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Donor Communications

Are donors tired – or just tired of you?

Your donors are tired… Were they for real? I was at a meeting with a number of organizations the other day, along with some fundraising consultants. During the course of the meeting, I was surprised to hear the respected counsel suggesting that the organizations cut back on their communications and solicitations with their donors. Why? […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: appeal writing, communication, donor fatigue, donor retention, Donors, Fundraising 3 Comments

Go ahead, make me

Have you ever wanted to say “make me!” in response to an appeal? Some frequently used packages always crack me up. I know these are so common because they work – though I’m not sure how “work” is defined, especially in the long term. There’s the nickel pack. No, wait, we’re up to a dime. (I […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: annual appeals, appeal writing, donor-focused, fundraising appeals 3 Comments

Don’t break my heart.

Don’t break my heart. Remember that fundraising is always personal. You might think I’m writing about the one that got away. The donor we courted and counted on. And then disappeared. We’ve all been there, right? It’s frustrating… sometimes, it breaks your heart. But today I’m writing as a donor. And about communications that reduce […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Blog, Donor communications, Thanks Tagged With: appeal writing, communication, donor retention, Donors, emotion, Fundraising, thank you letters 1 Comment

Are you assimilated?

Anyone of a certain age or entertainment preference will recognize the Borg. For the rest of you, let me explain a little. In Star Trek, the Borg is one of the most dangerous foes our heroes have to deal with. To quote Wikipedia’s entry: The Borg are a collection of species that have been turned into cybernetic organisms functioning […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: appeal writing, Borg, Donors, emotion, Fundraising 5 Comments

Have you ditched your annual appeal yet?

Here’s why you should ditch that annual appeal I just emailed a letter, response form, and list to the mail house. Our base tends to be generous at this time of year. (Yours probably is, too.) There’s a lot riding on this appeal, and I’ve spent many hours on my offer, my story, my response […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications, Planning Tagged With: annual appeal, appeal, appeal writing, direct mail, donor, fundraising appeal 4 Comments

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Recent Posts

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