Help! My direct mail is turning into my Dad's direct mail!

Men: You are turning into your dad.

If you don't have kids, and/or you're under 30, you might not believe me. But it's one of the most powerful forces you'll encounter in your life. Most likely in a situation with your kids, you'll suddenly realize with mixed horror and wonder: I just did exactly what Dad woud have done. I'm my Dad!

The same thing happens to women. You are turning into your mother. Resistance is futile.

We're seeing this in fundraising as Boomers move into the ranks of donors in meaningful numbers. They're turning into their parents. They swore they wouldn't. But they can't stop themselves.

Here's one way this is playing out: These Boomer donors are responsive to direct mail. A few years ago, they were much less so, but now that they're becoming their moms and dads, they're opening and responding to what they get in the mail.

Of course, you don't become an exact replica of your dad as you age; you'll retain some scrap of your own identity as you age -- otherwise I suppose we'd all be lemurs or slime-molds. That little scrap of self is probably why we see a lower response rate to direct mail among the Boomers. And a greater demand for information and control in the donor-charity relationship.

So, like human beings, fundraising changes, but it changes slowly.

Comments

[Lisa Sargent]

So many reasons why I love your blog, Jeff. But this post just toppled the former Reason Number One. We can't stop ourselves because our Boomer brains are all grown up.

P.S. Extra points for use of "lemurs" and "slime-molds" in the same sentence. :-)

[Ketan]

Will you please help me ? I have no long words.