Copywriting

The debate has been raging for decades. Add a teaser to the outer envelope of your direct mail appeal. Or don’t. Which is better?

Here are some reasons why I believe humility should be a part of every nonprofit’s brand.

If you are looking to increase your direct mail response rates in time for your year-end appeal, time is running out. Here are some tips based on behavioral science to help you right now.

If we’re not careful, taking such a clinical approach can distract us from considering our readers’ overall experience of the package they receive. Here are a few suggestions to help you stay mindful of your readers’ feelings.

Year-end is looming and may seem overwhelming. Here are things to work on to impact your income positively before Dec. 31.

Jacqueline House, Safe Children Coalition’s vice president of communications and community engagement,and Tracy Vanderneck, president of Phil-Com, join The NonProfit Voice to share the keys to nonprofit messaging.

Year-end revenue is essential to the well-being of many nonprofits. It’s important to communicate with supporters in such a way to maximize not only short-term income but subsequent giving as well. A feature of most year-end campaigns emphasizes the tax benefits of charitable giving.   

Testing is about the most basic best practice we have in direct marketing. It’s how we measure what works and what doesn’t. In fundraising, it’s critical because if there’s one lesson we’ve all learned over and over, it’s that direct mail is counterintuitive. Logic and common sense do not apply. Except when they do.

Your nonprofit has its own identity, and it’s likely that you want to tell your whole story to your stakeholders. However, when nonprofits wrap everything that the organization is about into its mission and vision statements, a lot of the power and decision-making value is lost in these lofty and winding statements. 

There is no "versus" between direct mail and email. Yet, it's essential to approach them differently with your writing.