Tag Archives: donors
The wrong kind of fundraising storytelling
Yes, you want the stories in your fundraising appeals to spark emotion in donors. But no, you can’t go crazy with it. If you overuse adjectives and metaphors, you risk ending up with drivel like this: “The awesome burden of … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, fundraising
Tagged marketing, copywriting, behavior, advertising, fundraising, nonprofit, charity, donors, donor psychology, Fundraising copywriting
Leave a comment
How to get donors to really lean into a fundraising appeal
To engage your readers, you want to pull your ideas down from the ether and express them through the things of the world. Copy that’s abstract won’t grab donors. Verbal images will. A verbal image is different from a story. … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, nonprofit
Tagged advertising, behavior, charity, copywriting, donor psychology, donors, fundraising, Fundraising copywriting, marketing, nonprofit
Leave a comment
Are you giving donors what they want?
Donors want action. Unfortunately, they might not be getting it from the appeals they receive. Donors see vague, abstract messaging like “give hope,” “stand with us,” “join our movement,” “make a difference” and other ambiguities. This vagueness is too common … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, fundraising
Tagged advertising, behavior, charity, copywriting, donor psychology, donors, fundraising, Fundraising copywriting, marketing, nonprofit
Leave a comment
Why you DON’T want your donors to be readers of your fundraising appeals
You see it in a lot of fundraising appeals. The first few sentences of the letter force the donor into the position of being a passive reader as opposed to being a participant. The appeal might open with a discussion … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising, Uncategorized
Tagged advertising, behavior, charity, copywriting, donors, fundraising, Fundraising copywriting, marketing, nonprofit
Leave a comment
Your fundraising appeals are probably way too complicated
For direct mail fundraising, you have to keep it simple. There’s a tendency to throw in lots of information in an effort to bolster the appeal. But this has the opposite effect. It just over-complicates the appeal. This is especially … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting
Tagged advertising, behavior, charity, copywriting, donor psychology, donors, fundraising, Fundraising copywriting, marketing, nonprofit
Leave a comment
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
Leave a comment
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
Leave a comment
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
Leave a comment
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
Leave a comment
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
Fundraising Copywriter George Crankovic 