An Effective Response Device: Top Tips to Make Sure Yours Works

A response device is a document that donors use when they send your organization a gift.

The most effective one is a separate insert in a fundraising package, newsletter or promotion (a tear-out requires more work from your prospect). Good response devices are ...

worded from the donor’s point of view, rather than yours
clean and concise
convenient and easy to read

Here's how to write key elements of your device.

3 tips for writing effective response devices with Word Wise at Nonprofit Copywriter

The headline

Emphasize a single, main benefit in your headline – one that matches the theme threading its way through your letter. Personalize the headline by using first-person language – my, me, and I – as if the prospect is personally telling you about his decision to partner with you: “Here’s my gift to provide clean water to suffering children in Uganda.” Language like this gives your entire package (carrier, letter, inserts, device) a conversational, back-and-forth feel.

Response statement

Word this brief statement, placed right below the headline, as if the donor is responding to you in a conversation. Include additional benefits that will result from the donor’s gift. “Yes, Rick – I want to make sure Ugandan villages have wells that provide clean water for drinking, cooking, and bathing. Here is my generous gift of …”

Gift array

Suggest a range of amounts in an open-box or bubbled, bulleted list, allowing the donor to select her gift amount. If your mailing list is segmented and flagged, you can specify a gift to match or upgrade the prospect’s previous giving record. And always include “Other $______” in your bulleted list, so a donor can choose a gift amount not suggested.

Giving options

Offer several ways donors can give – checks, credit cards, online giving, monthly electronic drafts. And make sure you emphasize your nonprofit status by the reminder that “your gift is tax-deductible.”

Your contact information

Feature your organization’s name, address, phone number, email, and web address clearly on your response device. Yes, this sounds intuitive. But if a prospect realizes she’s misplaced your return envelope, and there’s no contact information on your response form, chances are slim that she’ll track down where to send her check – and you’ll lose a gift.