Tag Archives: advertising
How to harness the power of good to make your fundraising appeals better
Many nonprofits aren’t giving donors what they want. And then those same nonprofits wonder why donors aren’t giving them what THEY want – donations. Donors want a whole range of things in exchange for their gifts. One of those things … Continue reading
When not to use a freemium in direct mail fundraising
Why would a nonprofit tout their stewardship of donors’ money in an appeal and then throw in a bunch of free stuff? Not sure. But that’s what this one did. The appeal is from an international aid and relief charity. … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising
Tagged advertising, behavior, charity, copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising, Fundraising copywriting, marketing, news, nonprofit
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How two nonprofits are reacting in the Trump era
Lately, many nonprofits are finding that they have to worry about something they never even considered before. Sure, they had the usual worries about donor attrition, revenue, acquisition, retention, and so on. But now, on top of all that, they … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising, nonprofit
Tagged advertising, behavior, charity, copywriting, donor psychology, donors, fundraising, music, news, nonprofit, poetry, politics, writing
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Don’t hide from your donors — communicate with them
You really should be mailing and emailing your donors more often. Why? Because… Your donors want to hear from you. They want to know what your nonprofit is doing. They want to know when their help is needed. They want … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising
Tagged advertising, behavior, charity, copywriting, donors, fundraising, Fundraising copywriting, marketing, nonprofit
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How and why to get the copy voice right in fundraising appeals
Why would a nonprofit, say, one fighting climate change, use messaging like this for a fundraising appeal. … Dear Ms. Joan Sample, I am writing to you today from [charity], a dedicated advocate for climate action and environmental sustainability. As … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology
Tagged advertising, behavior, charity, copywriting, donor psychology, donors, fundraising, Fundraising copywriting, marketing, nonprofit
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One of the main reasons why donors give
It’s a strange quirk of nonprofits, but a lot of their fundraising seems intent on denying their donors the one thing that those donors want the most. Donors want action. They want something to be accomplished. Action on an issue … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising
Tagged advertising, behavior, charity, copywriting, donor psychology, donors, fundraising, marketing, nonprofit
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Give your donors a specific problem to solve
Not sure why nonprofits do this… The teaser on the outer envelope is “Share hope this summer.” And the subhead is “See inside how you’re making an impact for neighbors like Ken.” There’s also a photo, presumably of Ken. This … Continue reading
Grammar rules you can’t break in fundraising copy and some you can
Grammar rules? For fundraising copy? Yes. Hold on a minute. Shouldn’t fundraising copy be all informal and conversational? And doesn’t “conversational” mean that we routinely break so-called grammar rules and begin sentences with “and” or “but,” use contractions, end sentences … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising
Tagged advertising, charity, copywriting, donors, english, fundraising, Fundraising copywriting, grammar, language, marketing, nonprofit, writing, writing-tips
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Why your fundraising appeal needs more urgency
There’s a moment when your donor looks over your direct mail or email appeal and thinks, “I’ll put this aside for now and maybe help with that a little later.” That’s the moment when you realize your appeal didn’t have … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising
Tagged advertising, behavior, charity, copywriting, deadlines, donors, fundraising, Fundraising copywriting, marketing, nonprofit, technology, urgency
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Is this fundraising that works?
The overline at the top of the fundraising letter reads, “You can join your neighbors to help families facing hunger.” So far, so good. Everybody’s against hunger. Then, this: “Every $1 can help feed a family of 3!” One thing’s … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising
Tagged advertising, charity, copywriting, donor psychology, donors, fundraising, Fundraising copywriting, marketing, nonprofit
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Fundraising Copywriter George Crankovic 