Why the things you hate make good appeals Ever seen an appeal you just hated? I mean, really hated? For most of my career, I’ve focused on annual giving – and especially on communicating with donors. I often open and look at the solicitations I receive. I usually have professional opinions on the appeals. But […]
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 […]
6 big fundraising mistakes small organizations make
If you fixed just 6 fundraising mistakes, you’d raise more money. And I know, like it isn’t hard enough being a small organization, right? Not enough staff. Not enough time. And definitely, not enough money. You get used to making do. Find shortcuts. You work a lot. But too often, you don’t do the things that […]
Looking for new donors? 5 things to think about
Looking for new donors? 5 things to think about So you’re looking for a few good (new) donors, are you? (Isn’t everyone?) Before you start pushing mail out the door or emailing wildly, there are some steps you should take. 1. Before you start: are you caring for your current donors? If you’re not already […]
Why baby shoes knock the socks off stats
What do baby shoes have to do with fundraising? Well, Joe Friday would make a terrible fundraiser. Joe wanted “just the facts, ma’am.” (For those of you who didn’t grow up watching Dragnet, here’s a taste.) That’s not to say fundraising communications should not be true. It’s just that there’s so much more to it […]