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 months, Brett takes the lead in reviewing our streaming subscriptions. He asks: Which services are we actually using? Which ones have we forgotten about? Are we missing something great on a service we previously canceled? Ah... That moment of clarity. It's become his ritual to ensure we're not wasting money on unused channels while maximizing our viewing enjoyment. (We recently reactivated Hulu to try Farmer Wants A Wife. Don't judge! 😂) I share this because I think it's similar to how we should approach our donor communications. Just like those streaming subscriptions, our donor newsletters need regular evaluation. Are they truly serving our donors? Are they generating joy and connection? Or are you just churning them out like widgets in a factory? The difference is that unused streaming services show up clearly on credit card statements, but ineffective donor communications have no visible reminders. Their cost is hidden but substantial — in donor attrition ... in reduced giving ... and in missed opportunities to inspire greater generosity. Which is why I ask... Is your donor newsletter leaving love — and money — on the table?What follows is a visual "cheat sheet" of newsletter tips for you to peruse and use. Click the image below to open a page where you can flip through a 4-page newsletter we wrote for one of our clients. Take a look and see if you're doing all of these things that I've marked with circles, arrows, and captions. If your current donor newsletters "are checking all these boxes," wonderful! If not, or if you could use a refresher... March 27th: mark your calendar?If your donor newsletters are not yet where you know they deserve to be, mark your calendar for March 27, 2025, and join fundraising legend Tom Ahern (and Lisa Sargent during the bottomless Q&A session!) for the once-in-2025 webinar: Retention’s Best Friend: Donor Newsletters & Other Irresistible Thank-Yous Imagine your newsletter not just informing donors, but igniting loyalty and driving 317% more revenue — as it did for a Catholic diocese. Or generating $2M annually for a homeless shelter. These aren’t flukes. Tom will show you exactly how to transform your newsletter into a donor-centric powerhouse, using proven strategies that boost retention, harvest gifts, and skyrocket lifetime value. In just 1.5 hours (+ a "no-holds-barred" unlimited Q&A session!), you’ll learn:
Plus: Real case studies, CFRE credits (1.5 points), and our "All-You-Can-Eat Q&A" — which often lasts another 2-3 hours beyond the main training. Can’t attend live? No worries! You’ll get the full video recording + slides within 24 hours of the webinar's ending. Why act now? Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge youFor your brain, heart, and funny bone...
Until next time: May you never settle for “good enough”… and may your donor newsletters spark joy, deepen loyalty, and help you raise more than ever before! 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.
Our new puppy, Charlie. A puppy for your happy fundraising summer thoughts. This is the 173rd Fundraising Writing Newsletter. If you find value here, please tell a fundraising friend. (Your fundraising friend can subscribe here for free.) Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Hi Reader, Summer snuck up on me. So did this puppy. Meet Charlie! He's a cavapoo. We've had him for 1 week, and already we are head over heels. After Brett and I lost our dear Pepe and Daisy within 12 months of each other last year,...
This is off the wall! This is the 172nd Fundraising Writing Newsletter. If you find value here, please tell a fundraising friend. (Your fundraising friend can subscribe here for free.) Wednesday, June 11, 2025 Hi Reader, Brett here: I'm the kind of guy who counts on forgetting. (I know me.) That's why two of my best buds are Google Calendar and iPhone alarms. Best bud #1: Best bud #2: Maybe you're not like me, your memory is good as gold, and you are fond of saying "checklist schmecklist",...
Photo Credit: The Fundraising Summer School The professor holds forth, and I am all ears! This is the 171st Fundraising Writing Newsletter. If you find value here, please tell a fundraising friend. (Your fundraising friend can subscribe here for free.) Wednesday, June 4, 2025 Hi Reader, One of the highlights of my recent trip to the UK and Ireland was meeting Professor Russell James in person. Brett and I had met him virtually when he was the special guest for a couple of Tom Ahern webinars...