The Mississippi Center for Re-Entry will use the grant for direct mail one of our effective fundraising channels for potential and current donors. We utilize direct marketing for a variety of purposes, including raising awareness of our organization, promoting our services, or soliciting donations. For us, direct mail is vital for our fundraising strategy. Our direct mail approach provides an opportunity for us to share informative resources about reducing recidivism, how we are meeting the unmet needs of system-impacted Mississippians, and measures individuals can take to join our efforts.

After reviewing recipients of our direct mail efforts, we tailor information and resources to each recipient that will help potential and existing donors feel empowered and equipped to act. Items we typically mail are brochures or pamphlets that explain why second chances matter and provide tips for system-impacted individuals and/or their families to remain resilient post incarceration.

We have a mixture of current and potential constituents and we’ve implemented an omnichannel fundraising and marketing strategy. Our omnichannel marketing implementation includes both digital and offline touchpoints with constituents as they move through our marketing funnel, all while keeping branding and messaging consistent for a seamless user experience. In addition to boosting our nonprofit’s digital and print presence, an omnichannel marketing provides us key benefits such as increased supporters’ lifetime values, helps you reach new audiences, maximizes fundraising revenue, and allows us to create memorable, personalized messages.

Strong, consistent branding is the key to improving awareness for our organization, and consistency only gets more important as we branch out to different media channels. According to Pursuant’s guide to direct mail fundraising, linking direct mail and digital fundraising campaigns can help transition supporters who engage through more traditional, offline channels to interacting with digital resources and communications. As we integrate more channels into our marketing strategy, we can boost brand awareness through increased visibility and touchpoints with donors.

Direct mail marketing and brand awareness are very closely linked because they have the same objectives in mind - to increase awareness and enhance the perception community members have about MS Reentry by empowering our organization. The ultimate objective for using direct mail marketing to achieve brand awareness is to accomplish TOMA (Top of Mind Awareness). Successfully utilizing direct mail, online, or other marketing techniques creates a marketing sphere that hits our target market in multiple points of contact throughout their day. TOMA is something that can be accomplished with a little time, precision, and hard work.

The Mississippi Center for Reentry is dedicated to ensuring system-impacted Mississippians have the tools and resources that they need to remain resilient which leads to an improved quality of life. As a nonprofit organization, connecting with our audience is essential for our success and brand awareness. In addition, direct mail can effectively engage with current customers and reach out to new ones if used strategically.

While direct mail fundraising can be expensive and time-consuming, it is an effective way to reach new donors and raise money for our cause. A printing grant from Conquest Graphics will help us curve our printing expenses in 2024 as we embark on a new journey at MS Reentry.