
January/February 2025 • Vol. 63 No. 1
Articles
Columns
Featured Event
Behavioral Science: The Full Story
The most successful commercial marketers have long made use of behavioral science, cognitive biases and decision-making shortcuts that are deeply rooted in how our brains work. Indeed, the past few years have seen a deluge of popular books and podcasts focused on applying behavioral science to commercial marketing in deeper and more sophisticated ways.
Properly and ethically applied, this ever-growing body of knowledge and experience can have a powerful impact on nonprofit communications. The ethical factor requires highlighting: Using behavioral science to present our messages and offers in ways that reflect how people’s brains work is both smart and fair. But using the same tools to trick or coerce people into doing something they didn’t intend to do is both inappropriate and unethical.
The Basics of Behavioral Science
For nearly a decade, Great Britain’s Bernard Ross and his colleagues have been tireless evangelists for the ethical use of decision science in nonprofit communications. But we continue to lag far behind our commercial counterparts. We’ve yet to see widespread adoption of behavioral science in our sector in Europe or the United States.
Even those who do center on the role decision science can play in nonprofit communications focus most of their attention on heuristics — essentially tips you can use to invoke behavioral science principles in your work.
Here are a few examples:
- Social proof, the tendency to want to do what others you admire and relate to are doing.
- The Ikea effect, which is the instinct to be more invested in something you helped build.
- Loss aversion, or the tendency to feel the pain of a loss much more acutely than the joy of an equivalent gain.
The focus on these behavioral shortcuts is understandable. Heuristics are fun to explore and deploy. They produce measurable results and entertaining tales. But they aren’t the full story. If we only zero in on them, we risk reducing behavioral science to a little “bag of tricks” we can use to influence the actions people take. And then we skip right past behavioral science’s most fundamental insight.
The Brain Science at the Heart of the Matter
In his seminal book “Brainfluence: 100 Ways to Persuade and Convince Consumers with Neuromarketing,” neuroscientist Roger Dooley runs through a wide range of heuristics. But before he begins, he makes a critical observation.
Dooley cites research suggesting that 95% of our thoughts, emotions and learning occur without our conscious awareness. He notes that, “Despite knowing that rational, conscious cognitive processes are a small influence in human decision-making, we often focus most of our message on that narrow slice of our customer’s thinking.”
Then he adds this: “The rest of the takeaways in this book are a lot more specific and actionable, but this one is the most important.”
In the nonprofit world, Ross and Omar Mahmoud make a similar observation:
“As influencers, we need to craft our messages for action to reach the subconscious as well as the conscious brain, with an emphasis on the former. The language of the subconscious brain is emotions, images, visuals, metaphors, story and music. The language of the conscious brain is text, logic, facts and numbers.”
Behavioral science exposes a disconnect between the systematic, carefully argued, logical way many nonprofits make their cases and the far more intuitive, casual and emotional way people tend to make their decisions.
And until we close that gap, the messages we convey won’t be nearly as persuasive as they need to be.
Frank O’Brien’s latest project is OBrien On Message, an effort to help the nonprofit community create persuasive messaging. Frank authors the free Monday On Message Memo available on his obrienonmessage.com website. Reach Frank at fobdirect@gmail.com.
PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE
Celebrating 70 Years: Innovating Connections, Inspiring Change
Have you read “Who Moved My Cheese?” I first read the book written in 1998 by Spencer Johnson about 20 years ago and I try to re-read it every few years. Given that, it won’t surprise you that I read it again last month.
The story is about four characters in a maze in search of cheese. The cheese is regularly moved — without warning or reason. Each character is forced to confront fears and adapt to change in the face of the unexpected.
We are — as an industry and as a society — dealing with our cheese getting moved daily. With the proliferation of direct response channels, significant policy shifts on issues that affect many nonprofits, and seemingly never-ending evolving landscapes around data management and privacy, it can feel overwhelming.
We can’t control it, but we can learn how to better navigate it. During this time of renewal and goal-setting, I share my key takeaways from the book and how they might be relevant for you.
Let It Go
The good and the not-so-good. The test that didn’t work? The unexpected viral nature of an organic social media campaign that drove thousands to your cause and crashed your server? The increased paper cost thanks to supply chain issues? Channel Elsa and “let it go.” You can hang on to the knowledge you gained to influence your planning and purpose, but don’t get stuck.
Embrace Change
Ben Franklin said, “Nothing is certain except death and taxes.” I think “change” should be on that list too. Shift your thinking to understand that change is always coming. Remain open to it and flexible about its impact, then channel it to your benefit. Postage increasing again? Investigate postal discounts (now that everyone knows what a QR code is).
Innovate and Experiment
Be curious about that new thing. Sign up for a webinar on a subject you didn’t know much about. Attend a networking event and introduce yourself to someone new. Read a book on a subject that isn’t your core competency. Flex this in your personal life and you’ll benefit in your professional life too!
Adapt (Quickly!)
When you understand that change is going to happen, you’ll be better positioned to adapt to it. Meta, for example, changes its algorithm, the page layout, data sharing, etc., regularly. Being ready for quick pivots will not only improve your results, but it will save your sanity too.
Bring Empathy
Being kind is free. In the book, the four characters each have a different view of the world. While that can be frustrating, offering empathy (and kindness) to the people around you will help them (and you) adjust to something new.
The DMAW has seen a lot of change in our first 70 years. Celebrating this milestone is an exciting moment for our sector — a chance to reflect on the massive evolution that has happened during this time.
As we look to the next 70 years, check out the Fundraising Fundamentals series — in person and online this year. It offers targeted content for folks new to our industry. Reconnect and learn at longtime favorites — List Bazaar, Creative Day and Sustainer Day. Stay in touch with old friends and meet new ones at happy hours and more.
I hope that, as I serve as your DMAW president in 2025, you’ll stay in touch, and we’ll help each other navigate change and search for the ever-moving cheese.
Thanks for being a part of this organization — and thanks for leading change in our world!
Karin Kirchoff
President, K2D Strategies
kkirchoff@k2dstrategies.com
Committee Spotlight
Get to know the people behind the scenes powering our industry’s top events and programs, and how you too can get involved.
Introducing Direct Impact: A Revitalized Resource for Nonprofit Marketing Professionals
We are thrilled to unveil Direct Impact: Marketing Insights for Driving Nonprofit Success, our new and improved member-exclusive magazine. This enhanced publication, which replaces the longstanding Marketing Advents, reflects a renewed commitment to our members’ professional growth and success. With six editions per year, Direct Impact now offers expanded opportunities for members like you to gain insights, stay informed and connect with other industry leaders at the forefront of nonprofit direct marketing.
So, why the change? As the landscape of direct marketing and nonprofit fundraising continues to evolve, we recognize the need for our member resources to grow and adapt in response. By updating both the content and delivery of our magazine, Direct Impact builds upon what Marketing Advents did best: provide insightful, practical guidance in direct marketing strategy, innovation and compliance. Now, with a fresh focus, Direct Impact strives to be more than just a magazine; it’s a platform for collaboration, learning and professional support that aligns with our members’ evolving needs.
One key feature of Direct Impact is its commitment to elevating diverse voices and perspectives within our community. Direct Impact will spotlight well-established industry experts alongside fresh, emerging voices. This blend allows us to be more relevant, offering insights into the unique challenges and opportunities many of us face today.
DMAW is proud to support a network of professionals who represent some of the nation’s largest nonprofits, political organizations, agencies and associations. With insights from top practitioners, our goal is for Direct Impact to serve as a trusted resource, helping you to sharpen your skills, expand your networks and deepen your understanding of best practices in direct marketing and fundraising.
The magazine will continue to deliver the quality content you have come to expect. Each issue brings together thought-provoking case studies, analysis of industry trends, updates on proposed legislation and regulations, and educational content on the latest tools and strategies. This publication is designed to help you and your fellow members stay at the forefront of industry advancements while providing actionable strategies to drive mission success.
With Direct Impact, our vision is to build a vibrant, supportive and informed community of direct response marketing and fundraising professionals. Our goal is to offer a publication that not only shares information but also strengthens connections and empowers all of our members to make a greater impact in the nonprofit sector. Every article, case study and trend report is crafted to bring real value, equipping you with the insights and strategies you need to drive measurable outcomes.
DMAW has always been devoted to cultivating a thriving community of marketing and fundraising practitioners. Direct Impact is our latest effort to realize this mission, and we look forward to seeing the success it brings.
Whether you’re a longtime reader or new to the publication, we’re excited to welcome you to Direct Impact. We hope you find each issue inspiring and impactful as we continue to bring you the very best in nonprofit marketing insights and strategies.
Zakeia Rodgers is the direct marketing manager for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, a national animal protection nonprofit. In her current role, Zakeia manages both the direct mail and digital fundraising programs. She is also on DMAW’s YDMAW Advisory and Direct Impact committees. Zakeia can be reached at zrodgers@aldf.org.
The RFP: Ready for a New Experience?
Lately there is a proliferation of requests for proposal (RFPs) circulating within our community. We can attribute this to a backlog of RFPs due to the pandemic, flagging returns, increased costs, staff migration and less connected partnerships.
After hearing from nonprofits and the partners that serve them, I suggest we update this process to consider modern challenges. This is by no means an exact plan — rather a conversation launching point. Understandably, strict procurement rules will limit some nonprofits, while other participants will have different ideas and concerns.
As nonprofit and business leaders, we have higher operating costs, fewer skilled workers requiring higher salaries and a condensed workweek. In some ways, these are societal values that have been long coming. But practically speaking, we all have less money, time and staff to honor more complicated work.
For agencies and consultants, there is less ability to pull valuable resources to provide free creative, consultation or travel, particularly if there is a low chance of obtaining the business. On the nonprofit side, there is less ability to pull overtaxed staff from their mission-critical efforts. It is more important than ever to efficiently get to the right partnership, particularly so nonprofit staff can focus on donor care and cultivation.
The traditional proposal emphasizes the latest ideas, but not work styles, problem-solving, client service or reliability — qualities that need to be demonstrated rather than described. Proposal clutter, like out-of-the-box ideas that provide marketing dazzle, are not often actionable or are too expensive for many nonprofits to execute. Sometimes complex questions — better suited for an objective outsider’s professional program audit — complicate the RFP.
Let’s replace the word “proposal” with “partnership” in the RFP acronym. In this modernized “request-for-partnership” version, there would be less reliance on corporate marketing and more focus on finding the best team. This means the best match of team, temperament, values and skills, centered around the core objective of creating the best donor and fundraising experience.
The intention of the RFP would be clear. To keep a current vendor, vet a preferred vendor or require a procurement audit, relay that honestly and request a simple cost comparison, rather than a full RFP. I believe most companies would honor this transparent request if it meant that they wouldn’t go on a fruitless journey. Seat-filling to a random number of participants would be discouraged to get to a new partnership more efficiently and transparently.
The process starts with a standard request for information (RFI) covering things like basic service requirements and background, annual budget and non-disclosure agreement. At this point, participants can provide a brief corporate background, their capabilities, service offerings, client list and references, cost structure and policy statements required of vendors (i.e., diversity, equity and inclusion; data protection; etc.)
As nonprofits gather information, the field narrows. They relay more program details, like an annual budget/plan, program highlights/challenges and data for general analytic needs; call client references and use a sample contract to proactively identify potential issues.
In the collaborative model, the RFP transforms from a one-sided presentation to an interactive problem-solving session with each side bringing value and ideas.
A partnership exercise with a program challenge respects the interplay necessary to problem solve. Pose a specific strategic question with background history, like creative or data, to participants so both sides can work on an answer together. In this session, discuss high-level strategy, creativity and analysis with ideas for improvement for this area.
Another idea is a secondary project management session where teams can discuss and evaluate, as well as production preferences or approval processes.
An assessment follows the sessions for both participants and organization. The nonprofit can compare the partnership experiences with the various participants. All would grow professionally from the experience and 360-degree feedback.
Although this example reflects a consultant-nonprofit relationship, it could be modified for nonprofit-vendor RFP processes.
Some other standards:
- Allow three months for the RFP process and avoid the busier year end.
- Circle back to contestants within 24 hours of award.
- Check contracts and determine if vendors are included in the RFP.
- Benchmark results to ensure objectives are realistic.
I am encouraged by a more collaborative industry atmosphere, even among competitors. As we face a growing number of challenges, I want a stronger community approaching problems with curiosity and positivity.
Those are some of my ideas to kick off your own conversations. Considering all perspectives will help us come up with a more transparent and effective way to make the best partnership match. Plus, it will help us focus our work on the most important aspect of all, which is the mission of each nonprofit. So let’s start having those hard but fruitful discussions.
As CEO, Suzie McGuire leads the talented team of Names in News, a boutique, independently owned, woman-run business that has been serving the nonprofit community for over 55 years. Names in the News provides acquisition list strategy, analysis and plan implementation as well as list management services.
A Fundraising Copywriter’s Success Checklist: Part I
Crafting a fundraising message that convinces people to send you their money in return for nothing more than a good feeling is no mean feat. It takes skill, practice, knowledge and some experience. A little talent can be helpful too, but don’t overestimate its value. Talent is nothing if it’s not backed up by a lot of hard work.
Knowing some basic strategies and tactics — and then being willing to write and rewrite until you get it right — can take you a lot farther than you might think. To help you when you first sit down to sketch out your copy approach, here is a checklist of questions you can ask yourself to plan, organize and execute your fundraising message.
Did I do my homework?
Painstakingly gather all the background you can about your appeal. Review results from past appeals to try and understand what moved donors to give and what didn’t. If possible, go back farther than the most recent appeals and look for trends that repeatedly raised or lowered results.
Gather background material on the organization. Understand its mission and values and be familiar with its overall strategic plan and fundraising goals. You’ll also want to become familiar with the constituents the organization serves. What is the nonprofit’s history? What are the needs? Which solutions have been successful, and which have not?
Have I interviewed people relevant to the topic?
When you are researching your copy, talk to people who are as close as possible to the actual field work. Unfortunately, this is often easier said than done. Your supervisors, the organization’s fundraising team, the organization’s communications team (which may have parallel but different goals than the fundraising group), the organization’s overworked program people and others can be between you and the front lines.
The organization will usually be glad if you do your own research to stay on board with its messaging. Yet the nonprofit’s team members are busy people with many responsibilities, so please be respectful of their time.
But do the best you can. The closer you can get to the actual on-the-ground programs, the more truthfully you’ll be able to communicate the sights, sounds and feelings of the work being done in the field. And that will translate into the kind of emotional copywriting that compels donors to give.
The closer you can get to the actual on-the-ground programs, the more truthfully you’ll be able to communicate the sights, sounds and feelings of the work being done in the field. And that will translate into the kind of emotional copywriting that compels donors to give.
Am I writing in clear, simple language that generates emotion and compels readers to donate?
Making your reader’s job as easy as possible is fundamental. You must keep them engaged and engrossed in your story if you expect them to give you a gift in return.
Am I using a deadline to motivate readers to take immediate action?
Donor procrastination is a deadly threat to fundraisers. It’s all too easy for a reader to set your appeal aside, promising themselves they’ll come back to it later. But every minute they spend away from your compelling copy, their motivation to help grows a little weaker. One of the best ways to keep them focused is to give them a deadline to respond.
Am I offering something in return for the donation?
Whether or not we like to admit it, all fundraising efforts are transactional, which means every appeal must contain an offer. In most cases, the only thing we offer the donor is a good feeling — the satisfaction of knowing their gift is doing something important.
But never underestimate the incredible power of that emotion. Saying to the donor, “Imagine the satisfaction you’ll feel knowing you made a difference,” can be a powerful motivator.
Am I using artificial intelligence in the most productive way?
Generative artificial intelligence (AI), like ChatGPT, can be a great help in creating a first draft of your copy. It can give you ideas for organizing and structuring your message, provide handy turns of phrase, and even supply useful facts and statistics. Of course, anything and everything AI gives you in terms of content is notoriously unreliable and must be checked with at least two well-established sources.
This can save you time and keep you working on the right side of your brain. However, handle AI with extreme caution. Using it for anything beyond the most basic functions can easily backfire. You are still the copywriter, so make sure you are doing the copywriting.
Am I employing strategic best practices?
For example, are you keeping the focus of your message on the donor? Are you saying “you” at least 25% more often than you’re saying “I” or “we”? Are you writing a person-to-person message from the letter signer to the donor? Are you ending pages in the middle of a sentence so donors will turn the page and keep reading? These are just a few tricks of the trade that will increase reader engagement.
Am I using personalization with care?
Personalization is a powerful tool that encourages readers to feel they have a close relationship with the person who signs the letter. But it’s important for you, as the copywriter, to know what that relationship is. Some letter signers communicate with their donors in a warm, casual way while others prefer a more formal approach.
Thus, lasering the reader’s first name in the salutation can sound friendly and approachable in some situations, but overly familiar in others. Likewise, beginning with, “Dear Mr. or Ms. Sample,” can feel respectful to some readers but make others feel they’re being put at arm’s length.Do I understand the premium tradeoff?
Premiums are not always a bad thing. Sometimes you just need to get more names in your database, or more cash in hand. Sending a little trinket or keepsake can be a tremendous help with this. But training donors to become premium dependent will bring you to grief in the long run.
These are important questions to ask yourself as you begin building your most powerful fundraising message. Of course, they just scratch the surface. This is the first in a series of articles that will help you put together your best, and most persuasive, fundraising letter, email or other ask message. Read on for the digital exclusive Part II.
A Fundraising Copywriters Success Checklist: Part II
Thanks for coming online to read Part II of A Fundraising Copywriters Success Checklist! I hope you found value in the tips, and will soon be getting better results from your fundraising copy. And since the list of useful tidbits that came to mind while writing, just kept growing, here’s Part II.
In A Fundraising Copywriters Success Checklist: Part II, I present you with more questions you should ask yourself to plan, organize, and execute your messaging to achieve better fundraising results:
Am I writing to one real person?
A few years ago, there was a lot of talk about creating personas as a writing aide. The idea was to invent an imaginary composite reader that had the psychological and lifestyle characteristics of a typical donor or prospect. You could then write to that persona, and it would focus your thinking so you had greater insight and understanding of your target audience. It was the right idea but, in my opinion, an overly complicated and clinical approach.
In my experience you’re better off using an actual person as your visualization model. For years, I had an elderly aunt who perfectly embodied a classic donor profile. She was older, independent, caring, and had a history of charitable giving. I found that simply writing personal letters to her, even though I knew she’d never read them, gave my words a depth and humanity that writing to a list of traits could never give. Because I knew and loved her, I put a little extra effort into trying to convince her that what I had to say was something she really needed to know about.
In fact, when I was drafting the copy, I’d always address my letters to “Dear Aunt Francis,” to bring her even more to life for me. If I were a doctor, I’d say it was the difference between treating a list of symptoms and treating the whole patient. The writing intrinsically had more empathy, more nuance, and more of the magic that can’t be reduced to a formula.
Am I putting the message first and everything else second?
When you write online communications, emails, blogs, websites, and the like, you’re putting your words into preexisting spaces. But in letter writing, there are a lot of format decisions that have to be made. Some are creative, like layout, paper choices, graphic design and the like. Others are budget and production driven like the cost of components and the equipment your printing company has.
But the fact that these things are critical does not mean they should be the first things you think about. Instead, when you start your letter, put formats, specs, and all those other “practical” considerations out of your mind.
You’ll have to deal with them soon enough, of course. But at the beginning of your creative process, your mind should only be focused on two things: 1. who you’re writing to and 2. what you need to tell them. Get clear on those and get them down on paper. Then, you can start editing, nipping and tucking, worrying about page count, and making the message fit the strictures of the format. If you go at it the other way around, you’re going to get your priorities backward and you’ll find yourself compromising the wrong things.
Am I giving readers the most obvious instructions?
Car dealers use a trick so transparent it’s almost insulting. But it consistently increases sales. When you've found a car you're interested in, they will pull out a document and say, “Can I get your signature agreeing that if we can negotiate a deal you’re happy with, you’ll buy this car?” The document is meaningless, of course, and if you balk they'll happily tell you it is.
But they know the psychological power of reinforcing the obvious. That's why, and I encourage you to test this, if you include check boxes on your reply device, and tell readers specifically, the steps you want them to take, you’ll get more responses. At the bottom of the reply, in smaller type, write, “Please return this form, along with your gift, in the envelope provided.” And, if you’re not using a BRE, put the words “Please Place Stamp Here” in a box in the upper right corner of your reply envelope. It’s not that your readers won’t know what to do ; it’s just human nature for people to do what they’re told.
Am I ending each page in the middle of a sentence?
It’s a small touch when laying out the letter on the page, and some designers have a natural distaste for having their neat clean blocks of copy broken up, but this simple strategy encourages the reader to turn the page and keep reading.
Yes, you should still add “over please,” or “next page please” at the bottom right of your pages, but don’t rely on that alone. Your copy should be so spellbinding that readers feel compelled to get to the end of every sentence. Forcing them to turn to a new page to get there will keep them reading longer. And the more they read, the longer they stay involved with the package. And longer involvement increases response rates.
Am I telling my reader exactly why I’m writing to them now?
Your letter will feel much less like a sales pitch if the reader knows you're not just writing them out of the blue. There's no need to be subtle. Say, “I'm writing you today because time is running out. Children will start school soon and we must make sure they have good shoes, decent clothes, and the pencils and notebooks they need to succeed.” When you ask someone to do you a very specific favor and tell them why you need their help right now, it’s pretty hard for them to ignore you.
Am I taking my reader on a journey that makes them want to keep reading?
Remember that fundraising communications must feel to your reader like conversations. So, speak to them in a way that makes them need to respond. Write your letter in a narrative style so ideas flow smoothly and naturally from one sentence to the next. Tie paragraphs together with transitions that keep the reader’s attention moving forward. Don’t be afraid to start sentences with “And or “But.” Begin paragraphs with phrases like, “For example...” which compel your reader to go back and review what the previous paragraph said.
Tactics like these might make your high school English teacher want to smack your hand with a ruler, but you’re following different rules now. And the results of your writing will not be merely academic. They affect your organization and the constituents they serve.
The critical caveat here is that you have to know the rules to break them effectively. Never get so casual that your reader loses interest, or worse, doesn’t know what you’re talking about.
Well, once again, the more I think of these little factoids that I, and many others, have gleaned over a lifetime of copywriting, the more I think of that should be included. So don’t be surprised if A Fundraising Copywriters Success Checklist, Part III shows up down the line.
Meanwhile keep up the good work and never forget that, in fundraising, what you write matters. You’re not just selling some product. The emotional power of your words affects people’s lives.
Willis Turner is the award-winning creative director at Huntsinger & Jeffer, a leading national direct marketing firm based in Richmond, Virginia. After 18 years as a copywriter and creative director in the conventional advertising world, Willis made the switch to direct marketing fundraising. Since then, he’s written hundreds of successful communications, including many control packages, across the full spectrum of media channels. Willis is also active in the fundraising industry, publishing in trade media, speaking at conferences and serving as a frequent judge for awards in fundraising and direct marketing.

Omnichannel Is Not Audience-First
I’ve had lots of conversations about audience-first fundraising and marketing across the nonprofit sector. And I’ve noticed there’s some confusion around the difference between audience-first and omnichannel.
Some people use the terms interchangeably. Some even confuse both audience-first and omnichannel with the tactic of co-targeting.
While these concepts are related, they’re definitely not the same.
An audience-first strategy will include omnichannel efforts, but not every omnichannel approach is audience-first. It brings me back to geometry when we learned that every square is a rectangle, but not every rectangle is a square.
So let’s take a closer look at the differences between audience-first and omnichannel — and why audience-first is the future of fundraising.
Defining Omnichannel Fundraising
An omnichannel marketing strategy aims to create a seamless, cohesive experience across various platforms. The goal is to ensure consistency in messaging whether donors encounter an organization on social media, through direct mail, via email or on the website.
The problem is that the campaigns are often at the center of an omnichannel approach, not the people.
For example, a summer campaign called “No Hunger Summer” might include coordinated emails, social media posts, phone calls and direct mail — all focused on the theme of ending hunger in the summer, with a unified message and creative imagery. Each donor experiences a well-coordinated theme, but each donor’s experience looks the same.
An omnichannel approach is broad but shallow. It’s generally an effective approach because it allows nonprofits to maximize their reach and provide that consistent experience, but it doesn’t necessarily prioritize the donor’s motivations, behaviors and interests.
An audience-first strategy will include omnichannel efforts, but not every omnichannel approach is audience-first
How Audience-First Is Different
While omnichannel strategies may reach a donor on multiple platforms, audience-first ensures the message resonates on a personal level.
Audience-first thinking begins with identifying the audiences with which you want to communicate and designing an experience that will connect with each segment in the most meaningful way.
Rather than structuring fundraising around campaigns, channels or platforms, an audience-first approach places the donor at the heart of every decision, building long-term relationships by focusing on who they are. It’s a mindset that asks, “What does the donor need from us to feel valued and involved?”
An audience-first approach also requires a unique budgeting process. Instead of dividing your resources across channels, you start by assessing each audience segment and allocating resources accordingly. This approach prioritizes strategic investments in segments with the most potential, then considers the right channels to amplify the strategy within each segment.
Essentially, you’re delivering an omnichannel experience to each segment, but each omnichannel experience is tailored a bit differently.

Going Deeper With Audience-First
At RKD Group, we follow a framework that lets us break down audiences by factors like the donor pyramid, donor lifecycle stage and generational preferences.
Donor Pyramid: We prioritize segments based on the donors’ capacity and engagement. For example, major donors are high-impact supporters, so they may receive highly personalized interactions, while mid-level donors are cultivated with messaging that encourages them to elevate their giving. Each segment is supported with an experience suited to their level of engagement.
Donor Lifecycle: Segmenting by lifecycle stage helps us tailor engagement based on where donors are in their relationship with the organization. New, core and lapsed donors all have different needs. For example, new donors receive welcoming messages to help them connect emotionally, while lapsed donors may get messages reminding them of their past impact to re-engage them.
Generational Preferences: With a generational lens, we can personalize strategies for baby boomers, Generation Xers, millennials and Generation Zers. For example, baby boomers might respond well to messages that emphasize their legacy and commitment, while millennials might connect better with transparent, impact-driven stories. This approach builds emotional connections that help donors feel understood and valued.
By focusing on these audience-specific factors, we create sustained, meaningful engagement. Donors are met at their unique points in the journey, and the experiences we create evolve with their relationship to the organization.
For nonprofit fundraisers, both omnichannel and audience-first strategies can play critical roles in effective campaigns, but they’re not synonymous. Omnichannel ensures reach across multiple platforms and a unified message, but audience-first goes deeper. It’s about using insights to drive not just where you reach donors but also how and why.
In today’s fundraising landscape, donors expect authenticity and alignment with their values. An audience-first mindset ensures that every engagement feels personal. In the end, audience-first thinking doesn’t just reach donors — it resonates with them.
Jarred Schremmer is senior vice president of strategy at RKD Group. Jarred has worked in fundraising, communication and direct marketing for a distinguished list of health, international relief, faith-based, arts and culture, and collegiate athletic clients since 2005. His experience across multiple nonprofit communication channels helps him craft innovative strategies that accelerate growth for RKD Group’s clients.
The Power of Gift Acknowledgments for Nonprofits
At nonprofits, where every penny counts, gift acknowledgment letters are often the unsung heroes of fundraising success. These simple letters do more than just acknowledge financial donations. They help cultivate a culture of gratitude and a sense of community, which can help strengthen the bond between a nonprofit and its donors.
But recognizing donors isn’t just nice — it’s a smart move for your organization. Donors who receive thank-you letters are more likely to give again, and the more promptly you thank them, the better. A strong acknowledgment program is key to securing that critical second gift and cementing the relationship between the organization and the new donor recently joining the file.
Every nonprofit should send gift acknowledgment letters without exceptions. An approach can be followed when writing these letters. If done correctly, nonprofits influence future giving, including an opportunity for donors to give a second gift or become a sustainer. However, it is important to note that gift acknowledgments hold an additional significant purpose that is often overlooked — the immediate potential for increased revenue.
A 2022 Nonprofit Fundraising Alliance study found that sending gift acknowledgments increased donations by an average of 20%. The reasons for this are both psychological and practical. People who feel appreciated through well-thought-out gift acknowledgments are more likely to view the organization positively, increasing their trust in its mission and their likelihood of donating again. Furthermore, gift acknowledgments can help create a sense of community and belonging, reinforcing donors’ connection with the organization and increasing their likelihood of continued support.
The sustainability and growth of nonprofits hinge on their ability to keep donors engaged over the long haul. Acknowledging gifts is a big part of that. It’s about more than just saying thanks — it's about building and maintaining relationships that will keep donors coming back. It is also key to achieving the industry standard threshold for donor engagement. This threshold is a 60% donation rate for current donors, a 40% donation rate for reinstated donors and a 20% donation rate for new donors. Here are some ways gift acknowledgments can help.
1. Building Trust
A well-crafted gift acknowledgment letter is the cornerstone of trust. It shows we’re professional, transparent and accountable — and that’s how we build trust with our donors. When their contributions are valued and used well, they’re more likely to keep giving and even increase their support.
2. Cultivating a Sense of Community
Acknowledging gifts isn’t just about the money. It’s about weaving a tapestry of belonging and shared purpose. Through these gestures, we build bridges of the heart, inviting donors to become part of something bigger that endures. This spirit of togetherness keeps the flame of engagement alive, and donors connected to our mission.
3. Enhancing Donor Satisfaction
I’ve learned that a personalized thank-you note can go a long way in showing appreciation and gratitude. It’s a small gesture that can make a big impact, leaving the donor feeling valued and more connected to the cause. And when donors feel this way, they’re more likely to support the organization and its mission.
4. Motivating Increased Giving
Acknowledging gifts is the first step in a long-term strategy to encourage donors to give more. When donors see the impact of their gifts, they are more likely to give again. And again. And again. Over time, they may become your most valuable donors.
5. Encouraging Donor Retention
Here’s the deal, those thank-you notes are more than a formality. They’re the key to keeping the love alive with your donors. When you take the time to make them feel special and show them the impact of their generosity, you’re building a bond that’s hard to break. And that, my friend, is the secret sauce to long-term donor relationships.
6. Inviting Donors to Become Sustainers
What we often overlook with acknowledgments is that they are an outstanding opportunity to invite the donor to become a monthly giver or a sustainer, where they make small, ongoing contributions every month. The best time to ask donors to become sustainers is right after they have made a gift, so it is important to always include a monthly giving pitch as part of the mailing.
By crafting a meaningful strategy for acknowledging gifts, nonprofits can nurture lasting relationships with donors, paving the way for sustainable funding and a greater impact on the causes they champion.
Erik Anderson is the director of direct response for OneRhythm, a leading membership marketing agency for cultural organizations. Erik has held similar roles with the American Diabetes Association and Defenders of Wildlife, and was previously a fundraising consultant with Thirteen/WNET and WNYC. He can be reached at erik@onerhythm.com.

Our industry’s next generation of leaders are already making an impact! Learn more and join them at dmaw.org/ydmaw.
How to Prevent Your Nonprofit’s File From Being on an Email Domain Block List
Picture this: A sales representative of a product you do not know anything about calls you. You pick up the first time because you’re curious, but quickly realize this product is not for you, so you politely thank the caller and hang up. Then this company calls again the next day, and you ignore the call because you’re not interested, but the company representative keeps calling several more times, so what do you do? You block the number.
Now imagine this but it’s an email domain (Google, Yahoo, Outlook, etc.), and you’re sending emails that those on your email file aren’t interested in, so they don’t open the emails. But you keep sending the emails because nothing on the surface level is letting you know something is wrong, and your file keeps not opening the emails because something is not resonating. This keeps going until one day the domain (you, in the situation mentioned above with phone calls) blocks your domain completely, and now nothing can get through.
Unfortunately, this is a situation that organizations find themselves in from time to time. Once this happens, it’s an incredibly time-consuming and oftentimes expensive process to undo the damage. And you’ll inevitably lose money because sending emails will now take longer as your organization works to remove itself from the email domain’s block list.
This is what happens when your email deliverability starts to decline — and the key to maintaining your email deliverability is preventing it from becoming a problem in the first place. Here are a few tips you can implement quickly to ensure that your organization remains in a good place with all email domains and your organization's sender reputation stays high.
1. Monitor Email Open Rates
While open rates are no longer a good indicator of how well an email performs — thanks to Apple’s iOS privacy policy circa 2021 — it should still be a stat your organization continues to monitor regularly. Figure out what your organization’s baseline open rate for an email is (most hover between 25% and 40%, including the artificial opens on Apple devices), and when that drops, that means even fewer people are opening the email — because your email isn’t getting to their inboxes at all. When this happens, it’s time to investigate!
2. Invest in an Email Monitoring Tool
There are many tools out there that help your organization track deliverability, such as Litmus, Omnisend and Validity Everest. These tools do so much, including ensuring that your emails land in the right recipients' inboxes, flagging any potential spam complaints and making it clear when there is a deliverability decline in a specific domain.
3. Regularly Clean Your Email List to Remove Deadweight
Every organization defines its inactive audience differently, but a general rule of thumb is that if someone has not opened an email in more than two years, they are never going to and keeping them on your email list will only harm your sender reputation. Consider sending them one re-engagement email a year (see tip No. 4) or target them on ads to try and get them to make a donation through a different channel.
4. Run Regular Re-engagement Campaigns
Twice a year, consider sending emails meant to get users to open to click to the inactive emails (i.e., emails with simple actions and engaging subject lines like “Confirm your address and receive a sticker”). Once someone opens or does any sort of action, they should be added back into your active email list. Depending on what eCRM your orgnization uses, you can create an email automation to do this.
5. Run Envelope Tests in Email Campaigns
By regularly testing and switching up your subject lines and sender names, you’ll not only learn what type of email envelope content (sender name
and subject line) your file responds to, but also switch things up enough to capture the interest of those who may be at risk of falling into the inactive category.
No one wants to end up on an email block list — and fortunately, there are simple, cost-effective actions your organization can take to lower the risk of this happening. And on the off chance that you do end up on a block list and are unable to reliably send email campaigns, don’t fret! There are ways to get your email domains off of block lists.
Jean Qiao is a digital account manager at Lautman Maska Neill & Company, and is passionate about using technology to create positive social change. She loves making new industry friends, so don’t hesitate to reach out at jqiao@lautmandc.com.

DMAW EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
DMAW/EF Board Member: Alyssa Ackerman
Name: Alyssa Ackerman
Title: Vice President of Accounts
Company: MissionWired
University: Virginia Tech
Major: Communications
We all know that volunteering is important, but it takes a special group of volunteers to invest their time in the next generation of marketers. Meet one of our newest board members, Alyssa Ackerman!
The DMAW/EF is excited to have Alyssa join the board. With her diverse background at both nonprofits and an agency, her experience and insights will be invaluable.
What first drew you to the DMAW/EF?
I joined the DMAW/EF to find a community of professionals that I could connect with, learn from and share ideas around nonprofit fundraising — and help connect with the next generation of fundraisers!
What makes you most excited about joining the DMAW/EF?
I am most excited to share all that there is to offer around direct marketing with those exploring entering this exciting and dynamic industry.
What is something that you learned or experienced in your education that added value to your career?
I was fortunate enough to be able to study abroad in Switzerland during college. While there, our curriculum was focused on marketing, which helped lead me on my way to nonprofit fundraising. Also, living abroad before smartphones taught me how to be nimble and resourceful!
Want to get more involved with the DMAW/EF? Email administrator@dmawef.org.
Connecting with Students and Professors in 2025
Every year, it seems like there are new ways to connect with students and professors. Students are increasingly interested in opportunities to learn about career paths from webinars, mentoring, shadowing and project-based competitions, while professors want to help their students succeed after graduation.
Some universities have courses on direct marketing, whereas others incorporate direct marketing into marketing courses to allow students the opportunity to explore the concepts marketers use every day!
The Direct Marketing Association of Washington Educational Foundation (DMAW/EF) bridges the conversation between the industry and the classroom. By connecting with students through the Collegiate MAXI competition, Mentor for a Day program and webinars, we meet students and professors where they are with opportunities that work for them.
As students and professors return to campus for the spring semester, we look forward to connecting with them in new ways!
Coming soon! A recap of one of our cornerstone events: the 2025 DMAW/EF Professors Institute, which brought together professors and industry professionals in January.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Katy Jordan
Principal and Founder
Katy Jordan Consulting
katy@katyjordanconsulting.com
Music has always been part of Katy Jordan’s life, from taking piano lessons at age 6 to majoring in music during college. During her time as an undergraduate at Lehigh University, Jordan interned at the Baltimore Symphony and her “eyes were opened to the world of nonprofit management and marketing,” she said.
After graduation, she worked at the Baltimore Opera while earning an MBA.
“That led me to want to have a bigger impact beyond one organization, and I started as a digital account executive at a direct response agency,” she said. “I love helping people and organizations evolve, stay relevant and achieve their potential.”
Who do you consider your mentors?
My experience at the Baltimore Symphony internship framed my perspective on the workplace. Linda Moxley was my supervisor at the time. She demonstrated a collaborative leadership style where every member of the team was valued. No matter your role or title, everyone had equal input to solutions.
My boss at CDR Fundraising Group, Angela Struebing, was another great mentor to me. Angela always prioritized the well-being of her team members. She helped implement new policies — specifically parental leave — that benefitted many working parents. I also admired her commitment to, and international work in, improving the culture within the organization.
What advice would you offer a novice who wants to move up in direct marketing?
Never stop asking why — look at the data and what the trends are showing. However, don’t fall into the trap of overanalyzing. The most successful marketers I’ve worked with have the ability to understand the detail, but not at the expense of the big picture.
What is the most helpful step you took to advance your direct marketing career?
Getting involved in the industry — sharing stories, successes and failures with others. Take advantage of the networking opportunities available to you.
QUICK TAKES
DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE WORDS:
Connector. Coach. Soloprenuer.
RESTAURANT:
Ekiben — Asian Fusion (Baltimore/DC IYKYK)
FILM: “The Big Lebowski”
Leisure Interests:
Live music, travel, hiking and camping

Direct Impact is the member exclusive magazine from the DMAW.
Want to be featured in a future issue? Email your article ideas to comms@dmaw.org.