The Amergent System: Donor File Preparation

Segmenting the Audience for Customized Messaging

“Donor conversation” is not just a slogan. Your messages to your donors must be tailored to reflect your relationship with them. This is what makes the messages meaningful to the donors. It is what makes them have the desired effect.

Although a communication program may have an overall theme (such as a seasonal aspect of community hunger, a medical research achievement or a story of spiritual faith), it needs to address each donor as an individual. So the message will be “versioned” to account for how recently the donor has given, what amount they have given, the origin of their relationship with you and other specific factors.

It is, of course, critical that the correct message versions go to the correct file segments. That is achieved in the preparation of the donor file. Technical Services, working with the most recent and complete donor file you are able to supply, programs the precise selection instructions provided by Account Services. These instructions, which include omits, suppressions and special record selects, are an integral part of the strategy for your message program. They are the means by which your Account Manager intends to reach the file segments you want to reach, and you have reviewed and approved them.
    
Technical Services verifies overall file counts against the program plan for completeness and accuracy against the file select instructions.

Each audience segment has a code. Both Technical Services and Account Services review the codes for accuracy and completeness.

Some of the ways in which your message will be “versioned” for particular audience segments may include offer versions, gift arrays, message openings or calls to action. A single letter, for example, may be distributed in six or eight different versions, with the body of each version being laser printed. These are all coded and verified by the Technical Services team with quality control reviewed by the Account Services team.

Creative Services creates a laser test file and forwards it to the Imaging Department, where a programmer does live image testing and set-up. The Imaging Department then returns the test image to Creative Services for proofreading and approval. It is also routed to Production and Account Services.

Once the three departments have approved the laser test output, final instructions are forwarded to the Imaging Department for live laser printing.

Upon printing, each box/roll of finished material is checked for quality, prior to delivery to the lettershop for mailing.