My Nonprofit Reviews

I am writing this note in behalf of National Relief Charities. We are always glad to hear from anyone who supports our work. You said that the use of gifts (premiums or give-aways) such as non-rechargeable batteries in foam packaging appears to be wasteful. It’s not easy to explain how fundraising works, but we want to assure you that we wouldn't send out batteries or other gifts in direct mail unless it was cost-effective. You may find this hard to believe, but it's a fact: We raise more money by doing this than we spend to include the gifts. Nonprofit author and consultant Mal Warwick is a fundraising expert and, in his book, he confirms that gifts are often effective tools for getting people to donate. We've also tested our direct mail packages that include such gifts and found that, although they cost a tiny bit more, they raise more funds to support our cause, making them very cost-effective. The true cost that drives up the cost of direct mail fundraising is postage. Striving to keep our costs as low as possible while attracting more supporters and raising more money is always a priority for us, and it's a fine line that many nonprofits have to grapple with. In 2010, our fundraising was right around 25%, the standard set by Charity Navigator. Again, thanks for your note and your concern.