Direct mail appeals are the lifeline for nonprofit organizations to connect with and invite donors to partner with them in their ministries. I’ve often said designs that reach the heart have sticking power in the mind. Once in the mind, donors can make a decision about how to respond. Above is a recent appeal from World Hope International.

Three Key Things to Remember about Appeals

1. An appeal isn’t really about you. It’s about the difference your donors can make when they partner with you. Donors want to be a part of making a difference in the world and you are simply the conduit. Be sure to focus on them and the outcome when they partner with you.
2. Tell a story. The language of the heart is stories, so reach donors’ hearts by telling great stories. Remember number 1 above: be sure to connect them to the story by telling the difference they make in the story. One effective way to tell stories is to use quality photos. Another popular trend right now for nonprofits is to tell the story through statistics showing the need or proving the effectiveness of their methods. Just remember the goal is to get them to participate in what you are doing and people make that decision with their heart first, so make the stats relatable.
3. Make a clear “ask.” For the most effective appeal, be specific about how people can respond, the difference they can make if they respond and an easy way to give/signup to volunteer/spread the word (or whatever action you need from them.) Keep the ask simple with one need and one type of response. Ministry needs are great, but be careful not to stuff your appeal with requests — it waters down the impact of the appeal and invites indecision.

In the “Chen’s Story” appeal raising money for World Hope International’s anti-trafficking efforts, we weren’t able to use photographs of Chen or girls like her at the Assessment Center because of the need to protect the women and children from further exploitation, so we used artwork from some art therapy sessions that the girls had participated in while at the Assessment Center. The result was perhaps even more effective than if we had used photos because the artwork expressed their hearts and therefore gripped the hearts of donors.

To view other appeal designs, click here.

Project Legacy is a project of Deeper Life Today to conserve and share the biblical teachings of Dr. W. F. Kumuyi with a wider audience in North America by having his sermons preserved and recorded by professional voice actors, eliminating the stumbling block that a foreign accent can be to American listeners. This media package was created to hand out to people at conferences who have benefited from his teachings asking them to invest in this legacy project.

I also worked with their media team to create a coordinating identity for Deeper Life Today and Project Legacy. For the media ministry’s logo, the open Bible forms the ground as a metaphor for the Word of God providing a rich soil for the tree (the Christian life) with roots going deep resulting in healthy growth. In the Project Legacy logo, the same tree ties the project visually to the ministry and symbolizes reaching out to others.

Click these links to view other appeal projects and logos.

The World Hope International Gift Catalog is one of my favorite projects every year. The catalog highlights projects from WHI’s work around the world that donors can give to in a loved one’s name. For example, if you are always at a loss for ideas for Aunt Betty for Christmas (or perhaps her birthday in June), you can browse through the catalog and give to a project in her name. If she is a retired school teacher, she might feel honored to provide curriculum for a teacher in an impoverished country. Or maybe she grew up on a farm and would love to know that the gift of a goat given in her name is helping to feed a family and give them a little extra income when the family is able to sell cheese at the market.

Once you have selected a gift and given to WHI online, by phone or by mail, you can sign gift card included on a perforated panel in the back of the catalog to let Aunt Betty know about the gift given in her honor. It’s a win-win-win-win situation: you can feel confident that you are giving a meaningful gift that will be remembered, Aunt Betty is honored by the thoughtful gift, World Hope International is blessed by your contribution, and a mother in Africa is grateful for a means to provide for her family.

This year’s theme for the gift catalog is Rethink Christmas, Restore Hope. If you tired of the excess of the Christmas season are interested in finding meaningful, memorable gifts for the people you love, you can browse the catalog items here.

Other direct mail appeal designs can be viewed here.