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Is your mail restriction coding costing you money?

Missed our recent Fundraising Refreshments webinar on mail restriction coding? Here's a recap.


  • 2:03 Scenario 1: Conflicting codes
  • 4:33 Scenario 2: Once-a-year but not donating
  • 10:29 Scenario 3: Multiple gifts

Mail restriction coding is one of those things that can be easy to overlook when schedules get full.  

I know what you may be thinking: “We already have very clear mail codes that tell us who to mail and who not to mail.” And while that may be true, what if I told you that these same codes may be costing your organization money—or even leaving revenue on the table?  

That’s why it’s always important to check in on your donor database and “do not mail” codes from time to time. 

I recently hosted a 20-minute webinar to dive into this topic, and you may be surprised at some of the examples I have to share. Here’s a quick peek at the first one:   

Conflicting codes 

We recently completed a code assessment for one of our clients, and we found some conflicting codes within their data. Take a look at the five donors listed below. See how each of them have a “do not mail” solicit code assigned to them? 

Conflicting Code Sample

While that alone isn’t an issue, what does become a problem is that they also have multiple additional solicit codes, like “January appeal only” or “April appeal only,” etc.

When you have conflicting codes like this, there are two main things you need to take the time to assess:

  1. Was it just an oversight? It could be that whoever was entering the codes forgot to remove all other solicit codes when they added “do not mail.”

  2. If that’s not the case, then it’s important to talk about why, when and who should be mailed on a case-by-case basis. You may be missing out on revenue by not mailing donors who are willing to give once a year.

Watch the recording above for more, and as always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions about mail coding or data hygiene!

Lynn Howes

Lynn has been serving as a fundraiser, marketer and strategist for local, national and international nonprofit organizations for more than two decades. Using her experience, Lynn helps nonprofits uncover the wealth in their data and make empowered decisions that lead to growth.

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