Last time I checked, there were 25,000 response lists and 50,000 compiled lists currently on the market. Among all of these lists, you'll find hundreds that work for fundraising appeals. Actually, you likely won't find them. Locating the best names for your mailing is complicated and best left to an experienced list broker.

A list broker is a specialist who researches and recommends lists for you, and manages all the paperwork and other details of renting the list.

An experienced list broker: helps you find new listsidentifies profitable segments on unlikely listshelps you create a matrix for testing your mailing against other listsnegotiates the best prices for you with the list ownerrecommends other media (such as email) to consider testingmakes sure the list gets to your lettershop on timehelps you evaluate your response rates, gift income and other resultsmanages invoicing for lists you rent

A Typical List Rental TransactionYou phone a list broker that specializes in the non-profit sectorYou describe your organization's mission, including what you do and who you helpYou describe your ideal donor (such as "female, 55 years old, married, owns home, $150,000 household income, cares about animal welfare, lives in the United States and responds to direct mail fundraising appeals from animal rights organizations")You email the list broker a PDF sample of the direct mail package that you are going to mail to the list, and the list broker forwards it to the list ownerThe list owner reviews and approves your packageYou tell the list broker the followingthe selects you want, if any*how many names you want to orderwhen you will mail your piecewhen you need to receive the nameswhere you want the names to be sent (your lettershop, usually)The

list broker prepares your list and sends it to your lettershop or service bureauYour lettershop keys your reply device and other components so you can track the results of this mailing back to this listYou mail your package to the names on the listYou process each donation you receive, adding the names to your database (they are yours to keep), and flagging each new donor record to note the package and list used to acquire the donor

* A select is a process that the list broker conducts on your behalf to choose only some names from the entire list. You might ask the broker to select names from a particular zip code, for example, and only rent you those names.

Mailing list brokers know the industry. The firms they work for have researched and tested thousands of lists. So working with a qualified mailing list broker is vital.

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