What’s one thing you should never leave off your direct mail letters to your donors? A postscript – a P.S. The reason for this, which has been confirmed by research, is that after their name and address and the letter’s headline, people will usually skip right to the end of your letter before reading anything else.

Jules Brown in his ‘Dear Joan’ blog gives 10 pointers for the perfect PS for fundraising letters. He says points 1-5 are essential, and that you should do at least one of points 6-8. Numbers 9 and 10 are absolute no-nos. 

1. Say exactly how much money you would like your donor to give.
2. Say why you're asking.
3. Say what it will do for your beneficiaries.
4. Say it in a way that’s different to any content elsewhere in your mailing.
5. Say thank you!
6. Provide an extra reason to give, or an extra benefit of giving - something that your donor has not already read in your letter.
7. Provide a deadline for donations.
8. Provide a contact point for donors – the name of someone whom they can call, email or write.
9. Never treat the PS as an afterthought – its job is to state your core proposition and make a strong ask.
10. Never mention your latest news, next event, latest report you have published, etc. – i.e. don’t mention anything which is not relevant to your core proposition, your ask or your donor.

Brown also suggests never mentioning your website address in the PS: “You’ve just begun a precarious dance of persuasion designed to draw her into reading your letter then making a donation. The last thing you want her to do right now is put your letter down, walk away, and spend time on the endlessly distracting world wide web.”

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