Everyone knows that direct-response testing is the path to the truth in fundraising. There's just one problem: The large majority of nonprofit organizations cannot do direct-response testing. Their quantities are too small and/or they don't have the budget to pay for testing.

Here are three ways to learn the right things to do when you can't test:

1. Read books about fundraising.
2. Read blogs about fundraising. (See our blogroll over there to the right for some of the best fundraising blogs.)
3. Donate to larger national organizations so you can observe how they do it.