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Do you want to really connect? Show, don’t just tell me.

How do you connect with donors? Show more. Yes, this is one more post about the importance of emotion in your fundraising. This time, let’s look at images, not words. There is no faster way into our brains than an image. When we read, our brains recognize images as words. We’re constantly translating. (And remember […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: appeal letters, appeal writing, emotional contagion, fundraising appeals, fundraising images

Communicating with your heart

Okay, I know it’s rude. But this coaster made me laugh so hard I had to buy it. If you’re an introvert, you’ll understand. It now sits quietly on my desk, covered by my mug, where it won’t insult anyone. But as I looked at it today, I connected it to one of the most […]

Filed Under: Donor communications Tagged With: appeal writing, donor communications, donor relationships

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

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

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

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