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When it comes to direct mail, beware of common sense. What you think you know can lead you straight down a one-way street to lousy results -- the kind of results that have caused many small nonprofits to conclude that direct mail just does not work for them. Here are some techniques to reap more and bigger donations through the mail: 1. Mail at least four times a year. 2. Personalize your letters. 3. Add extras to your envelope. 4. Have the executive director and board chair sit down and decide who will sign the letter. 5. Suggest gift levels. 6. Load your letter with emotion. 7. Always ask for money. 8. Recognize the donor's continuing support in as many ways as possible. Remember, there are no rules in direct-mail fundraising. Direct marketing is trend-driven. To keep up with those trends, watch what the large, direct-mail charities do.

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When it comes to direct mail, beware of common sense. What you think you know can lead you straight down a one-way street to lousy results the kind of results that have caused many small nonprofits to conclude that direct mail just doesn't work for them.

Most folks have strong feelings about how they react to fundraising appeals they receive in the mail. But market testing shows that their behavior often contradicts what they believe about their reactions. In short, what "simply stands to reason" is frequently wrong.

Luckily, you don't have to rely on hunches, intuition, or wild guesses. You can benefit from the research of large charities, who measure which direct-mail packages yield the best results. They look at everything - the number of pages, use of photos, hand-written notes, ink colors, and on and on - to see what works, and what doesn't.

Here are 20 "common-sense" statements often voiced by nonprofit executives and board members, along with the realities found in live-market testing:

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Remember, there are no "rules" in direct-mail fundraising. Direct marketing is trend-driven. To keep up with those trends, watch what the large, direct-mail charities do. Give $10 to just a few of them, and you'll receive plenty of examples of their work in your mailbox, every darn day.

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[Author Affiliation]

A freelance writer in Cincinnati, Tom Keller, CFRE, learned the direct-mail discipline at NCR Corporation and honed his skills to a sharp edge at the Disabled American Veterans and the University of Cincinnati Foundation. He can be reached at 513-231-9464.