Allegiant Direct Inc

06/01/2026

I’m a fundraising consultant.

But I’m also a donor.

Lately I’ve marveled at how some organizations I’ve given to either have sent me just a receipt or, worse, nothing at all.

No thank you. No expression of appreciation or gratitude.

Nothing.

Guess what these organizations will get from me in the future?

Nothing.

It’s important that you not only thank your donors, but also tell them how much it means to your mission and how their gift will be used.

It’s not merely simple, common courtesy. It’s good business.

I once had a client that received more money from their thank you program than from their regular appeals.

Admittedly, this is unusual.

But it does illustrate the power of saying thanks…and actually meaning it.

By the way, thanks for reading this message.

It means a lot.

About Allegiant Direct...

Allegiant Direct delivers donor-centric, multi-channel fundraising for hospitals and healthcare organizations.

Proven. | Tested. | Results-driven.
498+ organizations. | 2,838+ programs. | $500 million + raised.

Let us put our experience to work for you.

Start a conversation today. Visit our website and click Book a Call for a free, no-obligation Zoom call.

Allegiant Direct is a full-service direct response agency, providing integrated marketing services and specializing in the planning, creation and production of successful direct mail fundraising campaigns and programs for non-profit organizations.

05/05/2026

Recently, I received a year-end direct mail letter that began this way…

“Dear Wayne:

I pray this letter finds you and your family well.

As this year draws to a close, I want to take a moment to look back on what we’ve accomplished together – and look forward to what lies ahead.

2025 has been a year that has tested us like never before. Yet once again, your generosity, faith, and courage shined through the darkness.

In January, as wildfires swept through Southern California, our team was on the ground within hours – not days, but hours…"

If this organization were my client, here’s what I’d tell them.

Your lead (or lede, if you prefer, takes four paragraphs to get to the main point of the letter.

Nothing before the fourth paragraph is necessary, especially the first paragraph - “I pray this letter finds you and your family well.”

This type of opening happens to be a pet peeve of mine. I see it a lot, particularly in personal email correspondence.

In direct mail copywriting, we call this a “warm-up,” and it’s absolutely a complete waste of space.

The first few paragraphs could have been condensed to start the letter faster, like this…

“As 2025 ends, I want to take a moment to share with you what we accomplished together this past year.

In January, as wildfires swept through Southern California…” etc.
See the difference? You’re already into the meat of the letter with less fluff to wade through.

Like you, your donors are very busy. So, anything you can do to help them understand what you’re writing about as fast as possible will help them make a quicker decision whether to send a gift.

For people who don’t write fundraising letters for a living, what I’m pointing out here is a very common problem, and one I see constantly when reviewing
letters.

It’s simply a matter of looking critically at what you’ve written and chopping out all the unnecessary verbiage.

About Allegiant Direct...

Allegiant Direct delivers donor-centric, multi-channel fundraising for hospitals and healthcare organizations.

Proven. | Tested. | Results-driven.
498+ organizations. | 2,838+ programs. | $500 million + raised.

Let us put our experience to work for you.

Start a conversation today. Visit our website and click Book a Call for a free, no obligation Zoom call.

Allegiant Direct is a full-service direct response agency, providing integrated marketing services and specializing in the planning, creation and production of successful direct mail fundraising campaigns and programs for non-profit organizations.

05/04/2026

Recently, an article in the AHP Connect caught my attention - "Why I'm Moving Away from the Term "Grateful Patient," by Moira K. Connolly.

For decades, the term “Grateful Patient” has come to define all former hospital or clinic patients. It also has ascribed a sense of universally accepted gratitude on their part.

As a former nurse, Connolly approaches the term somewhat differently from a marketer like me, but it was nonetheless compelling.

She argues the term “grateful patient” is misleading and emotionally reductive.

Drawing on her experience, she explains that patient and family giving often comes not from gratitude, but from advocacy, determination, or a desire to create change after harm or trauma.

She says while genuine gratitude can be powerful and transformative, assuming it as the primary motivation oversimplifies deeply personal and complex experiences and can erase the role of families.

Connolly advocates replacing the term with “Patient & Family Giving,” emphasizing that more inclusive language better reflects empathy, honors diverse motivations, and supports more authentic relationships in healthcare philanthropy.

As a marketer, I’ve always felt the term “grateful” patient misses the mark. Certainly, some are grateful. But when less than 1% respond with a gift, that can hardly be categorized as “grateful.”

And why do rented names - who have NOT been in the hospital - perform better than so-called “Grateful Patients?”

There are reasons for that, which I won’t get into here. But the fact that a non-patient is more responsive than a patient doesn’t make a lot of sense.

It's counter-intuitive, but direct marketing by nature is highly counter-intuitive.

In the last couple of years, responses from grateful patients have been dropping. Recently, I talked to a hospital experiencing a low patient response rate of 0.22%.

When I dug into it, I could see why: The strategy and copy was very weak.

By contrast, we see higher response rates due to the rigid audience selection we use and the kind of copy that generates a better response - on average, 0.7% and higher.

I'd encourage everyone to start using the term “Former Patients” instead of the term “Grateful.” To me, they’re only grateful if they make a gift.

Then you can legitimately call them “Grateful Donors.”

TO DISCUSS YOUR PROGRAM WITH ALLEGIANT DIRECT, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AND CLICK "BOOK A CALL."

www.allegiantdirect.com

01/19/2026

At the start of a new year, it's always a good idea to think about what you should be doing to improve your fundraising results.

Here’s a list of the four most important things I think you should be concentrating on...

1. Acquire new donors.
Not just this year, but every year - ALWAYS BE ACQUIRING. It's a fact of life, you’re constantly losing donors to attrition. So you must be acquiring new donors to replace those you lose.

Depending on size, most organizations should be acquiring 1,000 new donors every year. If not, you’re losing ground, and eventually all your donors will fade away.

Make new donor acquisition a priority in 2026 and every year. Even though acquisition is getting more expensive and less productive, you need to buy new donors..

2. Do whatever it takes to renew existing donors.
This is connected to #1. Donor attrition is insidious. Most organizations lose 60%-70% of existing donors every year. There are many techniques for recapturing lapsed donors – like dedicated lapsed donor letters and something called “Advance Voice Messaging.”

Learn how to lower your massively high donor attrition rate. (If you don’t know your attrition rate, we can help you with that.)

3. Upgrade existing donors.
Don’t let existing donors sit where they started. Give them a good reason to give larger, more frequent and more significant gifts.

Thank them. Call them. Move them up the ladder. We use something called “Optimized Gift Ask” which has been shown to upgrade donors as much as 300%.

4. Begin cultivating and stewarding new donors immediately.
Send a welcome package or ask new donors to join a giving club. We have lots of ways to accomplish this. It’s called “working your future major and planned gift pipeline.”

Acquire, Renew, Upgrade, Cultivate.

There’s a lot more to it than that, of course. But everything is an offshoot from these four activities.

If your last direct mail appeal didn't do very well, click the “Book a Call” link at our website for a free, no obligation Zoom call with us.

Allegiant Direct is a full-service direct response agency, providing integrated marketing services and specializing in the planning, creation and production of successful direct mail fundraising campaigns and programs for non-profit organizations.

08/11/2025

Attention fundraisers…
Have you noticed lately a decline in results from your direct mail and email appeals?
- Are average gifts dwindling?
- Is your list of active donors shrinking?
What have you done to address this problem?
- Did you adjust your letter length or tone, change format or design, or modify your mailing list?
If so, you’re not alone. A number of organizations are experiencing declining results.
The good news is you don’t have to live with it. There are things you can do to improve outcomes.
Look to the “Big Three.”
In my experience, whenever a program starts having problems, it usually involves one or more of the following elements.
I call them "The Big Three."
- List
Your list contributes about 60% to the success of any given solicitation.
So if you’re asking the wrong people to give, it won’t matter how great your copy is, it won’t work very well.
- Copy
Your copy or message contributes about 30% to the success of a fundraising appeal. It’s the second most important element you have to work with.
- Design
The design of your package is worth only about 10% of the success of your package. So keep it simple. In this case, less is more.
Don’t design a package the way you think it should look. Design it for your older audience.
- Let us help.
If you're struggling with poor results, we can help.
Click the link below for a free, no-obligation Zoom call.
Attention fundraisers…
Have you noticed lately a decline in results from your direct mail and email appeals?
- Are average gifts dwindling?
- Is your list of active donors shrinking?
What have you done to address this problem?
- Did you adjust your letter length or tone, change format or design, or modify your mailing list?
If so, you’re not alone. A number of organizations are experiencing declining results.
The good news is you don’t have to live with it. There are things you can do to improve outcomes.
Look to the “Big Three.”
In my experience, whenever a program starts having problems, it usually involves one or more of the following elements.
I call them "The Big Three."
- List
Your list contributes about 60% to the success of any given solicitation.
So if you’re asking the wrong people to give, it won’t matter how great your copy is, it won’t work very well.
- Copy
Your copy or message contributes about 30% to the success of a fundraising appeal. It’s the second most important element you have to work with.
- Design
The design of your package is worth only about 10% of the success of your package. So keep it simple. In this case, less is more.
Don’t design a package the way you think it should look. Design it for your older audience.
- Let us help.
If you're struggling with poor results, we can help.
Click the link below for a free, no-obligation Zoom call.

We present testimonials and insights about other people’s experiences with our website for purposes of illustration only. The testimonials and examples used are of actual clients. They are not intended to represent or guarantee that current or future clients will achieve the same or similar result...

07/28/2025

I’m a fundraising consultant.
I’m also a donor.
Lately, I’ve been marveling at how some organizations I’ve given to recently either have sent only a receipt, or worse, nothing at all.
No thank you. No expression of appreciation or gratitude. Nothing.
Guess what these organizations will get from me in the future?
Nothing.
It’s important…nay, it's critical…that you not only thank your donors, but also tell them how much their support means to your mission and how their gift will be used.
It’s not merely a simple, common courtesy.
It’s also good business.
https://allegiantdirect.com/book-a-call

07/14/2025

Giving to a nonprofit doesn’t just happen.
Most people don’t wake up in the morning thinking about your organization and wanting to send a gift.
The exception would be – as in the case of the recent flooding in Texas – if they know you provide help to victims of natural disasters and want to help even before they're asked.
Donors need to be asked.
Don't shortchange your donors or your mission.
If you don’t ask, donors won’t give.
If that happens, both you and your donors will suffer.

We present testimonials and insights about other people’s experiences with our website for purposes of illustration only. The testimonials and examples used are of actual clients. They are not intended to represent or guarantee that current or future clients will achieve the same or similar result...

04/14/2025

OK, now the tough question…

When is it time to reassign or take a donor out of your standard renewal sequence?

MOVES MANAGEMENT in ANNUAL GIVING: Part Four

Successful moves management is multi-directional.

Identifying donors that may increase their levels of support with modifications in relationship management is a logical strategy to drive top-line results.

But what about the bottom line?

Just as important in 2025’s marketplace is making dispassionate decisions on when and how to move or remove a seriously lapsed donor from your core renewal sequences.

Long-lapsed donors are usually the largest segment of any renewal file. In direct mail, left untended, these clusters are the costliest cluster to continue to solicit – with the lowest expected ROI.

Top-line results get the headlines. But the bottom line drives true impact.

Prudent investment lies at the core of each.

Underperforming donor clusters should be moved!

* From the full series of appeals to a select number of high-yield - or special appeals. Perhaps a special matching gift challenge appeal that communicates Board/major donor’s willingness to match dollar for dollar, the gifts from a donor whose support has been recaptured.

* Take previous high yield or frequency lapsed donors and migrate them to acquisition.

* Use digital only for a brief period, pending analysis.

* Simply remove them from all contact strategies

However, be careful here! Research may show that some lapsed donors have stopped giving to appeals because of a real or perceived shortfall in available cash flow. They may not feel comfortable sending in a $250 check.

But if their commitment to your mission remains, they may still be solid prospects for other forms of giving (i.e., planned, donor-advised fund/estates).

For high-yield lapsed, keep them on the “friend-raising” list for at least a period of time.

Click here to read more about culling your donor file to improve ROI: https://tin.al/5wBJ

04/09/2025

Nobody’s expense budget is rising for direct response. So how about focusing more on Monthly Giving?

MOVES MANAGEMENT IN ANNUAL GIVING: Part Three

Monthly giving is not a new concept. The basics are simple. Convincing our most loyal donors to make monthly gifts via debit or credit cards should always be a win-win proposition. Donor ease advantages are at the core.

Communicate how monthly, predictable revenues have an impact on your organization being able to save expenses and allocate higher percentages of gifts to programs.

Predictable revenues allow you to better plan how a challenge will be met.
Monthly giving is largely driven by online contact, even though it can be promoted in direct mail.

With more and more of us paying our monthly household expenses via digital tools, the precedent for ease of making charitable gifts online has already been set - long ago.

Some mature data sets continue to like to make gifts through the mail, whether by check or debit/credit card. This is a donor preference that must be respected. Even if that should qualify an otherwise solid monthly giving prospect.

What’s left is ...

- Which among our donors are we best advised to seek monthly vs. incremental giving?
- What are realistic expectations for goals in revenue growth, donor retention and lifetime values?
- How should we keep our monthly donors engaged if they are not getting regular appeals?
- Who are my best prospects for monthly giving?
- Once I have converted my donor to monthly giving, what’s the next step in growing our relationship?

Click here to read more about including conversions to monthly giving as moves management: https://tin.al/tFkf3

03/19/2025

MOVES MANAGEMENT in ANNUAL GIVING: Part Two

Were the COVID years the “good ol’ days” for direct mail?!

The COVID years were great for fundraisers using direct mail. But things have changed since then. Can nonprofits get that magic back? With something called “Moves Management,” they can.

In mid-level strategies, Moves Management requires a review of each point of contact with your chosen file and the creation of a new “donor journey.”

You are surely in a competitive environment for your donor’s attention. Your communications must be concise, specific, easy to read, and actionable.

Appeals that speak to an identified donor need are always the most successful. How well you can show how you are making a difference in that area impassions the donor to act.

As such, all contact strategies must be viewed from footings of:

“What can I do to more fully engage my donor?”
“Have I met donor expectations for frequency of contact?”
"Specificity of our "ask"?
“Do I know what channel(s) are my donor’s preference to communicate?
To be asked? To be thanked? To be updated and learn more?”

READ MORE ABOUT MODIFYING DONOR JOURNEYS TO MAXIMIZE DONOR ENGAGEMENT. VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://rb.gy/3sqv6x