Having a fundraising expert analyze your appeal package is an investment you should consider as you create your marketing strategy for the rest of the year.

Here’s why :

1. The economy is tough. You need to raise more money. Paying an expert for a consultation is a tiny cost that could reap benefits throughout this year and for years to come. You’re not going to raise more money if you continue to spend money on postage, but keep on using the same old appeals that don’t increase your response.

2.You may know that your fundraising appeal package could use improvement, but you can’t quite figure out what to tweak.  If you did know what to change,  you would have already made the improvements! An expert can point out what you’re doing right, and what changes will be helpful.

3. It’s very valuable to read hints and tips. However, with new ideas, it can be difficult to see how they apply to your organization or how you might implement them. Having an expert show you how to put a great idea into practice can save you time and increase your response rate.

4. Every organization is different. Your mission is unique, your goals are unique, your donor database is unique. Something that worked well for another organization might not work for you. Talking to an expert team that has worked with many different groups over the years can help you zero in on what is most likely to meet your organization’s goals.

5. Even if you’re experienced, you can’t know everything. You may be able to write a great appeal letter, but you may not know what segments of your database to target in order to increase your giving. Do you know how often you should ask people for money, what dollar amounts to use on the response piece, how to create a design that amplifies the message in your text and how to keep print costs low? A team of experts can do what one person can’t do.

6. We’re all human. Sometimes we fall in love with our own writing or layout. We work so hard on an appeal letter, it’s hard to view it objectively. An outside expert can view your appeal package with fresh eyes.

7. Our bosses are human, too. Sometimes they don’t see their staff as fundraising experts. They may be more amenable to listening to a consultant, even if the consultant is echoing what you’ve already told them. (See our blog, “Get buy in from your boss and board.”) The report that results from your audit can be used by you to help get your leadership to commit to the changes you know need to be made— changes you may have been telling them about all along.

How might an audit of your appeal package help you?

To learn more about fundraising audits contact us at fundraisingassets.com/contact, at 1 (888) 244‑4013 or tharter@fundraisingassets.com.

Fundraising Assets helps busy fundraising professionals raise more money, save valuable time and reduce costs. We offer consulting, writing, design and production services for direct mail and e-mail fundraising, social networking and more.