundraising is when digital donations are at their highest. Make sure you are converting as many donors as possible to online giving and that you are collecting as many email addresses as possible NOW so that you can optimize year-end.
If you need help managing your budget and making your goals in this very challenging time, please contact us. We’re here to help.
