Direct Mail for acquisition: the new (old) channel you need to try
With donor numbers falling, the pressure is on charities to find new supporters – and not just one-off givers but people who will feel a connection, give regularly and stay into the long-term.
Digital channels like social media play a valuable role, but with declining engagement, content overload and constant algorithm shifts, gaining the cut-through you need is becoming harder and more expensive.
There is another channel you could try, one that gets cut-through and consistently drives response. One that can help you find the regular supporters your organisation needs, including younger audiences.
It’s Direct Mail.
If you’ve never tried it for acquisition, or perhaps you have but not for a long time and think it doesn’t work for acquisition anymore, it may be time to take another look. Today’s cold Direct Mail certainly isn’t what it used to be — it’s better.
Here’s why it works, and why you should consider it:
Data – while you’ll need to ensure that the data lists you choose are right for your purposes and correctly permissioned, there’s an available mailing volume of around five million people held in roughly 40 lists. Under UK GDPR, you can mail people using cold data under the legal basis of legitimate interests, as long as they haven’t previously said no and what you’re sending them is something they might reasonably expect to receive. However, don’t forget you must always provide ways to get in touch and to opt out.
Cut-through – with companies mailing less and targeting better, and fewer people sending letters, people don’t tend to get much post these days. This means yours is more likely to get noticed. Latest JICMAIL figures show that 77% of all mail (Direct Mail, business mail, partially addressed mail and unaddressed mail) is read, while a piece of Direct Mail tends to stay in the home for 7.4 days before being discarded or filed away, with people engaging with it for 143 seconds on average. This gives you time to truly engage.
Response – mail provides the space to tell a really good story both through the copy and visually, while data segmentation and targeting techniques mean you can ensure you reach the right audience with the right message and make it personalised to them — increasing engagement, which leads to response. Overall, 9.7% of mail prompts a website visit according to JICMAIL, and charity cold direct mail is currently achieving response rates of 1%.
Control – physical mail is very secure. It goes directly to the person you send it to, doesn’t get hacked, and won’t get lost in spam folders. Because it’s an offline channel, responses come back to you in the way you choose.
Environment – 89% of mail is now recycled by recipients, which is the highest level to date. Paper can and should be FSC certified or recycled while eco-friendly inks are readily available, and there are good alternatives to plastic. In addition, volumes can be controlled through tight targeting, reducing wastage from the outset.
Measurement – cold mail is measurable! Combining it with a digital response mechanism, such as a QR code or short URL, makes it easy for people to take action, and crucially for you to track their journey.
And… you’ll be on trend — younger age groups are seeking to simplify their lives and spend less time online. Mail answers this need — and in fact, younger people are increasingly engaging with mail. JICMAIL figures show that the frequency with which 25-34-year-olds interact with mail grew 8% between the start and end of 2025.
At the same time of course, and just like any other channel, the message and product needs to interest your audience to give them a reason to respond, and there must be a journey in place that keeps that engagement going so that new supporters go on to become long-term supporters.
Get this right, and cold Direct Mail can be a valuable part of your fundraising mix.
Isn’t it time you gave it a try?
If you’d like to talk through whether it’s right for your charity, get in touch!
Image: by Kaboompics on Pexels