Powering Your Giving Tuesday & Year-End Campaigns: Affordable Direct Mail Fundraising for Nonprofits

By Ben Sampsell, Direct Mail Strategist at Grassroots Analytics

Why Direct Mail Matters Most at Year-End

Nonprofit fundraisers know Giving Tuesday and December are make-or-break moments – over 30% of annual giving happens in December alone. But during this time, inboxes and phones are more crowded than ever.

Direct mail cuts through that noise. A letter in a donor’s mailbox, and hand, creates a pause and sense of personal connection. According to the Data and Marketing Association, 96% of people engage with direct mail – and multi-channel donors who already give digitally contribute, on average, 3.5x more when also asked by mail.

In other words: direct mail works, and it’s uniquely powerful during Giving Tuesday and year-end campaigns when donor attention is hardest to capture.

An Essential Channel for Donor Engagement

Direct mail is one of the highest-ROI channels in nonprofit fundraising – yet only about 20% of organizations utilize it around Giving Tuesday, and even fewer during the final weeks of the year. That means many nonprofits are missing a critical audience segment: donors who respond best to mail.

People who donate via mail are often your most generous supporters and the ones most likely to become recurring givers. Direct mail provides a donor experience that digital alone can’t deliver:

• Personal connection: Letters give you space to share compelling stories and eye-catching images in a way that feels personal and thoughtful.

• Higher engagement: A physical letter prompts more attention and elicits a stronger emotional response.

• Trustworthiness: In an era of digital spam, a mailed piece from your nonprofit feels credible and reliable.

Direct mail doesn’t just reach an overlooked audience, it fosters loyalty and retention that strengthens your donor relationships for the long term.

Making Direct Mail Affordable: The STAMP Cohort

Traditionally, direct mail fundraising was reserved for organizations with large budgets. Printing, postage, and design costs add up quickly, and bulk discounts kick in at high volumes.

The STAMP Cohort levels the playing field. Each quarter, we bring together progressive organizations to “cohort” their mailings. By mailing at the same time with our specific design guidelines, organizations mailing only a few thousand letters can access the same discounts as larger campaigns – without sacrificing personalization or strategy.

This Giving Tuesday and Year-End, we’re organizing a special STAMP Cohort for nonprofits – making year-end direct mail fundraising accessible, affordable, and impactful when you need it most.

How the Cohort Works

Here’s what you can expect when you join the STAMP fundraising mail cohort: 

1. Commit and Set Your Budget

   • You tell us your Giving Tuesday or Year-End goals and budget.

   • We develop a donor targeting strategy using highly refined lists segmented by affinity, giving history, demographics, geography, interests, and more.

   
   

Example list: 3,037 direct mail donors located on the East Coast who have given to climate change activist groups in the last 12 months, give $50+, and care most deeply about environmental restoration.

2. Personalized Message Development

   • Our team crafts a fully customized fundraising appeal letter tailored to your mission, your donor base, and your goals.

   • You’ll review and approve copy and design to ensure it feels authentic to your voice.

   
   

3. Printing and Mailing at Scale

   • Your piece is printed alongside other mailings at union print shops to unlock significant cost savings.

   • Each donor piece costs under $1 per letter.

   
   

4. Mail Lands in Donors’ Homes

   • Roughly one month after approval, your letters are in donors’ mailboxes — just in time to inspire Giving Tuesday or December year-end giving.

Maximize Year-End Fundraising with Affordable Direct Mail

Through the Cohort, pricing is always under $1 per piece for everything including postage. That’s roughly 40% less than similar mail projects’ cost outside the cohort. 

Thanks to the low cost, nonprofits mailing through our cohort last year saw:

• New donor acquisition at a 158% average ROI

• Higher average gifts compared to digital-only donors. 

• Increased long-term retention through deeper donor connections

By joining the STAMP Cohort, you’ll unlock affordable access to a proven fundraising channel – beating the online rush right when donors are most ready to give.

Express interest by September 19th to take part in the Giving Tuesday cohort, or by October 17th for the Year-End Cohort. Mailers will be scheduled to land in homes ahead of Giving Tuesday and December 31 fundraising deadlines!

→ Connect with our STAMP Direct Mail team today to learn how affordable, data-driven direct mail can work for your organization.