Maximize Nonprofit Mailings with Clean Data and Reliable Tracking

This is the fifth blog in a series exploring postal success strategies for nonprofit organizations.

Is your nonprofit losing money through undeliverable mail? With over $20 billion lost annually to undeliverable mail, maintaining clean data isn’t just about an organized database – it’s about protecting your budget and mission. Maintaining clean data and implementing reliable tracking are essential parts of a successful direct mail strategy.

Address Hygiene

Address hygiene is a powerful tool to cut costs and reduce waste in your direct mail campaign. Think of address hygiene as your direct mail program’s foundation. Just as you wouldn’t build a house on shaky ground, you shouldn’t send mail using outdated or incorrect addresses. Regular address cleansing eliminates undeliverable mail before it’s printed or sent, saving dollars and valuable resources like paper and fuel.

The United States Postal Services has address verification systems and services to help you make the most out of every mailing. Be sure to download our Postal Success Checklist with detailed information on the systems below:

• CASS – Coding Accuracy Support System
• NCOA – National Change of Address
• ACS – Address Correction Services

USPS provides these essential address verification systems to ensure every piece reaches its intended recipient. These services can enhance mail speed and efficiency and automate data cleansing for direct mail campaigns.

It’s important to remember that most direct mail project lifecycles range from 6 to 12 weeks. Keeping that timeframe in mind, it’s crucial to not only perform a front-end data cleanse but also add a final cleansing step right before your mail enters the postal system.

Another best practice with address hygiene is running a CASS on every mailing. Any changes to addresses from these verification systems should also get updated in your original database. Regular data cleansing and address hygiene are crucial for certain mail classes. For example, mailers are required to update addresses on USPS Marketing Mail within 95 days before mailing.

Address hygiene ensures more mail pieces are delivered, supporting your mission. We provide this service to all clients, ensuring addresses are correct and updated throughout the campaign.

Mail Tracking and Reporting

Do you know where your mail goes after it leaves the mailshop? Modern mail tracking adds crucial transparency by allowing you to monitor its journey from the post office or mailshop to your donor’s doorstep.

We go into further detail in our Postal Success Checklist and highlight the importance of mailing tracking and reporting below:

Consider these key mail tracking capabilities:

• Monitor individual donor deliveries
• Track overall mail progress
• Measure delivery percentage
• Follow inbound replies or donations

By tracking both outbound and inbound mail, you gain valuable insights into donor behavior and campaign effectiveness, helping you make data-driven decisions. The real power comes from understanding how your direct mail impacts other fundraising channels.

Maximizing the effectiveness of your direct mail campaigns starts with clean data and reliable tracking. At Production Solutions, we pride ourselves on delivering services that ensure your mail reaches the right people at the right time, every time.

Download our free white paper, the Checklist for Postal Success, to learn more about maximizing your direct mail strategy.