Fundraisers – and the executives and boards that they report to – often talk about how much to mail or email a donor. The assumption, often generated by a particularly vocal complainer or a close friend of someone in leadership, is that everyone thinks we mail or email too much – and in particular ask for money too frequently.

Occasionally the argument is backed up with logic that goes like this: you only get 5% response on a mailing and 1% on an email, so it stands to reason that the other 95 to 99% are uninterested in the communication at best, and intensely irritated at worst.

But let’s look at a few other numbers. First, in marketing there is a rule of seven: a consumer needs to see or hear your message seven times before taking action. Now, some may need more repetitive messages and some less, but the reality is that few people hear about something once and respond. That’s why you often see the same billboard over and over on a stretch of highway. Given enough exposure, you just might check out that new car or decide you really do need a fast-food break.

Second, the rate of return for a large commercial marketer is less than 4 percent for mail and about one-tenth of a percent for email, according to the Direct Marketing Association – and that’s to make a purchase. You’re asking people to give money to help solve a problem they care about, which can be an even more difficult and time-consuming case to make.

Third, if your donor base is made up of 1,000 people, you have 1,000 different humans and a myriad of differences in their actions. Remember the old adage, “Out of sight, out of mind”? Well, that’s often true with donors; if they don’t hear from you and see that you are still doing a great job, they may decide to find someone else to support who must be doing a better job because they are communicating that message.

But others may want fewer communications. A challenging – but critical task – is figuring out who’s who and abandoning the “one size fits all” mailing schedule. Giving your donors options on communication can cut costs and increase income when done thoughtfully and strategically.

So, don’t consider your communications wasted if the majority doesn’t respond. Instead, view it as part of the cultivation for the eventual donation. You’re constantly courting your supporters, and the minute you forget that and start viewing them as just as a generic donor file, you’re growing more distant from their heart and mind.