For years, we've talked about online and offline integration as the holy grail of fundraising - a seamless donor and prospect program in which every piece of mail and e-mail and your Web site communicate a similar message and build upon one another. If you've achieved it, read no further. For the rest of us - here are a few more ideas for taking your integration efforts one step further.

1. Take a tip from Time (and Martha)
No, not a stock tip! But you should take a look at how major magazines integrate their print content with their Web sites. For example, right near the table of contents, Time magazine pitches a variety of interesting items and columnists that can ONLY be found online - like, insider info, and some of the more titillating content. And Martha Stewart Living is my favorite. The magazine shows an image of, say, a pattern on a wall and then tells the reader the URL to download it.

No stencils or titillating tidbits? You can still send your constituents online. Say you do a profile of your leading child welfare advocate in a print publication. Add a prominent call-out box telling readers they can download the advocate's "ten tips for being a good parent" online. Or, if you're discussing your work to protect a national park, tell readers where they can download desktop images or e-cards online.

2. The easiest way to say thanks
Getting an e-mail address during a telemarketing call can be a challenge! Try this: You finish a telemarketing call with a donor, pledge in hand. Tell the donor, "We'd like to send you a receipt to acknowledge your gift. The most efficient way is via e-mail - that way we don't have to waste paper and postage."

3. Send them a sticky note
My husband is a master of organization. If he needs a reminder, he'll write himself a sticky note and put it on the door or on his wallet. More and more, direct marketers are using e-mail to send "sticky note" reminders -- an e-mail sent after a direct mail piece hits reminding the reader to renew their support and giving them an easy online vehicle to do so.

4. Tell them what happened
A common donor complaint is that they've responded to your urgent request about a particular issue and then never learned what happened afterwards. E-mail is the best -- and cheapest -- way to keep donors in the loop. A couple ideas:

• In the direct mail piece (or even during the call), tell donors the URL where they can stay abreast of the particular issue (and then make sure you keep that page updated).
• Tell donors that by giving you their e-mail address you'll be able to tell them what happened as a result of their support and let hem know how they can take further action on the issue.
• And then, of course, let them know. A simple victory message or issue update acknowledging their support and letting them know what's next will do.

5. The two faces of an appeal (direct mail and online)
Many of you are running your offline fundraising campaigns online as well. Maybe it's your year-end appeal, or your renewal series. Do you:

a) Put your direct mail appeal, word-for-word, into an e-mail?
b) Shorten your direct mail appeal for an e-mail version?
c) Take the overall theme of the appeal, use some of the language, and reformulate it in a web-appropriate manner?

The key to a successful online program is to think about what works on the Web. The Web is visual. Sometimes more irreverent. And you gotta be quick! Take your appeal's theme, and figure out how you can make it work on the Web. So, the right answer above is usually not going to be "a" or even "b" above…but "c." Sure, it's more work -- but the results are worth it.

6. It's the consistency, stupid
Last and most obvious, think about consistency. Chances are, a good number of your donors are visiting your Web site and receiving your e-mail messages. Say they receive a direct mail appeal or phone call about an urgent issue…but they haven't heard a word about it in your e-newsletter, and don't see it easily on your site. Hmmmm…how likely are they to respond with a gift in this case? Yeah. Not so likely. Enough said.


This article appeared in print in Mal Warwick's newsletter. To learn more about Mal Warwick and Associates, click here.

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