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