want better results from your appeal? start with these 5 steps—not the letter

It’s all in the planning - not the writing.

You wrote the appeal letter—great. It took time, thought, and probably some collective editing drama. But now that it’s done and headed out the door, let me stop you right there:

It’s not time to relax just yet.

In fact, if you mail that letter and don’t follow up personally, it might as well never have been sent. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve called a donor just to check in and they’ve said, "Oh! I think it’s in a pile somewhere… I’ll go look for it." And guess what? They usually do. Because I called. If they received five appeals and I’m the only one who followed up? I’m the one who gets the gift.

So let’s talk about the steps that really make your mailing count—before and after it hits the mailbox.

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1. Build Your Mailing List with Follow-Up in Mind

When you pull your mailing list, do it thoughtfully. Include columns like total giving, last gift and last gift date, full name(s) and all phone numbers and emails. The more data you have for each donor, the more informed you will be when you follow up with that phone call.

If you don’t build the list with phone calls or outreach in mind, you're setting yourself up to do a lot of awkward catching up later. This is where a little prep = a lot more impact.

2. Decide Who Gets Personal Touches (and How)

We’re not trying to boil the ocean. Not every donor needs a call—but some absolutely do. In fact, if you're segmenting properly, your top-tier donors should receive handwritten notes inside of the letter and should also be marked for personal follow-up from the Executive Director or CEO.

When looking at the rest of the donor list, ask yourself:

• Who’s overdue for a gift?

• Who made their largest gift this time last year?

• Who’s been especially loyal, even at a modest level?

• Who just needs a nudge to increase their giving?

Make a plan for who gets what—and assign an owner to each donor.

download my sample follow-up template here.

3. Set Up a Call Schedule and Scripts in Advance

Once your list is assigned, don’t wait to figure out what you’re going to say. Draft a simple, friendly call script (you can grab mine here) and give your callers everything they need to feel confident.

• Have talking points ready

• Give context on the appeal

• Offer a sample voicemail if no one picks up

Schedule these calls like meetings. If you treat follow-up like an afterthought, that’s exactly what it’ll become.

Need a call script? I got you!

4. Clean Your Data (Because Returned Mail Doesn’t Raise Money)

There’s nothing more frustrating—or wasteful—than sending beautifully crafted appeals to the wrong address.

Before mailing:

• Run a National Change of Address (NCOA) check

• Flag any recently returned mail

• Double-check addresses for seasonal residents

• Review households—should both partners get a letter? One? With joint salutation?

A little data hygiene goes a long way toward keeping your outreach personal, respectful, and effective.

5. Thank Fast—and Make It Personal

The moment a gift comes in, the timer starts. The faster and more personal your thanks, the more likely they are to give again.

💌 Best practice: Thank within 48 hours whenever possible.

And if it’s a major or long-time donor? A phone call or handwritten note can make their whole week.

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Bottom line?

Don’t let all that effort you put into writing the letter go to waste. What happens around the letter—before and after—is what actually turns paper into partnerships.