A half-hearted goodbye is awkward, so let's not... This is the 151st Fundraising Writing Newsletter. If you find value here, please tell a fundraising friend. (Your fundraising friend can ​subscribe here for free.)​

In this issue:

✅ 100%-not-awkward fundraising "signatures" ✍️

✅ Question of the week: Thinking of sending a fundraising letter from two (or more) people?

✅ Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge you

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Wednesday, October 30, 2024
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Hi Reader,

You work so hard to get your fundraising comms JUST RIGHT.

But have you given any thought to your signatures/closings?

I'm glad you asked...

(wait, who asked?)

...because I have another super nerdy tip for you, just in time for your Wednesday.

This 1 tip is rather improbably even nerdier than last week's super nerdy fundraising writing tip for you.

100%-not-awkward fundraising "signatures" ✍️

If you fade out weakly at the very end of a donor letter (appeal or otherwise), that's awkward — rather like giving a half-hearted wave goodbye.

Some examples:

• Sincerely
• Best regards
• Yours truly
• Respectfully yours

Kinda vanilla, right?

But truly, a little tweak like the following can leave a donor "feeling it" as they finalize a giving decision — and donors are more likely to give when they're "feeling it."

Alright already, here's the tweak:

"Combine" your final sentence
with your valediction or closing.

Here's an example:

Notice that the final sentence (not counting the PS) and the valediction function as one idea.

You could literally rewrite this as one sentence:

Thank you for being the kind of person who cares for DuPage County's homeless animals.

See?

Look, standard closings like "Sincerely" aren't terrible. They're just... there. Like that awkward little wave when you could have given a heartfelt goodbye instead. 👋

But here's the thing: Every single word in your fundraising letter is an opportunity to deepen your connection with donors. Even those final few words before your signature matter!

When all these little touches come together — from your opening line to your PS and yes, even your closing — they add up to something powerful.

So why settle for vanilla when you can serve up something meaningful?

For better fundraising,
Julie

(See what I did there? 💛)

Thinking of sending a fundraising letter from two (or more) people?

Question:

We are preparing to send an appeal that will come from the two chairs of a society of major donors. What's the best way to do this so that it sounds good? We're worried about it sounding awkward coming from multiple people.

Answer:

You are right to be worried. For best results, your donor comms should be conversational.

Conversation works best one-to-one. That's only natural.

That means your letter should come from just one person. Period.

Simple, simple.

***

Now, for the more complicated answer.

In the real world, sometimes you have to deal with egos, past precedents, and current decisions — and you might not have a say-so.

So, here is a simple solution to handle a sticky situation in which you need to — somehow — include two letter writers.

👉 Write the letter from the POV of one of the two people in question and then include the other by mention once or twice.

For you, this might mean choosing one of the two chairs of the society and having them mention the other chair in passing.

Like this:

​Click here to read the rest of the answer, including the nerdy rationale, the WHY behind the HOW...​

Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge you

For your brain, heart, and funny bone...

• Fundraisingly Informative — 10 Tips for Successful Year-End Fundraising by Jeff Brooks (a post on the Moceanic blog that may help you this year and beyond, featuring tips experienced fundraisers have found boost their year-end fundraising)
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• Socially Problematic — Social Studies Official Trailer via FX/Hulu (a 2-minute YouTube trailer of the gripping new documentary series following several high school and college students as they grapple with the impact of growing up with and on social media in the Covid era)
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• Digitally Profound — The Remarkable Life of Ibelin Official Trailer via Netflix (a 2-minute YouTube trailer of the extraordinary documentary of a Norwegian gamer with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, whose parents discovered after his death that their supposedly isolated son had built a vibrant secret life, deep friendships, and even found love in an online video game)

Until next time: May you make every word count to the very end.

So your readers always feel it,
Julie

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P.P.S. To our USA friends, please vote! 🇺🇸 So much is at stake.

Incidentally, Brett and I recently came across the poem The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, and we were so moved by it. I wonder if you've ever read the whole thing?

This sonnet was written in 1883 as a donation to an auction to raise money for the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty, and ultimately was cast onto a bronze plaque and mounted inside the pedestal's lower level.

I hope you find it as stirring as I did!