Net money requires superior creative products that not only bring in donors at a fraction of their inception contribution, or else the program will never produce net money, but will also renew those donors and continually increase the all important long term net donor value.
Net money depends on outstanding list selection and multiple list strategies to target prospects who are most likely to not simply respond to a letter but to join your efforts.
Net money needs data processing oversight that will both secure the lowest possible postal rates and balance the need to suppress duplicates and protect a housefile against over suppression that will depress returns and add to new donor cost.
Net money requires a close attention to segmentation and selection criteria so as to achieve the highest possible renewal rates and donor upgrades because a dedicated donor core will produce the vast majority of net dollars.
Net money demands a multiple bid process for package elements to depress package costs to the lowest possible point to ensure that the non-profit, not the vendors, receive as much of the donor's dollar as possible.
Net money exists because of flawless execution of a well-designed mail schedule since a lost mailing window and the income that it could produce can never be fully recovered.
Our focus on producing net money drives every aspect of our work and every member of our team as we seek to help our clients expand their good works.
But also our focus on producing net money is important because it is also increasingly an exception in the direct mail fund raising industry.
In a quick survey of other agencies you will find many agencies will promote themselves saying that their focus is on such things as "Relationships Cultivated," or "Dedicated to Quality" or "Raising the Bar on Personalized Service."
One even advertises that their focus is on direct mail and then they quote the number of pieces of mail they produced last year with no mention whether it benefited their clients as much as it enhanced their bottom line. Others say their focus is on segmentation strategies. Still others say their passion is creating your brand image and awareness.
All of these are important elements but they are only parts of what should be a larger program focused on producing net money.
However, producing net money is not the first focus of many agencies because focusing a program on net money is much more difficult to put together, particularly for clients who are not well known in the market place.