We’re heading into the year-end flurry of fundraising. What’s your ask? Tis the season, and fundraisers everywhere are preparing. What’s your year-end ask? It’s also the season for multiple “giving days”… like GivingTuesday or December 31st. I hope you’re already polishing up the last details of your year-end campaign. But before you mail anything or […]
Why is it so damned hard to say thank you?
Why is it so hard to say thank you? We spend a lot of time thinking about how to raise more money. We labor over the appeal: the language, the images, the right ask. And then, too often, we treat the thank you as an afterthought. It’s not that hard to write a good, emotional […]
Why fundraising communication is different
The focus is different in fundraising This is a big difference that can cause friction in your organization. Fundraising communication is about the donor and the beneficiary. Your organization fades into the background. You’re a means to a meaningful end. That’s why “branding” is less important in fundraising. Yes, you need to build trust in […]
Fundraising appeals: think before you write
So you’re ready to write a fundraising appeal. Now what? Before you even begin to write your appeal, there are some things you should think about. What’s the ONE thing you’ll ask a reader to do? Too often, we use a fundraising appeal as a catch-all for everything we want to tell people. This is […]
Mind the gap
It can be the toughest part of your fundraising communications to grasp. Like a slippery fish, it keeps jumping from your grasp. I’m talking about your fundraising offer, of course. The gap that describes your need. The central part of fundraising that’s so easy to slide over, or step around. The guts of the whole […]