| Motivating strangers to give their money
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| | reads: "Christmas dinner: $2.75." The
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| away is one of the hardest jobs around.
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| | message is clear. Give a gift of $2.75
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| It's difficult to do face to face. And
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| | and you'll show compassion in a practical
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| it's even tougher to do in a letter. But
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| | way to a homeless person this Christmas.
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| it can be done. And your chances of
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| | You can literally "picture" the
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| receiving gifts in the mail increase once
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| | difference your donation will make. Try
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| you employ some of the tested methods
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| | to paint a picture like that with each
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| that are used by leading non-profit
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| | fundraising letter you drop in the
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| organizations around the world.Make your
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| | mail.Empower your donorsEver heard of
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| message relevantYour appeal letter needs
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| | "donor fatigue?" It's the phrase that
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| to talk about what's important to your
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| | fundraisers use to describe the feeling
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| donor. Like you, donors listen to what
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| | of hopelessness that some donors get by
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| interests them. They watch what interests
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| | reading fundraising appeals from dozens
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| them. And they read what interests them.
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| | of worthy causes. The weight of the
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| There is no reason that what is important
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| | world's troubles produces in some donors
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| to you and what is important to your
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| | a sense of futility, believing that their
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| donor cannot be the same thing.Let me
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| | small gift can't possibly change the
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| give you an example of an organization
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| | plight of so many people worldwide.The
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| who got it wrong. A national association
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| | way to prevent donor fatigue is to write
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| raises awareness, provides services and
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| | fundraising letters that empower your
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| supports individuals affected by
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| | donors. "Donors are interested in you
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| diabetes. Research shows that just about
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| | because of what you help them do. You are
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| every one of their donors either has
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| | their agent in their personal mission to
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| diabetes or knows someone close to them
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| | make the world better. That should be the
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| (father, wife, brother, cousin) who
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| | topic of all your fundraising," says Jeff
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| does.And yet this national organization
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| | Brooks, senior creative director at the
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| continues to mail appeal letters to its
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| | Domain Group, a direct marketing firm
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| donors describing diabetes in the most
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| | that serves non-profit organizations.Show
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| basic terms. "Over two million people in
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| | how past donations are at workAnother
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| our country have diabetes," said a recent
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| | powerful motivator is proof that a past
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| letter. "Approximately 10 % of people
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| | gift made a difference and continues to
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| with diabetes have type 1 diabetes," said
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| | do so. Tell the story of the toddler
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| another."If you lived with diabetes and
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| | whose life was saved by the speedy
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| donated to this organization, these
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| | reactions of a nurse. Describe how two
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| appeal letters would be irrelevant to
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| | bikers left a life of crime and gave up
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| you, wouldn't they? First of all, you
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| | drugs thanks to the intervention of your
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| already know about diabetes. And
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| | volunteers.What you are aiming for with
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| secondly, you don't care that
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| | the printed word is the "feel-good
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| "Approximately 10 % of people with
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| | factor." "When we communicate with our
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| diabetes have type 1 diabetes" as much as
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| | donors, we need to continuously let them
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| you care that you have it. What this
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| | know how their gifts make the recipients
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| organization needs to do is start writing
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| | feel. That sense of making a meaningful
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| fundraising letters that speak to their
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| | difference in a needy person's life or
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| donors where they are now.That means
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| | helping to make a needed change in the
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| crafting letters that help their donors
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| | world is the gift we give our donors,"
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| live full lives even though they have
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| | says Jeff Nickel, group vice president
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| diabetes. That means positioning
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| | for Grizzard Signature Group, a direct
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| themselves in donor's minds as the single
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| | response fundraising agency.Appeal to
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| best source of information for people who
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| | head and heartMany donors are ultimately
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| have or are affected by diabetes. Doing
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| | motivated by their emotions more than
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| that would increase their relevance--and
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| | their intellect. But to attract and keep
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| their donations.By making your
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| | loyal donors, you need to appeal to both
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| fundraising letters more relevant to your
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| | head and heart. You need to write with
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| supporters, you will stand out amidst the
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| | passion, appealing to each donor's sense
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| many appeal letters that your donors
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| | of compassion and empathy. But you also
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| already receive from other charities.Use
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| | need to write with clear-headedness, too,
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| "make-a-difference" languageDonors act
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| | mentioning that gifts are tax-deductible,
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| like investors when they give their money
| |
| | explaining how much of a donation goes to
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| away. They want to know that their gift
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| | programs and how much covers
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| will produce a return on investment,
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| | administrative expenses, sometimes
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| however intangible. What you are aiming
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| | listing the rational reasons for
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| to do with "make-a-difference" language
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| | supporting your cause, and so on.Raising
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| is show why the world is a better place
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| | funds by mail is not a science. Methods
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| because of your organization.In my local
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| | change because society changes. People
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| newspaper each Christmas, for example, a
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| | change. But these principles have worked
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| men's shelter runs a small display ad
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| | for decades, and still do. Put them to
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| that features a photo of a homeless man
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| | work in your next campaign and see what
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| seated at a dinner table at the mission,
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| | happens. Drop me a line and let me know
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| eating Christmas turkey. The headline
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| | how you get on.
|
