Using Video to Promote Your Nonprofit

Video is a powerful way to show others what your organization does and and inspires others to get involved in your cause. Making one is easier than you might think, and it can help spread your message to potential donors and volunteers, as well as those in need. Click here for some video production tips […]

The answer is “the list, the list and the list”. Can you guess the question?

If you said: “What are the three most important things in fundraising” you are correct! In real estate it’s location, location, location. In fundraising it’s list, list, list. You can have brilliant copy and design but if you use the “wrong” list your mailing will bomb. On the other hand, you can have mediocre copy […]

Components: What should you include in your fundraising package?

The three essentials – the outer envelope, the reply form and the return envelope. 1. Every fundraising package must have one: THE OUTER ENVELOPE Your outer envelope is critical. No matter how heart-warming your story or compelling your letter or noble your cause, it is all to no avail if the envelope doesn’t get opened. […]

11 more design tips for maximum response

Last time we looked at how to design your fundraising letter for maximum response. This time we’ll look at a few other aspects of design in the fundraising package that will help you achieve maximum response. For example… 1. If you have an element in your package with a photo or illustration, always use a […]

How to design your fundraising letter for maximum response

In the last newsletter we extolled the virtues of long copy. This newsletter will go over a few design guidelines that will help ensure your long copy gets read. And that in a nutshell is the sole purpose of design in direct mail – to get the copy read. Design on its own does not […]

Why long copy works better

It is a proven fact. Long copy works better than short copy. It has been tested time and time again and in almost all situations where a response is the goal, long copy gets a higher response. It’s a hard fact to accept because it goes against the widespread belief that “No one has time […]

For best response, you need to write to responders

Have you ever heard the idea in direct marketing copy-writing that you should ‘write to responders’? I tried googling ‘write to responders’ and ‘writing to responders’ but got no relevant results, which is surprising considering the importance of this notion. The idea of writing to responders is a nugget of advice I was given many […]

The biggest difference between fundraising and other direct mail

In the last newsletter we suggested that the basics of direct mail are pretty much the same for the fundraising sector as for other sectors. But there is one huge difference that makes writing fundraising copy more difficult than other copy. In a word, that difference is benefits. Whatever you’re selling, whatever media you’re using, […]

Is fundraising direct mail different from other direct mail?

Not really.  Fundraising is a unique industry with its own unique challenges. But there is one aspect of the nonprofit world that is remarkably similar to the world of profit: they both use direct mail.  And the basic principles of direct mail are pretty much the same in both worlds. We’re going to be looking […]

Why Mail and the Telephone Still Rule

The electronic world offers tremendous opportunity, but let’s not forget about the basics . . . There is no doubt – email, web sites, social media and all the other tools of the electronic world have great potential. And any nonprofit organization that ignores them would be making a huge mistake. Money raised through these […]