Herschell Gordon Lewis passed away recently. He was known as the “Godfather of Gore” for his campy movies.

But more importantly, he will always be remembered a master of direct-response copywriting, both for business and for nonprofits. See my guest post at Future Fundraising Now.

Among his many lessons for fundraisers, there are three that stand out:

• It’s about “you,” the donor – not about “us,” the organization.
• Use the motivators – fear, exclusivity, greed, guilt, and need for approval.
• The best fundraising is episodic – it presents anecdotes, narratives, and events to donors.

This barely scratches the surface of Lewis’ wisdom on fundraising.

If you’re a student of copywriting and fundraising, then you should count Lewis, along with legends like John Caples, as one of your teachers. See the guest post here.