The robots are coming. The future is knocking. Meanwhile, nostalgia is worth its weight in golden memories. This is the 157th Fundraising Writing Newsletter. If you find value here, please tell a fundraising friend. (Your fundraising friend can subscribe here for free.) In this issue: ✅ I agree with JP: nostalgia will be big in 2025 (in your fundraising too?) ✅ Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge you Wednesday, January 8, 2025 Hi Reader, The podcast that got me into podcast listening is This Old Marketing. The hosts are self-described "marketing knuckleheads" — in a good way! On last Friday's episode, Joe Pulizzi (“the Godfather of content marketing"), made this prediction for 2025: “Five major brands that we know and love will use social ads and television ads of very old commercials.” His co-host Robert Rose agreed, saying, “You’re going to see a big, big nostalgia play. We long for the days of yore.” Makes sense, right? The world is changing more rapidly than ever before. The future feels ever more uncertain, so the past looks ever rosier, more stable, a safe place to return to. That's why... I agree with JP: nostalgia will be big in 2025 (in your fundraising too?)I'm making it my prediction too. In fundraising, nostalgia will be big. Or at least, it should be. If you lean into nostalgia in your fundraising communications, I furthermore predict you'll be glad you did. Nostalgia is always a good tool to have in your fundraising toolbox. All the more so as the world gets more complex and technology accelerates —leaving in its wake opportunities and problems. Leaving us craving normality. Normality is becoming nostalgic. What grounds us is what tends to remain constant: family, tradition, history, and past culture that feels safe. What do your donors have in common that feels nostalgic? Depending on your target audience demographics, your answer might be a shared cultural moment like Woodstock, a shared rite of passage such as the first day of school, or a shared piece of pop culture such as "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic or Mario from Nintendo. Ask yourself, "How can I include something nostalgic in what I'm writing?" Often, adding nostalgia makes sense in your "hook," the opening lines of an appeal. Here's an example we wrote for a client's 2024 end-of-year appeal letter: Notice how simple this example is. "If you're like me, you practically grew up outside. How wonderful it was!" This dollop of nostalgia is all you need to activate in your donors a sense of warmth, peace, and stability that's core to their identity, that means something to them, before proceeding to connect the nostalgia to the problem you'd like your donors' help in solving. It's very doable. You can do it! And if you do, please let us know how it goes! Hopefully, you'll get rave reviews that translate to donor caring in the form of donor giving, as our aforementioned client:
“What a joy it was working with you both this year! Thank you for capturing the beauty and impact of our parks and guiding our team to a successful year-end campaign! We look forward to working with you all again in the future!" Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge youFor your brain, heart, and funny bone...
Until next time: May your donor comms always connect to your donors' identities, helping your donors connect to their roots as they look to making the future a place we can all be proud of. With gratitude,
P.S. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Click here to sign up for your own free weekly subscription. |
We're Julie Cooper and Brett Cooper, fundraising copywriters for great causes. Does your fundraising bring in as much money as it could? You can send donor communications that stir hearts to action. We'd love to help. 💛 Start by subscribing to our FREE and fun weekly newsletter.
Quack-quack! This is the 164th Fundraising Writing Newsletter. If you find value here, please tell a fundraising friend. (Your fundraising friend can subscribe here for free.) In this issue: ✅ Are you looking for your "lucky duck" fundraising stories? ✅ Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge you Wednesday, March 12, 2025 Hi Reader, There's a very cool-looking Jeep that Brett and I often notice during our neighborhood walks. On its dashboard are a bunch of cute little rubber ducks....
Fundraising gift catalogs are a fantastic way to highlight various needs and raise more money. And you don't need to wait for the holidays... This is the 163rd Fundraising Writing Newsletter. If you find value here, please tell a fundraising friend. (Your fundraising friend can subscribe here for free.) In this issue: ✅ You can embed a fundraising "mini gift catalog" in your appeals ✅ 3 weeks from tomorrow... ✅ Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge you Wednesday, March 5, 2025 Hi Reader,...
A good donor newsletter makes donors feel their impact so strongly they may want to give again — as soon as right now! This is the 162nd Fundraising Writing Newsletter. If you find value here, please tell a fundraising friend. (Your fundraising friend can subscribe here for free.) In this issue: ✅ Is your donor newsletter leaving love — and money — on the table? ✅ March 27th: mark your calendar? ✅ Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge you Wednesday, February 26, 2025 Hi Reader, Every few...