Tag Archives: charity
How NOT to begin a fundraising appeal – and one way that almost always works
A fundraising appeal from a social services nonprofit opens with this: “What would we do without you? How would we help local families like Michelle’s?” That’s the opening paragraph, the first thing that donors will see, and for some, the … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, fundraising, Uncategorized
Tagged advertising, behavior, charity, copywriting, fundraising, letter, marketing, nonprofit, Online fundraising
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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
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising
Tagged advertising, charity, copywriting, donors, email, fundraising, nonprofit, Online fundraising
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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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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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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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