Fundraising Copywriter George Crankovic

Tag: fundraising

  • Our idea of a “fundraising story” is way too small

    Tell great stories. It’s the fundraising mantra. We’re led to believe that if our fundraising is going to have any hope of raising money that we have to be able to create protagonists, work out a plotline, and build the action in our stories to a crescendo like we’re Cecil B. DeMille or something.

    Yes, good stories are important in fundraising. Crucial, in fact. But there’s this idea that all you have to do is drop a story into a mail or email appeal, and suddenly donors will crawl over broken glass to give.

    The problem is that a story, even if it’s a good one, probably won’t be able to save an appeal that doesn’t have a compelling offer, fails to present valid reasons to give, and isn’t donor centric.

    But that’s only the half of it.

    We need to see the idea of storytelling in a much larger context. In reality, every word, every image, every ‘thing’ in your appeal — from the envelope or the subject line to the paper or the digital graphics to the signature — everything is telling a story.

    It’s not enough to simply drop a story into an appeal. Your appeal – all of it in its entirety – IS the story.

    Not only that, everything that a nonprofit does — from the website to the internet presence to the media coverage (or lack of it) is part of the story. The entire donor experience that a nonprofit is providing is the story.

    This is simply another way of saying, as Seth Godin does, that the brand is the story. “Every brand has a story,” he writes. “The story includes expectations and history and promises and social cues and emotions. We support a charity or a soccer team or a perfume because it gives us a chance to love something about ourselves.”

    Sure, there are all kinds of dramatic devices we can use in storytelling for fundraising. But whether we’re talking about the story of someone saved from addiction in an appeal or “story” in the larger context, what makes a story good is when it’s about the donor.

  • Why informing donors doesn’t work in fundraising

    It’s all too easy to think that if donors had enough information about a nonprofit’s work that they would donate in droves.

    But, unfortunately, that’s not the case.

    Truth is, as fundraisers we run into a roadblock called confirmation bias. This is people’s tendency to accept information that already supports their beliefs and reject everything else. Cognitive scientists have been studying this for a while. They find that more information doesn’t change people’s minds. In fact, it causes them to be more entrenched in their views. See more, including study results, in my guest post at Future Fundraising Now.

    If we’re trying to persuade people to donate to a cause, information isn’t the way to do it. We have to move their hearts, not fill up their heads.

  • Is your fundraising too dramatic? Good!

    Effective fundraising copywriting has some qualities that seem to get under the skin of the people who review it. Jeff Brooks has written about this on FutureFundraisingNow.

    It’s simple, repetitive, emotional, dramatic, and makes people uncomfortable. These are all good things, not bad things. Especially that second-to-last one — dramatic.

    To break through the clutter, copy has to have drama. But then it’s called “over the top” and “too dramatic.”

    It’s a misguided criticism by reviewers, and to prove it to yourself, just watch TV.

    In one Cadillac TV ad, seemingly normal people on a city sidewalk suddenly acquire expressions of beatific rapture as they turn (in cinematic slo-mo) to swoon at the sight of the car passing by (also in cinematic slo-mo). Sun glints off the windshield. The pedestrians then gaze in admiration at the driver, who belies the slightest, most barely perceptible yet knowing look of pride and status.

    These people have been transported into realms of enchantment because they have never before in their lives beheld a car as beautiful as this one.

    Is that ad over-the-top dramatic? You bet it is. Did Cadillac’s ad agency use every dramatic effect in the toolbox? Of course. Do they know how to persuade people to buy Cadillacs? Yes they do.

    Cadillac is merely selling cars, and yet they pull out all the stops without hesitation.

    We’re saving lives, transforming lives, changing the world. If anyone has a legitimate right to use every dramatic effect possible it’s fundraisers. Copywriting that’s too dramatic? If it’s within ethical boundaries and it stirs donors and moves them to do good, then there’s no such thing.

     

     

  • Rage donating — what does it mean for our fundraising?

    Donations to progressive charities took off after President Trump was elected. And since then, this kind of ‘backlash’ giving has come to be known as rage donating.

    It’s been called a lazy, middle-class citizen’s form of protest as well as a new form of donor motivation.

    But is it really new? And is it really a lazy protest?

    For the people who give to causes, this kind of giving isn’t new at all. You see an abused-animal story on the news that outrages you, and you give to the ASPCA. You see a homeless panhandler on the street, then give to The Salvation Army. You hear about the rise of a hate group, then give to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

    People have been reacting to events by donating probably as long as there have been nonprofits.

    What’s more, for those who give to causes, there’s nothing lazy about it.

    This is a legitimate way to make your feelings known and make a difference. Sure, you could bend your neighbor’s ear about the need to save Social Security. Or pick up a sign and march in front of the Capitol to protest entitlement cuts.

    Those are good things to do, but in and of themselves, the impact will be fleeting, even though it might be momentarily satisfying. But by donating to a nonprofit, you can bring the full weight of that organization to bear on the problem, and that’s more likely to actually cause something to change.

    Is so-called rage donating the new anger-driven way of giving that it’s being hyped up to be? Doesn’t seem like it.

    Instead, it’s more like the natural result when a nonprofit’s messaging is relevant and in step with the donor’s values. And that’s just good fundraising.

     

     

  • Why we get mediocre fundraising

    The appeal opened with a description of a sweet little baby, and proceeded to deliver this bombshell:

    “Then he’s dead. Dead in 24 hours. Lying open mouthed to the night air, with his mom and dad weeping.”

    Strong language for an appeal? Yes. Concrete and graphic? Yes. Taking aim at donors’ emotions? Yes. Gratuitous guilt-tripping? Not at all. Not even close.

    In this case, the appeal was about the tragedy of babies dying in poor countries. So it made perfect sense to dramatize that problem as vividly as possible.

    Then, the initial comments came in.

    “Too over the top,” they said. “Too shocking.” So it was watered down. But why?

    For a lot of reasons, but mostly fear. People are reluctant to rock the boat or disagree. And in truth, many clients are reluctant to risk donor complaints.

    It’s understandable, of course. But then again, anything that’s even slightly outside the boundaries of the accepted gets nixed, and what’s left is the lukewarm, the middle of the road, the mediocre.

    If writing copy for fundraising is about anything at all it’s passion for the cause. We can’t have that and, at the same time, let fear hold us back from connecting with donors at a visceral level. Which is what we absolutely, without question, must do.

    So, we have to push forward. Test the boundaries. Take a risk. Go out on a limb. Try something bold, even if it doesn’t work.

    It’s the only thing to do, because there’s only one other alternative, and that way lies mediocrity.

  • Giving is way up for 2016, but what’s ahead for 2017?

    2016 has been a banner year for nonprofits, according to a report from NPR.

    Fundraising is up about $35 million over last year – a big jump. Giving Tuesday alone was up an amazing 44 percent over last year, totaling $168 million in donations.

    Most likely, the rise in giving is due to the strong economy.

    But the other part of the story has to do with the impact of a Trump administration and the Republican Congress.

    If there are big tax cuts for the rich, then the charitable tax deduction won’t be worth as much. So some accountants are advising clients to give more this year because of possible tax changes.

    So far so good.

    But it’s likely there will be federal spending cuts in the coming year that will directly impact the poor.

    Many nonprofits engaged in providing housing, health care, and other services for the poor rely on federal funding. And many of the people who get help from those charities also rely on welfare and other forms of governmental assistance. If funding is cut, what happens to those nonprofits and the people they serve?

    Even if charitable giving rises about 4 percent in 2017 as expected, it probably won’t be enough to cover the huge increase in operating costs these charities will face. Nonprofit budgets will be stretched even further. Some charities may not be able to continue. And the poor will continue to suffer.

    Having a big year in fundraising is great news. But as fundraisers we have to remember that our work isn’t defined entirely by the numbers. We’re in the business of helping people.

    So in an era of potentially crushing cuts in federal funding, we’ll need to respond with tighter messaging in appeals, stronger offers, more donor engagement, wider acquisition efforts, more donor acknowledgement, more reporting back to donors – in short, all the things that are proven to motivate donors to give.

    Even if the coming year breaks fundraising records too, we’ll still have our work cut out for us.

  • Herschell Gordon Lewis’ Lessons for Fundraising

    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.

  • Why the plain talk of our presidential candidates is vital in fundraising appeals

    One thing that can kill a fundraising appeal is trying to sound intelligent by using fifty-cent words.

    That’s why, in this political season, it’s good to look at the two master communicators who are pitching their ideas — Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. They both speak at lower grade levels. That’s important for us as fundraisers because:

    • Average Americans read at a seventh-grade level.
    • Simple language is more direct.
    • Simple language makes you seem more capable.

    See more at my guest post at Future Fundraising Now.

  • What to test to raise your email-fundraising open rates

    Talk about email fundraising, and before long, you’re talking about testing subject lines. They’re important for your open rate, of course.

    But the From line can make a big difference too. See my guest post at Future Fundraising now for more.

    When you get an email, probably the first thing you do is to see who it’s from. If it’s somebody important to you, then you’ll open it regardless of what the subject line is.

    The From line that many charities use is the organization name, but you can test:

    • The president’s name.
    • Variations on the president’s name.
    • The name of a celebrity endorser.|
    • The name of an expert on staff.
    • Linking the From line with the appeal topic.

    See more in my guest post at Future Fundraising Now.

  • What political speeches can teach us about fundraising

    When they’re speechifying, politicians want their audiences to respond, and they love it when a line in a speech sets off thunderous applause. But they don’t leave this to chance. They use specific techniques to get a response, and getting people to respond is exactly what we want to do as fundraisers. See my guest post over at Future Fundraising Now for more on using these seven techniques in your fundraising:

    1. The contrast: contrast positive vs. negative.
    2. The list: Place (usually) three items in a series.
    3. The puzzle: Describe the problem, then the solution.
    4. The headline – punchline: Say you’re going to say something, then say it.
    5. The combination: Combine the previous techniques.
    6. The position: Establish a position, then take or refute it.
    7. The pursuit: Encourage response by reiterating.