Consumers expect charities to be environmentally friendly, says ONEPOST survey
Howard Lake | 29 November 2010 | News
A survey by independent postal advice and management company ONEPOST has found that UK consumers expect charities to be more environmentally friendly, and that some of them say they are more likely to support charities who act in this way.
The research found that 36% of consumers are more likely to support charities who act in an environmentally friendly manner, and 30% of consumers are more likely to support charities whose direct mail is environmentally friendly.
The research supports recent findings from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) sustainability tracking studies, which ONEPOST sponsors. In January 2010 research showed that 33% of respondents believed the charity sector to be very environmentally friendly. That figure rose in September 2010 to 38% of respondents, the largest rise in rating for any industry sector.
ONEPOST Marketing Manager, Luan Wise, said: “Direct mail dominates the media mix for charities”, and offered tips on how charities can demonstrate their environmental credentials.
* Include a recycle logo on the outside of your mail pack. Research shows that this gives a clear indication that the charity is environmentally friendly, with good business ethics.
* Let your supporters know what you are doing and why. Include a short message on the reverse of the envelope explaining the importance of direct mail in raising funds and how little the direct mail pack costs the charity. Add your environmental message and consumers will respond more positively.
* Think carefully about the use of poly-wrap – 41% of consumers regard poly-wrapped mail as a non green signal. We would encourage ‘mailing naked’ if there are no inserts.
* Use a downstream access (DSA) postal solution – DSA mail arrives within 2-3 days against up to 7 days from Royal Mail’s Mailsort 3 discounted bulk mail product. You can get your fundraising message out and receive donations much quicker.
* Save money on your postage costs by sending environmentally friendly direct mail. Additional discounts (up to 0.7p per item) are available for mailings meeting a number of criteria which include the use of recycled paper, inclusion of a recycle logo and data cleansing best practice.
www.onepost.co.uk
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.