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How you can appeal like a Girl Scout

Girl Scouts have a great product. Do you? Sure, your organization probably doesn’t sell Girl Scout Cookies. But those cookies didn’t become wildly popular in a vacuum. They’re good. Really good. And they’re special because you can’t just find them on the store shelves. So think about: What is your organization really, really good at? […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications, Thanks Tagged With: appeal writing, donor communications, donor relationships Leave a Comment

Does your thank you letter really matter?

Yes. Your thank you letter matters. I once saw an opinion that I couldn’t disagree with more. I’m paraphrasing, but it went something like this: Donors should be happy with whatever thank you letter they get. Worrying about a real signature or other things is a sign of donor dominance. So much nonsense! Your donors […]

Filed Under: Blog, Thanks Tagged With: donor relationships, thank you letter, your thank you letter matters 4 Comments

You can do better

You can do better than the appeal we recently received at home. Really! And you probably do already. This was a cold appeal. And they’re definitely harder to craft. You don’t know the audience as well, for one thing. This appeal was also from a large, well-known organization. Sigh. And it’s mostly a brag-fest. They […]

Filed Under: Blog, Fundraising Tagged With: appeal writing, donor communications, Fundraising Leave a Comment

4 Ways to Turn One-Time Donors Into Long-Term Supporters

You’ve just wrapped up a successful fundraising campaign. The donations are in, the thank-yous are sent, and the team is celebrating a job well done. But what happens to all those new names on your donor list? Converting one-time donors into long-term supporters is a vital step toward building a sustainable funding base for your […]

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

Looking for attention? Why the details matter

It’s almost that time of year again. Your mailbox and inbox are probably getting as crowded as mine are. Appeals from organizations you’ve supported. And appeals from new organizations, hoping to grab your attention. It’s overwhelming to you, a professional. Imagine how it feels to your kind donors. Plus, we’re living in an age of […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: appeal writing, attention, details Leave a Comment

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