Willis Turner

It’s a wonderful feeling when something you always thought was bad for you turns out to be good for you. Take the use of pseudonyms in fundraising stories. There’s a widespread presumption that using made-up names for real people is a necessary evil...

Our stories have to engage readers on such a powerful emotional level that when we transition from them to the ask, readers feel compelled to take an action or make a gift. Like a still-life painting or a well-written haiku, archetypal images set a scene for readers in just a few words...

We all know telling a good story engages readers and gets them emotionally involved so that they feel compelled to send a gift to your organization. But simply being advised to “tell a story” is pretty empty advice without some concrete guidance about what kind of story to tell and how to tell it.

It’s probably the most common piece of wisdom people give to fundraising copywriters: “Tell a story.”

All fundraising copywriters read (or should read!) lots of direct mail packages.

It’s often said that a donor isn’t really a donor until they’ve made a second gift.

There are many ways to encourage people to open your outer envelope.

Because writing is a solitary occupation, copywriters necessarily spend a lot of time inside their own heads.

When a writer struggles to develop an emotional connection with an organization, the problem might not be the mission. 

Stephen King, master of horror, suspense, science-fiction, fantasy and supernatural fiction, has published 61 novels.

The oldest piece of advice in the world of fundraising copy is probably this: “You are not your donor.”

As with most things, the good writers make it look easy. That’s why so many people think they can do it.

According to the Rule of 7, it takes an average of seven exposures to a message before it sinks in enough to engage your target and make him or her a regular supporter.Drip campaigns create those exposures in a tactical way that dovetails with your overall strategic plan. Here are 11 tips to help you get more drip for your buck.

Every so often you just get stuck when you need an idea. All writers know this. And we all know the standard advice for coming up with a creative inspiration: take a walk, sleep on it, put it aside and come back to it later, and all that.

Of course you should craft your appeals to resonate with the majority of your readers. But you should always allow for the possibility that something great could come from the most unexpected donors.