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Why you should write a thank you from the heart

Answer honestly: how much attention do you pay to the thank you letters or emails you receive after giving? Do you quickly review it to be sure it’s a thank you letter, then file it for your taxes? And does that make the whole experience feel a bit… impersonal? I’m asking not because I think […]

Filed Under: Blog, Thanks Tagged With: donor communications, thank you letters 2 Comments

Finding the stories you need

Giving is an emotional act. And stories are the way we connect to people’s feelings. You understand that. You know that we humans are wired for story. And that a story will plant an idea in someone’s head much better and faster than any list of facts. Feelings unlock donors’ desire to help. That’s why […]

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

Unlocking Support: The Art of Clear Communication in Nonprofits

Clear communication might be your best tool for raising money. Recently, Ephraim Gopin shared a funny/not-so-funny post from McSweeney’s. It was titled: We dare you to figure out what our nonprofit does. And it nails it. Do you want to make me really cranky? Use language like what they mock here. Unclear. Full of buzzwords. […]

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

7 more quick tips to improve your donor communications

Do your donor communications need a few quick tips? Improve your donor communications… I know. I just wrote about this. But there’s a bit more… and if you’re like me, more ideas are hard to resist. You’ve probably heard you should write fast and edit slowly. And so you should. But how do you turn […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: donor communications, Fundraising, Nonprofit 1 Comment

Why your brain loves stories

I was in high school. It was the highly-anticipated movie event of a lifetime. None of the theaters nearby were showing it – yet. But my friends and I were determined. We located a theater 40 minutes away. But there was a problem: how would we get there? My parents couldn’t give me the car […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: appeal writing, donor communications, donor relationships 3 Comments

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