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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 5 Comments

When your fundraising goals matter. And when they don’t.

I’ll bet your inbox looked like mine at year-end. Filled with urgent news about fundraising goals. So many emails and letters – from organizations you support and sometimes from those you barely know. But every time I saw an appeal (email or direct mail) based on the organization’s fundraising goals, I wanted to cry. So […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: donor engagement, emotional fundraising, fundraising goals Leave a Comment

Are you settling for a lazy year-end fundraising message?

What’s your fundraising message? And how are you handling your end-of-year appeals online? A look at my Facebook feed shows many examples of organizations making the most of the year’s end. The messaging isn’t always as good as the causes, however. Here are some that caught my eye – and why I think they hit […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: emotional fundraising, social media fundraising, year-end fundraising 2 Comments

How to wreck your fundraising appeal

Statistics can wreck your fundraising appeal There are plenty of fundraising appeals landing in my mailbox and inbox. I’ll bet it’s the same for you. I open them, hoping to be moved, or learn something new. What I see is one characteristic that wrecks appeals. They’re all head and no heart. They’re built on carefully […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: emotional fundraising, fundraising appeals, storytelling 1 Comment

Warning: bad mail coming to a box near you

Warning: bad mail coming to a box near you Do people actually go for this stuff? Every once in a while, I just can’t take it anymore. So you’ve been warned: rant ahead. The carrier envelope It came in a larger than usual 9 x 6 envelope. So far, so good. Then things went right […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: direct mail solicitation, emotional fundraising, fundraising appeal 2 Comments

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