Check your Envelopes

One of the cardinal rules of life is above all, do no harm. One of the cardinal rules of fundraising is above all, do not agitate your donors or prospects.

A simple but often overlooked way to ensure that you don’t annoy your donors is to monitor and update your database regularly to avoid the following, and other, mistakes.

Mistake 1: Mr. and Mrs.  Jamie Smith (problem is that Jamie is also a man and this is a same-sex couple)

Mistake 2: Mr. John Smith (problem is that Mrs. Smith is the real supporter of the organization and yet you have omitted her from the salutation)

Mistake 3: Dr. and Mrs. John Smith (problem is Dr. Smith died last year)

Mistake 4: Mr. and Mrs. John Smith (problem is that they had a bitter divorce last year)

We live in a world of constantly evolving relationships. Mailing lists are organic. If you don’t continually review and update your information, you are bound to offend the very people on whom you depend.