For annual giving fundraising, we have a very structured direct mail appeal & source codes. Things can get sticky around tracking personal solicitations. Right now we have an appeal called Annual Giving Unknown with and outside source code called “personal solicitation” but gifts that get this source code are not always accurate. The result is our direct mail efforts look less effective. I’m exploring ways to tighten this process up. I was wondering how other organizations handle this.
Hi Rachel -
Could you add an outside source of "personal solicitation" to each of your appeals? And then kill the "Annual Giving Unknown" appeal overall? If the gift comes in during an "active" direct mail piece, you could tell your operators to "default" to that source if it is within the timeframe. The other thing we (sometimes) do is select the most recent mailing when we get random checks in the mail, figuring even if the person didn't send back the right piece of paper - the most recent, wonderful, compelling mailing we did MUST'VE done the trick to inspire the gift.
Over the past two years we've tried two different Appeal set-ups but there always seems a need to attribute a gift that can't really be attributed. For those we use "Membership Renewal Voluntary" - and then we start asking fundraisers if they had anything to do with it.
Hope that helps.
Erin