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What’s in a name? Respect

What's in a name? Respect

Do names matter? A few weeks ago, Roger Craver wrote about an issue dear to my heart. Having been caught in a tweetstorm with Whiny Donor, my tweets on the subject were mentioned. Whiny, Clay Buck, Tom Ahern, and I all complained about how organizations ignored our names because using two different names on a […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications, Donors Tagged With: donor data, donor relations Leave a Comment

How to use awe to raise more money

how to use awe to raise more money

Goosebumps. We’ve all had them. Sometimes it’s just a reaction to cold. But I’m talking about the other ones. You know what I mean. The ones that break out when we’re really moved. The feeling you get when you stare at a starry sky and think about how huge the universe is. Our involuntary reaction […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: awe, emotional fundraising 4 Comments

Can you feel it? How you can use the power of metaphor

Can you feel it? How you can use the power of metaphor

How can you use the power of metaphor to improve your fundraising? I recently read a fascinating article about how we react to metaphors. I want to share some of what I read. Because understanding this powerful device can help you reach right into your readers’ minds – and touch their hearts. You probably learned […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: donor communications, emotional appeal, empathy Leave a Comment

GivingTuesday is a day, not a strategy

GivingTuesday is a day not a strategy

So, GivingTuesday has come and gone again. And many of us will have experienced the email onslaught. And maybe feel a little grouchy about it all. I’ve heard about organizations sending hourly emails out on the big day. I wonder if that’s working for them? And I wonder what it’s costing them… in time, in […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: communication plans, fundraising strategy, GivingTuesday 1 Comment

Watch your weenie words

Watch your weenie words

I call them weenie words. Hedges. Qualifiers. And I don’t like them. Now, I don’t think of myself as a bold person. As a kid, I was an eager follower, not the leader. I do more listening than talking, content to let someone else lead the conversation. I’m cautious. I don’t make fast decisions. But […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: donor communications, fundraising appeal, thank you 2 Comments

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Recent Posts

  • What’s in a name? Respect
  • How to use awe to raise more money
  • Can you feel it? How you can use the power of metaphor
  • The birds and bees of fundraising
  • In defense of GivingTuesday

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