Lots of fundraisers talk about integration. Few truly practice it well. And even fewer view its possibilities through the lens of practicality.

This is why Australian fundraiser Sean Triner’s post To Integrate or Not To Integrate: That is the Question is a ‘must read’ — and a ‘must share’ among the silos in your organization.

(Of course I’m sure Agitator readers have long rid their shop of those pesky silos, but you might still want to share Sean’s insights with colleagues elsewhere.)

Using an Amnesty International direct mail appeal to donors as the base or main channel, Sean sets forth 20 possibilities for multi-channel integration springing from that initial appeal.

That’s right! 20 possibilities for channel integration from 1 direct mail appeal.

From the organization’s website, to pre and post emails, to social media, to phone, to integrated thank yous, Sean covers the waterfront of integration.

As Sean says about his list of 20: “Wow. A load of options there.”

Already I can hear the folks over in the social media silo high-fiving each other, while the webmaster pats her/himself on the back. “See I told you so.”

BUT … mercifully — and most importantly — Sean brings integration down to earth with some quite practical guidance.

• Each of the 20 will “maybe increase revenue by a little bit, and definitely increase costs a bit.”

So …

• Should you really be bothering with all these options? And, if not all, then which ones are most likely to deliver the most to the bottom line?

In priority order according to Sean …

• The “First thing to note is that outside of emergencies, the majority of the income is likely to be triggered by your direct mail.  So another direct mail chaser is probably the best option for boosting income at a reasonable cost.

• “Also, a fair proportion (and it grows every year) will likely donate online. So having the campaign at least mentioned or featured on your home page makes sense, and having a dedicated landing page to back that up would be a good idea.

• “Following up high value donors by phone is almost certainly going to be a good idea.

• “All the other things are likely to have marginal impact …” [Emphasis mine]

Yes, integration is worth it. But don’t go overboard. And certainly don’t feel guilty if you haven’t covered every channel.

Mastering the use of key channels is more than good enough.

Care to share your integration advice?

Roger