10 Quick Tips for Energizing Your Annual Campaign

The annual fall campaign remains the cornerstone on which strong fundraising efforts are built. Yet, sending out more or less the same direct mail letter year after year can get stale. Here are 10 ideas for ways to put some new life into your annual fund campaign this fall:

1. Secure a matching gift for campaign donations.

2. Add options for giving by text messages.

3. Test new design options. Send out one version to half your list and another to the other half. Then track to see which brings the best results.

4. If your letter is pretty basic, add photos or color. If it has been highly formatted, go back to basics with a plain black and white letter.

5. Have a local celebrity write or sign your letter.

6. Try a different format rather than a letter, such as fold-over card.

7. Don’t make it about you – make it about an individual or family who was helped by the library.

8. Coordinate more strongly with Giving Tuesday, or with your own email/social media campaign, including robust online giving options.

9. Include another solicitation envelope with your ‘thank you’ letters.

10. Add a simple, easy to mail, gift for donations at higher levels, such as a coupon to your Friends bookstore, or another local bookstore.