We’re looking for rich people who already know us and understand why what we’re doing is important. And on whatever economic scale our current supporters represent, we’re looking for the top 10 percent (or so)....
If you organize your work around weekly systems, you end up with months like this one – April – with five Wednesdays instead of just four. (We also have five-Wednesday months in July, September, and December this year.) I suggest you have a plan for...
In our zeal to reduce paper and digitize everything, we have made it harder to “know” anything about our donors. I think there should be a place where you can go and relatively quickly learn the key points about a donor and their entire...
Right now, you know every member who will be renewing this year (assuming, of course, that you have members who renew every year). You know what they gave last year about this time. And you know what you will be asking them to give this...
This week, we’ll take a longer look at a specific editing process for appeal letters. Much of it is counter-intuitive, so close your eyes and trust the advice....
First, think of a Spring Appeal as more of a member communication than a fundraising letter. Spring Appeals tend to be more challenging, but sending them and making them attractive enough to get opened can have significant communications benefits beyond simply asking for a donation....
Unlike renewal letters, appeal letters ARE complicated. Writing good appeal letters takes TIME. So why not start now – in February? Be creative. Make it FUN. But start writing it NOW to give yourself time to write it well....
Unlike recruitment and appeal letters, (See A Dozen Rules for Writing Better Fundraising Letters), renewal letters aren’t complicated. They are short and to the point. The essential “case” for giving is that they gave last year and the year before. It is good practice to...
February is a month I’m devoting to writing well and with that writing, connecting more with the donors who sustain us. I invite you to join me....
This year, I invite you to join me in writing differently. Let’s commit ourselves to anticipating more often. Getting ahead of the curve. Let our writing steep more. Write in such a way that our audiences will read it. Be more effective communicators....