Direct mail clinic #8 – It’s called a ‘reply’ form for a reason
In this session, John looks at the anatomy of a great, well performing, reply form and the things that need to be on it to make it work.
- Written by
- Carolina Herrera
- Added
- March 26, 2025
The reply form is just one part of an effective direct mail pack. But it is arguably the most important. Why then is the reply form so often dismissed? Why do so many fundraisers rush their form and not put a lot of time into it?
Neglecting your reply form is a big risk, because if you get this part of your appeal wrong... the campaign simply won't do very well. It’s your chance to talk to the donor, make the ask, and get that gift.
In this quick but effective clinic, John Lepp goes over some of the ground rules to consider when creating your next reply form. These include:
- Get the reply.
- Make it easy to find.
- Make it easy to read.
- Make it easy to fill out.
- Make it easy to understand.
- Make it easy to mark.
- Make it easy to get excited about.
Ultimately, your reply form is your chance to get that gift. And a chance for the donor to talk to you. It is worth spending some time on and it is certainly worth getting right.
So go on, watch clinic #8 and let John share all the tips you need to create a form that will help ensure your donor gives that all-important donation.
Watch AOG direct mail clinic #8 – It’s called a ‘reply’ form for a reason
John Lepp (he/him) is a fundraiser, designer and donor champion with more than 20 years of experience working with charities across Canada and around the world. As partner at Agents of Good, he helps charities tell stories that inspire donors to give, both online and offline. John is a respected and coveted international speaker who has travelled the world encouraging fundraisers be more human and vulnerable with those other amazing humans we call donors.
His latest book, Creative Deviations offers plenty of tips for how fundraisers can infuse their storytelling, fundraising and direct response with more creativity.
