Emotion – not logic – is what moves donors to give, right? Then why do you see appeals based on logical arguments all the time?

It’s probably because that’s how we were all taught to write. With deductive reasoning. You start with a general premise, followed by the minor premise, then the conclusion.

It’s the way we were taught to write a paragraph. There’s the topic sentence, then supporting arguments, and then the conclusion.

Problem is, this might be how you get a good grade on a term paper, but it doesn’t work for fundraising.   

Here’s an example of an appeal from a nonprofit advocating for criminal justice reform:

Dear [Firstname],

One mistake or bad decision shouldn’t define someone’s life or value.

But for 78 million people with an old arrest or conviction record, a mistake can mean a lifetime of barriers to getting a job or accessing safe housing.

That’s why at [nonprofit], we and our more than 400,000 members are advocating for law changes that will expand access to stability and economic opportunity for the millions of Americans locked out of opportunity due to an old record. But we can’t do it without your help.

You can see the format. There’s the general premise: “One mistake or bad decision shouldn’t define someone’s life or value.”

There’s the minor premise: “But for 78 million people with an old arrest or conviction record, a mistake can mean a lifetime of barriers to getting a job or accessing safe housing.”

Then, the conclusion, which, for fundraising, is essentially, “Therefore, donate.” Here’s the conclusion: “That’s why at [nonprofit], we and our more than 400,000 members are advocating for law changes that will expand access to stability and economic opportunity for the millions of Americans locked out of opportunity due to an old record. But we can’t do it without your help.”

It probably seems to many nonprofits that this is how fundraising appeals should be written, because after all that’s how you write. That’s how the people in the nonprofit’s marketing department wrote their term papers.

But fundraising copy is nothing like a term paper. A fundraising appeal is a personal letter from one concerned individual to another. It’s about emotion, empathy, humanity, values, morals and more.

Not logic. People don’t make decisions based on logic. They made decisions based on emotion. You can’t argue or debate someone into donating. 

If you try, as in the example above, you get fundraising copy that’s cold, unempathetic, and unmotivating. 

This doesn’t mean you never use logic. A reason to give could be a logical point like, “Eliminating barriers to employment for people with criminal convictions means they become tax-paying residents.”

But arguments like these wouldn’t be the basis of the appeal. It’s far better to find the emotional core of the cause you’re raising funds for, and present that to donors. Then you’re reaching donors on the basis of empathy and shared values. And that’s where connection, compassion, and persuasion happen.

See the whole article at https://www.nonprofitpro.com/post/the-way-we-learn-to-write-is-all-wrong-for-fundraising/