Doing a post-mortem on a failed direct-response fundraising campaign? Check this post at Karen Zapp's Nonprofit Blog: Top 10 Reasons Why a Fundraising Campaign Flops.
- Copy isn't reader-centric
- Poor list (you aren't being smart about whom you're asking)
- Too many editors change the copy until it becomes a weak mush.
- Single channel effort – didn't integrate across multiple channels (online and offline)
- Appeal is filled with business-like jargon; it's cold and impersonal
- No story
- No clear call-to-action stated multiple times that obviously shows how the donor makes a difference
- No single person, family or critter that the reader can connect with through their own experiences; text dominated by sweeping generalities and nebulous facts
- No package gestalt
- No reminder sent to boost response
Any one of these things can kill your campaign. The most deadly one is #2, which can demolish an effort that's otherwise flawless.
