There's just one rule for successful fundraising?
Could be. Here's what The Better Fundraising Blog says that rule is, at The Only Rule?
The people who are successful don't care whether they like the fundraising or not.They just care if it works.
This is true.
In fact, let me take it one step further with an addendum to the rule:
Successful fundraising will make many organization insiders uncomfortable -- or even hopping mad.
It always does.
I wish it weren't so, because it makes life very difficult. And it causes thousands of organizations to raise a lot less money than they should.
What is it about fundraising that we tend to dislike? Here's a list from the Better Fundraising post:
- Including a reply card with your receipt letter
- Writing at a lower grade level
- Using emotion liberally
- Being repetitive
- Sharing real needs with donors
Let me add a few more:
- Long messages
- Underlining in the message
- Avoiding statistics in favor of anecdotes
- Informal writing style
- Direct asking
All these things are part of successful fundraising. And all are frequently challenged by nonprofit insiders ... because they don't like them.
Maybe the rule behind the rule is this:
You are not your donor!
from Future Fundraising Now https://ift.tt/31TDRrU
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