Tag Archives: marketing
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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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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Are your fundraising appeals repetitive? Good
Effective copywriting for fundraising is weird. It has a lot of characteristics that seem to be the opposite of what’s right. One of these is repetition. Good copy for an appeal tends to repeat some things over and over. To … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising, nonprofit
Tagged advertising, behavior, copywriting, donor psychology, donors, fundraising, marketing
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When to use a plain envelope in fundraising
In Gulliver’s Travels, our intrepid explorer finds himself in Lilliput, where two factions of Lilliputians are in dispute. On one side are the Big-Endians, who break their boiled eggs at the big end, while on the other side are the … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising, nonprofit
Tagged advertising, copywriting, fundraising, marketing, nonprofit
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What’s an offer in fundraising?
The offer is one of the most underutilized aspects of fundraising. Is that because of how we tend to think about it? One definition of the fundraising offer is that it’s what the donor’s gift will accomplish. That’s true – … Continue reading
Posted in copywriting, donor psychology, fundraising
Tagged copywriting, fundraising, marketing, nonprofit
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Are you a good fundraiser? Try this simple self-check.
Your appeals get your donors involved and engaged in your nonprofit and mission, right? If you’re ready to find out, try this self-check. Call one of your donors out of the blue. You’ll be shocked. Because, odds are, your donor: … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged copywriting, donors, fundraising, marketing, nonprofit
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Book review: “Everyone at a Nonprofit Is a Fundraiser”
“Your nonprofit is siloed.” That’s something you never want to hear. If you do, then your organization’s departments all have their own agendas, lack a common vision, and fail to communicate with each other. Everyone is working at cross-purposes, trying … Continue reading
