Tag Archives: donor psychology
Are you leaving your donors stranded?
There’s a strange disconnect that you see in a lot of fundraising appeals. The appeal starts off heading in one direction, then suddenly leaves donors stranded and wondering what happened. Here’s an example. In this appeal, for a charity that … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising
Tagged behavior, charity, copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising, Fundraising copywriting, nonprofit
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Your donors need to feel like they belong
Fundraising appeals often fail to convey a sense of belonging to donors. That’s too bad. It means nonprofits are missing out on a major reason why donors give. Donors want to feel like they belong. They want to feel like … Continue reading
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
Why is the copy for direct response fundraising so weird?
It’s not weird, really. But it is way different from academic, business, or journalistic writing, and so it can seem weird to the (uninitiated) people at nonprofits who review copy. As my article in NonprofitPRO points out: Good copy is … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising
Tagged behavior, books, charity, copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising, Fundraising copywriting, marketing, nonprofit, writing
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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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These 3 things are probably killing your fundraising
There are three big misconceptions that nonprofits tend to have about direct response fundraising. They’ll definitely bring down your results. Misconception 1: “Too much mail will turn donors off.” The fact is that donors like to give and want to … Continue reading
Reaching mid-level donors with direct mail
You probably hear a lot about mid-level donors, and that’s for good reason. For most nonprofits, these donors represent a major opportunity for short-term and long-term growth. It’s a revenue source that’s largely untapped. The potential is there, waiting to … Continue reading
Should you do a year-end fundraising appeal?
Yes, and here’s why. It’s one of the easiest appeals to create. And it can be one of the biggest revenue producers of the year. About 30 percent of most nonprofits’ revenue comes in between Giving Tuesday and December 31. … Continue reading
Fundraising Copywriter George Crankovic 