Thank you for stopping by! This is the 133rd Fundraising Writing Newsletter. If you find value here, please tell a fundraising friend. (Your fundraising friend can βsubscribe here for free.)β In this issue: β Your donors brake for fundraising bargains and curiosities β Tomorrow: Gifts in wills training. Be there? β Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge you β Wednesday, May 15, 2024 Hi Reader, Does this ever happen to you? You're super busy, absolutely not to be interrupted β and then you pull over for ice cream.π¦ No? Just me? Okay, I need to ride with you in your willpowermobile. Anyhoo, rest assured your donors are more like me: predictably entice-able. You just need to offer them ice cream. I mean... Your donors brake for fundraising bargains and curiositiesYou know a gift unopened is not a gift at all. π Same for unopened appeal letters. The giving opportunity is there for the taking. Alas, untaken. What to do? Check out the following 3 examples of outer envelopes from appeals we wrote for clients in the past year or so. Focus on fundraising BARGAINS and CURIOSITIES. Fundraising bargains offer donors a good deal. Like this: Fundraising curiosities are an itch that needs scratching. Like this: Or this: Donors want to give. That's why they are donors. If you give your donors a fundraising bargain... ...or a fundraising curiosity (an itch to be scratched)... ...they'll happily open your outer envelope gift wrapper. ...they'll gladly receive your gift of a giving opportunity. Giving is the ice cream your donors crave. So, please, give your donors what they crave! Tomorrow: Gifts in wills training. Be there?
TOMORROW, Thursday, May 16, 2024 ... "In a decade, we banked $78 million in charitable bequests..." TRUE story from a mid-sized nonprofit. You'll learn about it in this master-webinar. You're not mid-sized? You'll also learn how to attract far more bequests by spending one day a year on the task.
βYes, it's real ... a gleeful charity shared this image with me back in 2020. They'd set up a proper bequest pipeline a few years earlier. Now that pipeline routinely produces major final gifts from true believers. βJoin us? Please do. You won't regret it! Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge youFor your brain, heart, and funny bone...
Until next time: May your every outer envelope be like an ice cream truck cruising down a sunny summer street, waking in your donors a sweet hunger for giving. Grateful,
PS: When you are ready, we're happy to chat with you about how we might be able to help you with your donor communications β e.g., planning, writing, advising, reviewing, designing, training. Reply to this email or book a no-pressure call with me here. |
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. π Start by subscribing to our FREE and fun weekly newsletter.
We are "story collecting" creatures. Make the collecting part a conscious habit β for the win! This is the 160th Fundraising Writing Newsletter. If you find value here, please tell a fundraising friend. (Your fundraising friend can subscribe here for free.) In this issue: β You don't need to scramble for your fundraising stories (there's a better way) β Side Quest: transcription tip for you β Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge you Wednesday, February 12, 2025 Hi Reader, Do you think of...
Bequests bring light after death. This is the 159th Fundraising Writing Newsletter. If you find value here, please tell a fundraising friend. (Your fundraising friend can subscribe here for free.) In this issue: β What organ donations can teach us about bequest fundraising... β Next week: Tom Ahern's bequest webinar β Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge you Wednesday, January 22, 2025 Hi Reader, When his dad died in 1992, Brett and I were dating, and I remember how difficult it was for...
Be like Salt Bae: use sensory details sparingly but with flair. A little goes a long way. This is the 158th Fundraising Writing Newsletter. If you find value here, please tell a fundraising friend. (Your fundraising friend can subscribe here for free.) In this issue: β Please don't "over spice" your fundraising stories β In 2 weeks: Tom Ahern's bequest webinar β Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge you Wednesday, January 15, 2025 Hi Reader, Brett here: When I was an English teacher, I...