Calling All Procrastinators: 7 Secrets to Raise More Money With Your Year-End Appeal

3. Tell a story.
Your story is at the heart and center of all that you do (well, second to your donors). Statistics don’t sell. How do you go about finding your best stories? Renowned copywriter Indra Sinha said it best: “Don’t start by writing. Start by feeling. Feel, and feel passionately, and the emotion you feel will come through the spaces in between the words."

Remember that every single decision has its roots in emotion. Time and time again, it’s been proven that the brain’s wiring overwhelmingly relies on emotion over intellect in the decision-making process.

What will touch your donors’ and prospective donors’ hearts? You may roll your eyes at some of the television advertisements for the ASPCA or various children’s charities, but there’s a reason why you see them over and over and over again: They work.

Review your interviews and your organization’s stories. Is there a detail there—an emotional hook—something that might have made your eyes well up with tears or made you laugh out loud? It might not even be central to your story, but it will be something that will make your donor read on.

4. Write for older readers.
According to “The Next Generation of American Giving,” Blackbaud’s recent report on generational giving habits, “direct mail continues to be the workhorse.” In fact, “93 percent of individual donations still come through traditional offline channels.” And that’s not going to change overnight.

Older readers still respond best to direct mail. Make it easy to read with a proven serif font like Times New Roman ... and how about bumping it up to 13 or 14 point for the matures on your list?

5. Ask early, ask often!
You’d be surprised at how many letters come my way for review—letters that tell a heart-wrenching story, letters that speak directly to me, letters that follow every rule but one: They never get around to making the ask!

Ask early and ask often—and feature a very clear call to action.

6. Use the red pen.
I call it the “I, Me, Mine” test. The most important word in your letter is the word “you.” Take out your red pen and circle every instance of the word “you” in your letter. Now go back and circle the instances of “I, Me, Mine.” How’d you do?

7. Begin with the end in mind.
Here’s a trick that I’ve used for years, swiped from Stephen R. Covey and his “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change.” Habit No. 2: Begin with the end in mind.

Before I do anything, I write my thank-you letter and think about what systems I have in place for making my donor feel like a valued friend. It sets the tone for what I’m looking to accomplish—and everything’s better with a mindset of gratitude.