We often hear – and say – that mail-acquired donors have the best retention rates.  It’s one of those industry truisms that we follow, especially those amongst us who are direct mail geeks.  However, it’s always important to periodically take a step back and question even the most established rules of thumb – take the time to ask why.

Recently, one of my colleagues did just that.

And here are the top reasons:

• Choice: Unlike being intercepted on the street or called by a telemarketer, a direct mail donor has more perceived choice in how or if s/he responds to the solicitation.  There’s time to think on the decision and less pressure.  When the decision is finally made, chances are the donor is reasonably comfortable with the choice to support a charity.
• Effort: Once the donor has made a decision to give, there’s some effort involved in completing the transaction.  The donor needs to complete the reply form, write the cheque or fill in credit card details, and actually mail the BRE.  These seem like small steps to us, but this still constitutes effort that the donor would not expend if there weren’t some level of certainty in the decision to give.
• Demographic: Direct mail donors tend to be older.  Research tells us that trust and security are key factors for this demographic when making decisions, particularly financial ones.  Many older donors will feel more secure in providing their own financial details on paper, rather than providing them by phone or to someone on the street.  This also provides a vital sense of control over the transaction.  And the subsequent communications by mail help build trust by maintaining accountability.
• Capacity: Related to the point above, remember that the older demographic is also more secure financially (even if this security comes with a limited cash flow, it tends to be consistent). They are therefore better positioned to commit to regular giving by mail.  Even with a fixed income, this group is more likely to plan ahead and ensure donations to favoured charities are part of the annual household budget.  This is also a generation – think WWII and prior – for whom community participation and charitable giving remains a leading social value.  Finding ways to reach younger donors is important, but these older donors are still the core of most annual giving programs.

Certainly, as other channels continue to grow – some rapidly – diversifying your fundraising program is essential.  Communication preferences change, as do target audiences.  Charities big and small need to keep up with changing times.

But the fact remains that there is still good reason to continue investing in your direct mail program – whether to cultivate your existing supporters or acquiring new ones.  Besides, mail is still the least expensive way of acquiring new donors – and provided they stick around, well worth the effort.