Outsource Your Non-Fundraising Brain
Outsource your inspiration. Ideas come at the most unexpected times. And often the most inconvenient. Because great ideas really do come to you in the shower, there's Aquanote, the waterproof notepad that lets you capture inspiration even when you're soaking wet.
Or try keeping a Writer's Block on your desk. There are plenty of books of writing prompts out there, but none are better — or more fun — than this little three-inch cube of ideas. It's got street cred too. Many of the ideas come from workshops and classes by writers like, Toni Morrison, Kurt Vonnegut, Joyce Carol Oates, John Irving, Elmore Leonard and others.
Outsource your tedious projects. This one's just crazy. Fiverr is a site full of freelancers who'll do all kinds of small, creative jobs ... for $5. Need someone to design a cover for your mix tape? Five dollars. Write the "About Us" page for your website? Five dollars. Do a voice-over? Five dollars. A pretty woman to stand in front of a scenic backdrop in Singapore and hold up any sign you choose? Yep. Five dollars. Even if you don't use it, you have to check out the site.
Outsource your project organizing. If you're working on a book or other big, complex assignment, take a look at the writing program Scrivener. It keeps the writing process simple and lets you organize in several ways. You can create chapters and sections, post notes on a bulletin board, rearrange any part of your project on a whim, track your research, clear the screen of distractions while you write, and more. It's not the most intuitive system, but it's easy to learn, flexible and best of all costs $45 — a fraction of what a lot other professional writing software suites charge.
- Categories:
- Creative
- NonProfit Pro
Willis Turner believes great writing has the power to change minds, save lives, and make people want to dance and sing. Willis is the creative director at Huntsinger & Jeffer. He worked as a lead writer and creative director in the traditional advertising world for more than 15 years before making the switch to fundraising 20 years ago. In his work with nonprofit organizations and associations, he has written thousands of appeals, renewals and acquisition communications for every medium. He creates direct-response campaigns, and collateral communications materials that get attention, tell powerful stories and persuade people to take action or make a donation.
