Why I Started Cape Cod Mail Group

“In January 2017, after a 44-year career in direct mail, I decided to retire. The long hours, endless business travel and an ongoing family health concern had convinced me it was time to step away. Fortunately a year later, our family’s health situation was much improved and my professional fires were burning again. And, while I had no desire to return to full-time work, I wasn’t ready for a rocking chair either. I missed my friends in the annual giving community. I missed talking strategy and watching their programs flourish. I missed conducting workshops, presenting at conferences and sharing an occasional beverage with old friends. I decided to hang out my shingle because I felt I still had something to offer. Cape Cod Mail Group is really about a passion to share my experience with others and a desire to stay around just a little while longer!”

A Few Institutions Paul Has Worked With

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

CRISTO REY HIGH SCHOOL, Oklahoma City

CRISTO REY HIGH SCHOOL, Richmond 

HONOR HEALTH FOUNDATION

MARSHALL UNIVERSITY

NORTH CAROLINA A & T STATE UNIVERSITY

QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY

ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

SETI INSTITUTE

SIMPSON COLLEGE

UNC HEALTH FOUNDATION

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA

UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY

A Few Kind Words From Clients

University of North Carolina Health Foundation

We began working with Paul when a decision was made to move our direct mail program “in house.” This meant that our annual giving team would take on full responsibility for project management beginning to end,  from formulating initial ideas to graphic design, copywriting and final print/mail execution. Paul has been a tremendous resource. His years of experience and expertise are invaluable. We are still building our program, but with Paul’s guidance, we know we are on the right track. He is there to partner with us whenever needed – strategy, including segmentation and messaging; design, working within our branding guidelines to create pieces that resonate with our donors; helping identify what is working and what is not. Our Annual Giving team considers Paul to be “one of us.” 

Arizona State University Foundation

“There is no one in the industry who understands the heart and soul of a mail piece quite like Paul Barry. His insights, feedback, and ability to pair analytical thinking and creative concepts is sure to further your efforts. Paul is a dream to work with and truly invested in not only the outcome, but in the people you have running your program.” 

United States Naval Academy

“We asked the Cape Cod Mail Group to do an end to end assessment of our direct mail program here at the Naval Academy Foundation.  Paul provided a number of recommendations that we have  incorporated into the program, and they were all within the scope of our modest annual giving budget.  Most notable was a very personalized prospecting piece for our primary donor recognition society, portions of which we are also using in our renewal solicitations with demonstrated success.  I’d recommend Paul to anyone who would like to have the benefit of a fresh pair of eyes on their direct mail program.”

University of Utah

“I’ve learned a lot from Paul over the years and am so appreciative of his  generosity with his knowledge and experience. The time he took to teach me about direct mail strategy and print/mail logistics is something I’ll never forget. I still regularly find myself sharing with colleagues to…’fish where the fish are’. 

Simpson College

“I have worked with Paul Barry for almost a decade at two different institutions. Paul articulates your message in succinct and compelling terms. He respectfully challenges your past approaches and offers creative and successful alternatives. I’ve always found Paul responsive, creative, easy to work with and concerned about the timeline and budget. Using Cape Cod Mail Group has greatly leveraged our annual fund staff, bringing many years of experience to bear on an increasingly challenging and complicated area of practice.” 

Quinnipiac University

“I have known Paul for over eighteen years. His experience in annual giving direct mail is top notch. He understands all aspects of the industry and his approach, when working with me and my team, is awesome. I would recommend him to anyone looking to expand their Annual Giving program.”

North Carolina A&M State University

“We were in a situation where our calendar year end letter had not gone out and had not even been drafted. The day that I received the recommendation to call Cape Cod Mail Group was about 3 weeks past when the appeal letter should have dropped. I called and left a message and within 15 minutes, I received a call back from Paul. I explained the issue and he immediately got to work and within 36 hours, had a rough draft for me and my leadership to review and approve. The entire project was done within a few days and the letter was a hit. Paul was not only prompt at responding to our calls and emails, he was always very honest, yet calming during our conversations. No matter how pressed for time I was, I always felt like everything would work out just fine when we spoke. I have already forwarded his information to several colleagues for consideration.” 

Buena Vista University

“Paul’s ability to look at data, analyze and measure outcomes is always top of mind. His approaches to direct mail are always well thought out and tailored to specific appeals, to select audiences and to our brand. He is innovative and always has good samples to share that broaden our perspectives. I highly recommend Paul and his firm.” 

Carolina Performing Arts

“I’ve known Paul for more than ten years and he’s my annual fund guru and oracle.  Paul’s experience extends from overall winning strategies to details such as envelope size to save on postage!  Paul embodies the best of customer service – he’s accessible, responsive, always available for brainstorming, and has a great sense of humor to boot.  I look to Paul to make sure our annual fund strategy is on par to exceed our goals.”