Fundraising Reminder: Write Human, Act Human, Be Human

Whenever I start working with a new client I’ll mystery shop them. Sometimes it’s just an email asking a quick question.

About 50 percent of charities don’t reply.

That’s a little scary. And it becomes really scary if you happen to agree with what I’m saying: Every call is a fundraising call and every email is a fundraising email. Every interaction is fundraising—even when you’re not asking for money.

One of the greatest skills a fundraiser can possess is empathy—of course empathy for your beneficiaries, but also empathy for your donors and the general public. What do they want from this interaction?