Copywriting

7 Cardinal Rules of Fundraising Writing
July 25, 2016 at 11:22 am

Fundraising is a funny profession. It requires you to learn a specific style of writing that's unlike any other you're likely to have learned—business writing, journalism or grant writing, etc. But if you go to the trouble to learn the conventions of fundraising writing, donors will reward you with more gifts. Larger gifts. And they'll…

Fundraising Reminders and Refreshers
July 21, 2016 at 11:39 am

At the Bridge Conference last week, I had the opportunity to attend several breakout sessions. Like any conference, there were hits and misses, but I learned a few things, was reminded of many things and had some other things I was convinced of confirmed. So, all in all, it was a good investment of time and money...

Why You Should Write Like You Talk in Donor Communications
July 21, 2016 at 11:28 am

Would you write to your mother like that? Open your last appeal, newsletter or email. Now read it out loud. Does it sound funny? Does it sound like you? If so, congratulations—you’re a step ahead of many. If not, let’s talk about what you can do to fix that. Good donor communications are not corporate…

No. 1 Way to Engage Donors, Inspire Bigger Giving
July 13, 2016 at 11:04 am

If you want money coming in consistently throughout the year, you need a big, loyal donor base of people who love your mission and want to see you win. Once you build that donor base, your job is to engage and inspire them. Inspiration is about connecting with them on an emotional level. In practical…

Study: Exciting (and Scary) Nonprofit Communications Trends
July 11, 2016 at 11:26 am

Does your work in the nonprofit sector excite you? It should. Does it worry you? It should do that, too. NonprofitMarketingGuide.com’s “2016 Nonprofit Communications Trends Report” highlighted some of the big reasons why—from the positives, like embracing new opportunities and reaching more donors, to the negatives, like financial restrictions and unrealistic workloads...

Making It 'All About Me'
July 7, 2016 at 10:22 am

How many emails did you wake up to this morning? If you’re like me, it was a lot. Dozens, maybe even 100 or more. But how many did you really read? Unfortunately, communication from nonprofit organizations—even those we support and really care about—can end up quickly deleted. There’s simply too much going on in our lives to treat every piece of communication equally...

Is Your Foundation Forcing Donors to Think Twice Before Giving?
July 1, 2016 at 10:00 am

Are you confusing your donors with a bureaucratic category that makes no sense and doesn't matter to them? You might be if you're raising funds under the flag of the foundation that's the fundraising arm of your main organization. There are plenty of reasons to organize yourself this way. But none of them are important…

8 Things You Should Never Do in a Fundraising Letter
June 27, 2016 at 10:51 am

It's never too early to analyze your last fundraising campaign and get ready for the next. Do you know how effective your direct mail appeal was during last year's holiday campaign? How many of your appeals went into the trash? How many resulted in a donation? Have you been afraid to even look at your…

3 Principles of Conversion and 29 Tips for a Conversion-Focused Donation Page
June 23, 2016 at 10:09 am

Traffic. Average gift. Conversion. These are the three essential ingredients to fundraising and online fundraising. I discussed the role of traffic here (and how a Google Ad Grant can help), and today we’re going to look at conversion. Quite relevant as I’m currently at Unbounce‘s Call to Action Conference, which is essentially a two-day conference…

Hope or Fear—Which Powerful Emotion Should You Use?
June 15, 2016 at 9:00 am

Picture a year-end appeal. The goal isn’t met. Time is running out. Your appeal urges donors to act right away, or bad things may happen. "Can’t we keep it upbeat? You know, focus on the good stuff?" a board member will ask. "We know that’s more effective, right?" Well, I don’t think I do know…