Wrong focus? It’s not about you. I was thrilled to see an article in the New York Times about giving. And even more excited when it featured Tom Ahern, Jen Love, and Jennifer Shang. The article’s title – Asking for Money? Compliment the Donor, Not Your Organization – lays it right out there. My mailbox, […]
How to write a super fundraising appeal
Do you want to write a super fundraising appeal? Here’s a quick primer. Start with a super story Find a story that illustrates the “why” of your organization. Talk to your program staff. Gather several stories and see which one is best. This won’t be the story that shows off the breadth of your programming. […]
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 […]
The gift they want from you
I’ve been writing a lot about the role of emotion in fundraising. That’s because it’s so important! But let’s take it another step. Fundraisers often talk about relationship fundraising as opposed to transactional fundraising. You know donors aren’t ATMs and shouldn’t be treated that way. But there is an exchange that happens with a […]
Are you making this mistake? Why whining isn’t winning.
Fundraising shouldn’t be about whining. The US presidential election is next year. But the campaign is already underway. There’s a lot of fundraising happening that isn’t about charity. So when one particular appeal caught the media’s attention, I had to look. This email appeal is both entertaining (not in a good way) and educational (ditto). Have you […]