Category Archives: donor psychology
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
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
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
Coronavirus fundraising and what not to do
Fundraising for the coronavirus emergency is, well, unusual so far. A soup kitchen sends an email with the subject line “A message from the president.” If you’re a donor scanning your email inbox, that could be just about anything. Then … Continue reading
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
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
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
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
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
This can torpedo a fundraising appeal
There’s a structure that’s often used for fundraising appeals even though it’s not really all that good for getting donors to give. This post at the Better Fundraising Company blog shows us what this structure is, and it goes something … Continue reading