I found and reviewed over 40 academic studies on whether sad or happy photos raise more money in charitable appeals. The research is contradictory — because “sad or happy?” is the wrong question. What actually drives donations is the match between the photo and the message.

This table summarizes published research on the use of sad vs. happy facial expressions, image valence, and photo-message congruence in charitable advertising and fundraising appeals. Direct Mail Applicability rates each study’s relevance to the specific context of printed direct mail appeal letters sent to an organization’s own donors and prospects.

Who should sign your fundraising appeal letter? Obviously, the person who the letter is from should sign the letter. But who should the letter be from?

There are plenty of listicles and advice blogs on the web about making thank you phone calls to charitable donors. But I don’t find any first-hand accounts for what it’s actually like to do it. So, I decided to share my experience as a board member making such calls.

Thank you calls increase future giving by over 30. One call per year is enough, even for monthly donors. Effectiveness of the call doesn’t drop off for the first 90 days after the donation.

For many organizations acquiring new donors isn’t where the problem lies. It’s their donor retention rate.

Should you mail your fundraising appeal letter first class, or non-profit, standard class (marketing mail)? It depends. We analyze the different cases.

Imagine this—your donor checks the mail, and tosses the envelope containing your appeal letter into the recycle bin, unopened. How do you ensure your appeal letter doesn’t get tossed?

Just as a compelling letter captures attention, a well-designed fundraising newsletter captivates and guides readers through a visual journey.

A question sometimes asked by fundraisers is, “Should we provide the donor with a business reply envelope so they don’t have to put a stamp on the reply envelope?”

This Fundraising Typography Guide will help you make words more accessible and impactful. Don’t sacrifice your copywriter's skill to a misguided splash of color.

Gain insights and optimize results with Five Maples' Annual Fund Analysis. Industry benchmarks, expert recommendations, and data-driven observations provided.

Contrary to what you may think, many current year donors will gladly donate again and again if you ask them for additional donations. The data proves it.

Whether a donor’s first gift came online, via direct mail, through peer solicitation, or at an event, these tried-and-true recommendations can make a powerful impact on your organization’s donor retention.

Direct mail analysis can highlight imbalances in the fundraising program or address problems identified during the annual fund analysis.

Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools nonprofits have to attract donors. Here are some guidelines that can help you on your storytelling journey.

Follow-up emails are an essential tool for fundraisers to remind donors to give and make it easy for them to do so. These 5 tips will help you write an effective fundraising email.

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions around nonprofit broadcast, stewardship & solicitation emails, and the answers and professional insight you need to get started!

Learn 7 easy ways in which you can use donor segmentation to address different groups in your fundraising appeal reply form, much like you would with your fundraising appeal letter.

Consider using donor segmentation when preparing your fundraising appeal letters and speak to the groups in your database based on giving history and experience with your organization.