| |
| |
|
|
|
How to Write Fundraising Letters That Motivate Donors To Make Donations to Your Non-Profit
Motivating strangers to give their money away is one of the hardest jobs around. It's difficult to do face to face. And it's even tougher to do in a letter. But it can be done. And your chances of receiving gifts in the mail increase once you employ some of the tested methods that are used by leading non-profit organizations around the world. Make your message relevant Your appeal letter needs to talk about what's important to your donor. Like you, donors listen to what interests them. They watch what interests them. And they read what interests them. There is no reason that what is important to you and what is important to your donor cannot be the same thing. Let me give you an example of an organization who got it wrong. A national association raises awareness, provides services and supports individuals affected by diabetes. Research shows that just about every one of their donors either has diabetes or knows someone close to them (father, wife, brother, cousin) who does. And yet this national organization continues to mail appeal letters to its donors describing diabetes in the most basic terms. "Over two million people in our country have diabetes," said a recent letter. "Approximately 10 % of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes," said another." If you lived with diabetes and donated to this organization, these appeal letters would be irrelevant to you, wouldn't they? First of all, you already know about diabetes. And secondly, you don't care that "Approximately 10 % of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes" as much as you care that you have it. What this organization needs to do is start writing fundraising letters that speak to their donors where they are now. That means crafting letters that help their donors live full lives even though they have diabetes. That means positioning themselves in donor's minds as the single best source of information for people who have or are affected by diabetes. Doing that would increase their relevance--and their donations. By making your fundraising letters more relevant to your supporters, you will stand out amidst the many appeal letters that your donors already receive from other charities. Use "make-a-difference" language Donors act like investors when they give their money away. They want to know that their gift will produce a return on investment, however intangible. What you are aiming to do with "make-a-difference" language is show why the world is a better place because of your organization. In my local newspaper each Christmas, for example, a men's shelter runs a small display ad that features a photo of a homeless man seated at a dinner table at the mission, eating Christmas turkey. The headline reads: "Christmas dinner: $2.75." The message is clear. Give a gift of $2.75 and you'll show compassion in a practical way to a homeless person this Christmas. You can literally "picture" the difference your donation will make. Try to paint a picture like that with each fundraising letter you drop in the mail. Empower your donors Ever heard of "donor fatigue?" It's the phrase that fundraisers use to describe the feeling of hopelessness that some donors get by reading fundraising appeals from dozens of worthy causes. The weight of the world's troubles produces in some donors a sense of futility, believing that their small gift can't possibly change the plight of so many people worldwide. The way to prevent donor fatigue is to write fundraising letters that empower your donors. "Donors are interested in you because of what you help them do. You are their agent in their personal mission to make the world better. That should be the topic of all your fundraising," says Jeff Brooks, senior creative director at the Domain Group, a direct marketing firm that serves non-profit organizations. Show how past donations are at work Another powerful motivator is proof that a past gift made a difference and continues to do so. Tell the story of the toddler whose life was saved by the speedy reactions of a nurse. Describe how two bikers left a life of crime and gave up drugs thanks to the intervention of your volunteers. What you are aiming for with the printed word is the "feel-good factor." "When we communicate with our donors, we need to continuously let them know how their gifts make the recipients feel. That sense of making a meaningful difference in a needy person's life or helping to make a needed change in the world is the gift we give our donors," says Jeff Nickel, group vice president for Grizzard Signature Group, a direct response fundraising agency. Appeal to head and heart Many donors are ultimately motivated by their emotions more than their intellect. But to attract and keep loyal donors, you need to appeal to both head and heart. You need to write with passion, appealing to each donor's sense of compassion and empathy. But you also need to write with clear-headedness, too, mentioning that gifts are tax-deductible, explaining how much of a donation goes to programs and how much covers administrative expenses, sometimes listing the rational reasons for supporting your cause, and so on. Raising funds by mail is not a science. Methods change because society changes. People change. But these principles have worked for decades, and still do. Put them to work in your next campaign and see what happens. Drop me a line and let me know how you get on. Reach me at alan@sharpecopy.com. About the author Alan Sharpe is a professional fundraising letter writer who helps non-profits raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors using creative fundraising letters. Learn more about his services, view free sample fundraising letters, and sign up for free weekly tips like this at http://www.fundraisingletters.org. © 2005 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the "About the author" message).
MORE RESOURCES:
Lamar Advertising is Among the Companies in the Advertising Industry With the ... - Comtex Smartrend
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Use a Guarantee In Your Headline To Increase Trust Sometimes you can use a guarantee effectively in your headline. Doing so often creates increased trust in the reader. Features vs. Benefits vs. End Results If you've been in the copywriting realm for very long at all, you've heard the phrase "features vs. benefits. Marketing Planning Made Simple - Another Small Business Power Tool Marketing planning must be really difficult and complex, otherwise why would there be so many books written on the subject ? right?Well, I'm just enough of a skeptic to believe that many of these books were designed more to make money for their publishers and authors than to make marketing planning simple and understandable.I spent more than 30 years working with very successful small business people who never wrote a single marketing plan. 5 Ways To Entice Your Parallel Market to Trade Links Lots of people get confounded when attempting to exchange links, you're not alone. The people who have the spot you want are competitors. Your Marketing - From The Couch To The Cash Register When you put time or money into any marketing plan, your only objective is to MAKE A SALE. Are you sure your marketing is going to get your customer from their couch to your cash register?When somebody hears your message or sees your logo from some medium you have created, what does the path from that first 'touch' to your cash register look like?We call this path the yellow brick road. Marketing Strategy 101: 10 Marketing Strategies I Learnt From My Oral Surgeon This is how the conversation went on my follow-up visit to the oral surgeon, 10 days after he removed 2 lower wisdom teeth."Go down the hallway, enter the second door on the right and take a seat in the dentist's chair," said the receptionist after calling my name out to the 5 people in the waiting room. Marketing For Just Cause Cause marketing is a relationship between a for-profit and a nonprofit that brings in money and resources for the nonprofit, while providing credibility and goodwill for the business.According to the IEG Sponsorship Report, this category grew to $733 million in the US in 2001. Judge Rules in Consultant's Favor with 80-20 Rule I opened the registered letter and was shocked. My best clients were joining together in a class-action suit against me. How to Turn More Referrals Into Paying Clients 60% of all small business owners, sales and solo-professionals claim that more than half of their new business comes from referrals. Yet when asked about the process they so successfully use to get those referrals and turn them into paying clients, most will have a puzzled, deer-in-the-headlights, stupefied look on their face, and keep quiet. Consumer Thinking And Search Marketing 12/20/04According to a recent article by ComScore Networks, about three-quarters of all consumer product research is initiated through a generic search term, such as "televisions" or "Adoption Services". The report goes on to say that in subsequent research efforts consumers tend to re-initiate the search with generic search terms. These Four Things Will Make Your Direct Marketing Successful Direct marketing is built on four things. The other way to look at it is that when you think direct marketing is not working only one of four things can be wrong. Does The Market Really Want It? At the very heart of any successful marketing strategy is the determination of what your present and prospective customers need, want, and desire. You have to find out what they want before you try to sell it to them. People Arent Interested in You or Your Company Does your Web site talk about your company? Yes, I know, it's your company Web site! But the last thing it should talk about is your company.Yes, I'm sure you're all cool, interesting people, with fantastic skills, but trust me, that's not what you need to lead with on your Web site - or mailing or brochure. Tracking Your Way to the Top! I often wonder how people without a plan know where they're going. Or, how they know when they've arrived at their destination. The Benefits of a Marketing Plan What is a Marketing Plan? Marketing is to do with matching the features and benefits that your products and services are able to provide with specific customers and then telling those customers why they should buy them from you. Your marketing plan details how to do this. Market Your Identity One of the most critical but overlooked parts of business success is using your identity. If you want to build a successful business you have to strike the word image from your vocabulary right from the start. Creating Your Own Lead Capture Pages Having a downline can be golden. A downline is a group of folks who have either signed-up or have already agreed to at least look at what you send them. Stretching The String: Five Tips To Maximize Your Marketing When You Are On A Shoe String Budget "I know I need to market my business in order to grow my business, but right now I can't afford it."I have heard this statement numerous times from business owners that are struggling to stay in business. 2 Step Marketing Do it Right.I receive postcards all the time. Take the Logo Litmus Test Here is your C.I.
|
| home | site map | |
| TaraHOST © 2007 | |
| |
