Mailing postcards is one of the most cost-effective fundraising solutions for nonprofit organizations, and printers such as PsPrint have consistently introduced innovations that keep printing and mailing these highly-successful direct-mail pieces affordable. If you're ready to expand your marketing efforts and attract new and repeat donor dollars, try a few of these nonprofit direct-mail postcard marketing ideas.

Be business-like

Even though you're a nonprofit, you still have to balance your budget and handle PR just like a business. Your marketing tactics should be executed along those same lines. You don't want to tarnish your image with poor direct-mail postcards, so make sure you hire a professional copywriter and a professional designer to create your postcard. Invest the time, effort and money into compiling a highly targeted mailing list of individuals and businesses that are likely to donate so you're not wasting postage on those who will simply throw your postcards away.

Testing ...

Just like a business, you should test your direct-mail postcards on a small section of your list before you send it to everyone. Play with different calls to action, design elements and headlines to see which yields the best return on investment. A little patience and time here can reveal huge differences that make your campaign highly successful — and make you look like a marketing genius. Remember that effective marketing isn't rocket science — it's more about testing, measuring and observing than it is about how flashy you are.

Creative printing

Your postcards will generate donations only if they successfully pass three tests: 1) They make it past the trash can and into the hands of potential donors; 2) they deliver a compelling message with a persuasive call to action; and 3) they are easy to respond to. The first one can be accomplished through a creative approach that gets immediate attention, such as printing on oversized postcards or using bold colors, combined with a great headline and design. The second depends primarily on the content of your postcard, while the third should be as simple having the donor visit a website or call a phone number to make an instant donation.

Online printing companies such as PsPrint offer oversized postcards up to 6-inch by 11-inch as well as foil-stamping services to display big, bold colors. These simple improvements to your nonprofit direct-marketing postcards can help them pass the first test, and make it that much easier for the rest of your efforts to do their job and land a donation. Remember, nothing says "Look at me!" better than something that looks different from anything else around it.

Take these direct-mail postcard marketing ideas and run with them. Add a dash of your own creativity, and you'll be on the right track for securing donations for your worthy cause this year.