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Improve your fundraising letters fast

You can improve your fundraising letter today Here’s what I know about writing good fundraising letters: You can practice and study for years. And still, you feel like you’re only scratching the surface. There’s always something new because we’re always learning something new. So perfection will always be out of reach. But don’t let the […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: appeal writing, direct mail, Fundraising 14 Comments

Empathy: the key to better fundraising

Empathy – the feeling that you understand and share another person’s experiences and emotions: the ability to share someone else’s feelings While sympathy is compassion for someone else’s situation, empathy is feeling their pain. Sympathy keeps its distance. Empathy is a powerful connection to someone else. We’ve evolved to feel empathy because it’s useful in understanding […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: emotional fundraising, empathy 15 Comments

How are your conversation skills?

Conversation?! Don’t worry. You don’t have to be a great talker to have this conversation. Today I heard from an excited client about an email. (I love getting celebration emails like this!) My client is a new theater here in Connecticut. And theater is where I started my nonprofit career… so I’m having fun. We’ve […]

Filed Under: Arts Fundraising, Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: donor communications, donor relationships, donor retention Leave a Comment

Want some action? Use emotion.

Years ago, on vacation, as I read 2312, by Kim Stanley Robinson a phrase stopped me cold. I had to dog-ear the page. “Reason can’t work without emotion. People who are cut off from their emotions can’t decide.” Reason can’t work without emotion. People who are cut off from their emotions can’t decide. So, ok, […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: direct mail, emotional writing, writing for donors 16 Comments

Saving the world, losing your mind

Saving the world, losing your mind… does that sound familiar to you? The Association of Fundraising Professionals says 75% of fundraisers are women.  and A Harvard Business School study shows that however lofty her professional position, family issues are still seen as a woman’s problem. (Speed reading? An article in Slate summarizes the information contained in the […]

Filed Under: Blog, Caring for yourself Tagged With: nonprofit management, women in fundraising, work life balance 11 Comments

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