Author Archives: George Crankovic
Ask yourself, “Would I donate to this?”
A direct mail appeal from an international aid and relief charity opens with: “Five of Sayo’s children died because of dirty water. It’s hard to imagine, isn’t it?” Okay, we have a statement of need that maybe the donor can … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising
Tagged charity, copywriting, donation, donor psychology, donors, fundraising, marketing, nonprofit
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One reason why fundraising appeals go bad
“The letter doesn’t sound like me.” That’s something a president/CEO or executive director of a nonprofit might say when she’s reviewing a fundraising appeal. It’s actually a frequent comment, and it’s understandable, really. After all, the president probably believes passionately … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising, nonprofit, Online fundraising
Tagged charity, copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising, letter, nonprofit
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The single best — and easiest — way to improve your fundraising
If you’re heading up a nonprofit (or part of the team that does), one of the best things you can do for your fundraising is to come to terms with a hard truth: You are not your donors. But don’t … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising, nonprofit
Tagged charity, copywriting, donor psychology, donors, fundraising, nonprofit
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Are your fundraising appeals repetitive? Good
Effective copywriting for fundraising is weird. It has a lot of characteristics that seem to be the opposite of what’s right. One of these is repetition. Good copy for an appeal tends to repeat some things over and over. To … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising, nonprofit
Tagged advertising, behavior, copywriting, donor psychology, donors, fundraising, marketing
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New Year’s Fundraising Resolution: Connect with your mid-level donors
You probably hear a lot about mid-level donors, and that’s for good reason. For most nonprofits, these donors represent the single largest opportunity for short-term and long-term growth. Cultivating mid-level donors increases their giving but also cultivates donors who can … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, fundraising, nonprofit
Tagged copywriting, donation, donor psychology, fundraising, nonprofit
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New Year’s Fundraising Resolution: Reconnect with lapsed donors
One way to start 2020 off right is to reactivate lapsed donors. They’re not a lost cause. But you have to be strategic about winning them back. First, realize that they’re not sitting around thinking, “Wow, I haven’t given to … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising, nonprofit
Tagged behavior, charity, copywriting, donation, donor psychology, fundraising
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When not to thank your donors
How to begin a fundraising appeal – that’s a tough one. You win or lose donors in those first few seconds. So the opening has to be spot on, and that’s not easy. Which is probably why so many appeals … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, fundraising
Tagged copywriting, donation, donor psychology, donors, fundraising, nonprofit
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Your year-end appeal: last-minute help, free
It’s time to get your year-end appeal (online and offline) set up, nailed down, and ready to go. If you’ve been putting it off … or if you already have an appeal prepared and want a gut-check before you launch, … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, fundraising, nonprofit
Tagged copywriting, email, fundraising, Online fundraising, Year end fundraising
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Are you shouting at your donors without realizing it?
Yes, most donors are Baby Boomers. They’re in their 60s or later. And they don’t like to be shouted at. Are you doing that in your mail appeals? You might be if you’ve bought into the idea that the bigger … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising
Tagged advertising, behavior, charity, copywriting, donation, fundraising
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Year-end fundraising – what you should be doing now
To raise more money with your year-end appeal, one of the first things to do is to make sure you have a solid offer. The fundraising offer is a statement of what the donor receives in return for giving. It’s … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, fundraising, nonprofit, Year end fundraising
Tagged copywriting, donor pyschology, fundraising, Year end fundraising
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