Add costs for ROI reporting in direct mail and digital efforts

Use this article when

• You want ROI to appear in the Matchback Report.
• You want ROI, ROI Net, net revenue, or response rate to appear in Insights > Appeal Analysis.
• You have a spreadsheet of direct mail or digital costs by appeal code, campaign, or event.
• You have a direct mail cost file from an agency, mail house, or internal team.

Applies to and prerequisites

Upload a cost file for reporting

This is the most common way to add costs. Use it for direct mail and digital costs from an agency invoice, mail house file, ad platform export, or internal spreadsheet. Cost files should include the cost amount and a value Avid can use to match the cost to results.

Cost file format

1. Open Settings.

   You see the organization settings page.

2. Click Connections.

   You see tabs for Systems, Files, and Data Blends.

3. Click Files.

   You see the Data Files table.

4. Upload your cost file if it is not already listed, then find the file and click Add.

   The Data Set Information screen opens.

5. Enter a clear Data Set Name.

   Use a name your team can recognize later, such as FY26 Spring Appeal Costs.

6. Open Data Category and select Cost.

   Avid shows this description: Cost: This is a list of costs associated with a campaign or event. It should include the cost, the appeal code or UTM information to be matched with results.

7. Choose a Refresh Type.

   Choose Append: New files are merged with prior uploads when future files should add to the data set. Choose Replace: New files replace prior uploads when each new file should replace the prior file.

8. Leave Ignore Unused Column Changes checked unless your team needs Avid to stop processing when new unmapped columns appear in future uploads.

   When this option is checked, files can still process when added or removed columns do not affect existing mappings.

9. Click Next.

   The Inclusion Filters step opens.

10. Add filters if only some rows in the file should be included. Otherwise, continue without adding filters.

    Filters are optional.

11. Click Next.

    The Column Mapping step opens.

12. Map appeal_code and any available cost fields.

    Map at least one of cost or cost_per_piece. Map audience_size when the file includes audience counts.

13. Click Save.

    After the file processes and reporting refreshes, Avid can use the costs in the Matchback Report and Appeal Analysis.

Add costs in the Direct Mail tool

If your organization builds appeals in the in-app Direct Mail tool, you can enter costs while building the appeal instead of uploading a separate file.

1. Open Direct Mail.

   You see Direct Mail Selection (Early Access).

2. Click Appeals, then click the appeal name you want to update.

   You see the appeal workflow with tabs for Information, Audience, Packages, Selection, and Review.

3. On the Information tab, enter shared campaign costs in Fixed Project Costs.

   Use this field for costs such as copywriting, design, or agency fees that are not tied to one package.

4. Click Packages, then add or edit a package and enter the package cost in Est. Package Cost.

   Avid uses this value as the package price per piece.

5. Click Save Package.

   The package is saved to the appeal.

6. Click Review.

   You see the package cost rollup with Price / Piece, Audience Size, Total Cost, Fixed Costs, and Total.

7. Check Include the exported data in Direct Mail and Matchback reporting, then click Generate File.

   Avid uses the saved package and fixed costs for reporting.

View ROI in Appeal Analysis

Use Appeal Analysis to review how appeals performed after costs have been added and matched to results.

1. Open Insights.

   You see the Insights report list.

2. Open Appeal Analysis.

   The report opens with sections such as Appeal Performance Overview, ROI Analysis, Donor Analysis, Day by Day Details, and Goal Tracking.

3. Review the report filters.

   The report uses filters such as Gift Date. Adjust the date range or appeal filters so the report includes the appeals you want to review.

4. Click ROI Analysis.

   This section is where Avid displays cost-aware appeal performance.

5. Review Top 10 Appeals by Net Revenue.

   This chart shows revenue after cost is factored in. It requires total cost data.

6. Review Top 10 Appeals by Response Rate.

   This chart uses Audience Size and Response Rate. It requires audience size data.

7. Review Top 10 Appeals by ROI.

   This chart uses Audience Size, ROI, and ROI Net. It requires total cost data.

8. Review Appeal Details Table.

   This table is grouped by Appeal Code and Appeal Name. It includes columns such as Revenue, ROI, and ROI Net.

What you will see

• Uploaded cost files appear as data sets with Data Category > Cost.
• If you use the Direct Mail tool, appeals show costs on the Review tab.
• Insights > Appeal Analysis > ROI Analysis shows cost-aware charts after cost data is available.
• ROI and net revenue appear in the Matchback Report after Avid has matching cost and result data.

Troubleshooting