Author Archives: George Crankovic
What is it about direct mail for fundraising?
Mail is still the most productive channel for fundraising. More than email, internet, phone, social media, or any other medium you can dream up. Why? Jerry Huntsinger in his Eighty-Six Tutorials on Creating Fundraising Letters and Packages explains it perfectly: … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising
Tagged behavior, copywriting, fundraising
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You have to move donors to get them to give
Connecting with donors, listening to donors, donor love, donor centrism, making the donor feel like a hero – these are all fine and useful concepts. They show how to think about fundraising. But we can’t escape the fact that at … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising
Tagged copywriting, fundraising
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The easy way to boost fundraising response
It’s probably something you don’t give much attention to when you’re creating a fundraising appeal. Most of us don’t, I’d bet. That’s because it’s so simple that it gets overlooked. It’s this: making the date of the appeal a prominent … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising
Tagged behavior, copywriting, fundraising
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Is this the exception to the ‘no statistics in fundraising appeals’ rule?
Tell an emotional story about one person. That’s the guideline for creating donor-focused fundraising that connects with donors and motivates them to give. An example from Claire Axelrad at Clarification blog drives this point home. One headline says “24,000 children … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising
Tagged copywriting, fundraising
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The best reason to ask your donors more often to give
Lots of charities are shy about asking for donations. They don’t want to mail or email too often out of fear of seeming too pushy. And even in their appeals themselves, it seems like they’re trying to work up the … Continue reading
Posted in donor psychology, fundraising, nonprofit
Tagged behavior, fundraising, nonprofit
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What’s your fundraising war story?
When things go wrong with a fundraising appeal, it can seem like the end when it’s happening to you. But really, sometimes the lessons you learn in the school of hard knocks are the best ones – the ones you … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, fundraising, nonprofit
Tagged copywriting, donors, fundraising
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3 must-haves for a strong January renewal appeal
Now that your year end appeal is out the door, it’s time to relax with a few weeks off. HA! Kidding! Actually, it’s time for your January renewal appeal to be in the works. Your January renewal can be one … Continue reading
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