Category Archives: copywriting

DON’T do this in fundraising appeals, and get better results

In fundraising appeals, you should always thank your donors for their support, right? Wrong! You can see why in this example. The direct mail appeal from a farm-advocacy nonprofit begins like this: “Let me express my personal thanks for your … Continue reading

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Try this to increase fundraising response

One of the best ways to boost the response of your direct mail fundraising appeal isn’t what you might think. It’s to send an email. Mail and email complement each other, creating better response than either would separately. That’s one … Continue reading

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Easy way to tell if your nonprofit will survive and succeed

Here’s an easy way to find out whether your nonprofit is operating in a way that’s helping to ensure your current and future success. Not only is it easy, it takes nothing more than a few minutes of your time. … Continue reading

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5 emotional triggers for fundraising

How do you create a strong connection with your donors? One way is to use emotional triggers in appeals. Let’s take a look at some, discussed in my guest post, that you’ll want to know about: Altruism. Altruism is concern … Continue reading

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Tell a better story for fundraising

Is this the way to make the story in your fundraising appeal more memorable and more impactful? Tell it in the present tense. Most of the time, stories are in the past tense. This happened, then that happened, then this … Continue reading

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How to raise more funds with storytelling

There’s a lot of talk about storytelling in fundraising, and it’s easy to get the idea that all you have to do is throw in a story about a beneficiary to create an appeal that does gangbusters. It’s not that … Continue reading

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Positioning for your nonprofit

Donors want to know that they’re making a difference with their gifts. That’s always been the case, and it’s even more true now with the current recession going on. So that’s why it’s important to take a look at your … Continue reading

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Make your fundraising appeal stronger with the right teaser

An appeal from a religious nonprofit has this teaser on the outside envelope: “It is necessary to be strong, in order to become great; that is our duty. Life is a struggle which we cannot avoid. We must triumph!” It’s … Continue reading

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Your fundraising will fail if you get this one thing wrong

There’s one thing that every successful fundraiser knows for sure … and every struggling fundraiser has yet to find out. It’s this simple fact. Aside from the people who actually give you money – your donors – the offer you … Continue reading

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Coronavirus fundraising – there’s a better way

Judging from what’s showing up in mailboxes and email inboxes, it looks like a lot of nonprofits are struggling with the messaging around the coronavirus crisis. But honestly, they’re making it much harder than it has to be. Take this … Continue reading

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