There must be better ways to spend advertising money

There are less than two weeks until Christmas, which means every time I see the mail truck coming down my street I get really excited because I'm waiting for a few gifts that I've ordered to come in. When I checked the mail today the only thing I received was a letter from St. Jude Children's Hospital asking for money. There isn't really anything wrong with this, but as I read through it I couldn't help but wonder how many people received the same letter as I did, and how many of those letters would ultimately end up in the garbage.

If you have the money to donate, that's great. If you don't, however, that's okay too. It's the holiday season, and while it's a great time of year to be charitable toward the less fortunate, it's just not possible for some people to donate. And that's fine. 

I see the importance of sending out these letters to draw attention to your organization and maybe get donations from some people who otherwise wouldn't have thought about it. But on the other hand, I can't help but wonder how much money these charities could be saving if they cut back on some of their mailings. I mean, I've given money to St. Jude's before, but it was unsolicited and it was online. Any donations from me in the future will also be online. I have no problem with receiving mail from them, as they usually contain stories about the children there, and I think it's important to know who you're helping. However, if there are people who are receiving letters and putting them right into the garbage, there must be a way to cut back on their spending in that regard. 

Others seem to be in agreement. See this website for a few comments (both good and bad) on St. Jude's. Or just keep reading for a few comments that stood out to me:

• "More children could be helped if the administrative and fund raising expenses were lowered."
• "They should also spend less on fundraising. I can certainly do with fewer requests for donations and address labels. Think of the trees that could be saved."
• "I've given every year and begged them not to spend it on requests for MORE money but they won't stop sending mail. This year I've recieved over 200 pieces of mail asking for more money. Needless to say, I'm finding another charity."

The bottom line is that St. Jude's is a wonderful place; I think it's amazing what they do for children without charging the families. But I think smarter fundraising can go a long way. I, and many others, would like to help them without receiving a notepad, address labels, etc. in exchange. 

Here's an interesting article about the cost of direct-mail, though it doesn't address St. Jude's. If you'd like to donate to them, by the way, you can do so here. Regardless of the money (I believe) they waste on fundraising sometimes, they're a very worthy organization.

How much money do you think could be saved with some revised fundraising techniques?