Launch an Organization in the Mail? Now? Are you Crazy?

From DM News and Views - July 2009

As bleak news about year-end fundraising came out in early 2009, two organizations that had never acquired donors through the mail took the plunge and sent a test mailing. And, both organizations were tremendously successful.

Why?

They followed the rules that work for effective fundraising – both had concrete missions and proven track records of success; they mailed prospects who were most likely to support their work; and, both created a compelling package with a strong case for support in a persuasive letter.

The Koby Mandell Foundation relied on fundraising events and direct solicitation of individuals to raise money for their programs in Israel that support men, women and especially children who have lost a family member to terrorism. Born of a tragedy – the murder of Koby Mandell, a 13-year-old American Jewish boy living with his family in Israel – the organization that bears his name offers grief counseling, support and camps where children can begin to heal.

The test mailing the Foundation sent in February reached donors to Jewish organizations, particularly those that support Israeli and children’s causes. The mailing exceeded all expectations, and acquired donors for a very low investment of only $15 each. The letter pulled prospective donors in through its gripping opening:

Dear Friend,

On the morning of May 9, 2001, the American Jewish community awoke to the news that a 13-year-old boy named Koby Mandell had been brutally murdered by terrorists in Israel.

That day, the front page of every major English-language newspaper carried a picture of me and my family weeping over the shrouded body of our dear, sweet Koby.

For most of the world, Koby’s story ended that day. But for me and my family – and hundreds of others whose lives have been ripped apart by terrorism – Koby’s story and his legacy had only just begun.

For out of the ashes of his brutal murder grew an organization that is helping hundreds of children, mothers and fathers who have suffered similarly devastating losses, find hope, healing and the strength to live productive and purposeful lives…

You see, unfortunately, here in Israel, there is often new sorrow. Beyond the immediate loss of life, these attacks rip apart families and destroy their emotional and physical health. As Koby himself told me just weeks before he was killed, “I feel bad for the people who die in these attacks, but I feel worse for the people who are left behind.”

We need your help to be there for every family who is left behind