Here’s how you can put together an appeal that works Back when I was a Girl Scout, we had a bake-off. (I won our Brownie bake-off with peanut butter blossoms because I voted for myself. I still have residual guilt about that.) One of the lessons was to assemble your ingredients before you start. Writing […]
Somebody will never save your organization
Somebody will never save your organization. This is a case for personal fundraising Somebody rarely volunteers. Somebody is easy to ask. Somebody is distant, polite, impersonal… safe. And Somebody never gives. Your organization has a mission – a problem to be solved. The solution almost always requires money. To raise that money, you turn to […]
Does your fundraising appeal need a makeover?
Does your fundraising appeal need a makeover? Are you under deadline and working on an appeal? You’ve probably heard you should write fast and edit slow. And so you should. But how do you turn that rambling first draft into an effective appeal – fast? There’s definitely an art to writing a great appeal. It […]
Are you facing the terror of the blank page?
“But If you’re a writer, you know the terror of the blank page. I’ve said it all before!” The cursor blinks, daring you to give up. Your hands are poised, willing your brain to direct them. And still, the blank page. Are you working on an appeal? Finding it hard to come up with something […]
8 easy ways to write a better appeal
Want to write a better appeal? Here’s what I know about writing good fundraising letters: You can practice and study for years and still feel like you’re only scratching the surface. There’s always something new because we’re always learning something new. So perfection will always be out of reach. But don’t let the perfect get […]