Creative

A well-oiled content calendar will do wonders for your nonprofit’s communication plan. Like most things, it’s about setting a proper foundation. Here’s how to set up an engaging content calendar for your nonprofit.

In the September/October 2004 issue, fundraising pros Bryan Terpstra and Maura Szendey teamed up to write "Don't Be Afraid of the A-Word," a feature that put fundraisers' minds at ease by explaining that, unlike the tax variety, creative and file audits can be stress-free and a good way to up your bottom line.

In the March/April 2004 issue, back when FS was only published six times a year, our Just Slightly Contrarian columnist, renowned copywriter Jerry Huntsinger, explained how a well-crafted lift note can "put a little pop in your package."

While none of these ideas in and of themselves will radically alter your fundraising program or results, sometimes the simplest tweaks or slight changes in focus can impact bottom line —assuming you think of them!

In her October 2008 story, FundRaising Success DM Diagnosis writer Kimberly Seville highlighted several opening paragraphs from a number of fundraising appeals, including this introduction from the American Bible Society.

Here’s the thing folks … You should write your appeals at about a 4th- to 6th-grade level. Simple sentences. Simple sentence structure. Simple words. Add a story. Add a call to action. And add some urgency … and you have a solid letter.

Why? Simply stated … it’s a matter of courtesy. Supporters of your mission can get sophistication from a bottle of wine or a good book. But when it comes to your letters, they just want to know what the problem is and how they can help.

As we continue our journey through the alphabet, you'll find more ideas to help recharge your fundraising, using P, Q, R, S and T as my "copy triggers." (Just like writing a good fundraising appeal, right?!)

More and more, nonprofits are using infographics in their communications. How? Lucky for you, integrated marketing provider Production Solutions created a handy infographic on how nonprofits are utilizing infographics.

Marketing is about change — changing people’s actions, perceptions or the conversation. Successful change is usually specific. It’s hard to get someone to support your cause, help a devastated region or volunteer for good. But when you ask her to give $5 to provide a schoolbook for a child or sign up now to staff the domestic violence hotline for a 60-minute shift next Sunday afternoon, that usually works, if you’re talking in the right way to the right person at the right time.

If your messaging isn’t getting through or your marketing campaign isn’t making a difference, it is probably for one (or all) of these three reasons: 1. falsely assuming that information results in action; 2. forgetting that we're not the audience; and/or 3. treating marketing as an afterthought.