NEW YORK & AMSTERDAM–(BUSINESS WIRE)–At a time when the marketing industry for nonprofits is witnessing a convergence of direct mail and digital mail, Quadriga Art International (QAI) says the old practice of including a premium gift in a direct mail package is making a comeback. QAI – the leading marketing firm for nonprofits – says several organizations in Europe including UNICEF, Cancer Society, Care International, SOS Children’s Villages and Handicap International are all seeing higher response rates from using premiums.

“We are even seeing donors call the charity to thank them for the gift and ask for another one.”

QAI has seen premiums double or triple response rates and raise ROI simply because more people open the direct mail package with a smart gift seen inside and want to give to the charity.

“Getting donors to open a direct mail package is half the battle in a market that is flooded with direct mail and where charities keep mailing the same old mailings to the same old list with the same old results,” says Mark Schulhof, CEO of Quadriga Art. “Adding a smart gift such as personalized address labels, pin badges or cards not only gets the donor to open the package but we are seeing it add rather significantly to donor response rates and ROI. When people get a gift they feel more like giving one.”

QAI suggests charities be smart when using premiums. For example, the company says a charity should use a gift that is directly related or represents the nonprofit’s main mission which helps brand the charity. Schulhof also says a premium should be practical so that a donor can proudly use that gift which can further tie the donor to the charity’s mission. Such gifts could be tote bag from an environmental group produced from green materials or a stuffed animal from an animal rights group both of which have been receiving extraordinary response rates.

“Charities should feel good about the premium they choose and the cost of the gift and package and the extra cost of using a premium gift more than pays for itself due to higher giving rates and ROI from the direct mail package,” says Schulhof. “We are even seeing donors call the charity to thank them for the gift and ask for another one.”