Copywriting - How To Write A Direct Mail Fundraising Letter (four Tips For Fund Raising Success)

How To Write A Direct Mail Fundraising Letter (four Tips For Fund Raising Success)

1. Address your reader as a friend, not as "Friend."

When was the last time you received a letter from someone dear to you, addressing you as "Dear Friend?" Never, right? The days of the Dear Friend letter are dead. I heard recently of a chairman of the board of a national charity who has given his charity millions of dollars and hundreds of hours of his time, yet he still receives fundraising appeals from this charity addressing him as "Dear Friend." Ouch.

2. Arrest attention with an opening that resonates with your donors.

Assume your reader is standing over a trash can with a stack of today's mail, reading the opening sentence of each letter before deciding its fate. You have only a few seconds to grab the reader's interest. So make it a zinger. Here are two openings for the same non-profit. Which one grabs your attention and makes you want to read on?

Opening 1: "I am writing to you to ask if you would like to support a low-income housing building project in your neighbourhood."

Opening 2: "If I invited you to walk over to your neighbour's house with a bundle of roof shingles under your arm as a gift, what would you do?"

3. Put flesh and bones on your need.

One truth in fundraising is that people give to people to help people. So always describe your need in terms of people, not programs, not ministry, not money.

INSTEAD OF SAYING . . . We operate three vans.

SAY . . . The three vans that we use for emergency medical relief play a vital role in saving lives throughout the year.

INSTEAD OF SAYING . . . Essential medicines in many countries are not affordable.

SAY . . . Phillip Mbago is dying from a treatable disease for no other reason than this-he can't afford his cure.

4. Ask for funds by painting a picture.

Don't just ask for a donation. Show your readers how their donations will make a difference. Instead of saying, "Send a gift today," say, "Your gift to Habitat for Humanity today means that another family will soon move into a simple, decent, affordable home-thanks to you."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alan Sharpe is a professional direct mail fundraising copywriter who helps nonprofits raise funds and retain donors using direct mail fundraising letters. Learn more about his creative direct mail writing services and sign up for free weekly tips like this at http://www.fundraisingletters.org.

Created & Maintained by Empower! CMS Web Sites

Host2Sell Web Hosting | Emarketing Workshops | Site SEO Review | FREE Newsletter

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

How To Negotiate Rates With A Freelance Copywriting Expert
Lots of people who seek out my copywriting services are concerned about money. Rightfully so. I'm a small business owner too, and I know what it is to have that do-it-yourself mindset. (It's exhausting!) But entrepreneurs like you and I often overlook the very reason to contract a job out in the first place. Which is: the terms of the contract and the amount of money spent are totally controlled ...(related: Copywriting)

How You Can Find Freelance Copy Editing Jobs
Even for those with the skills needed, finding copy editing jobs can seem next to impossible. The simple fact of the matter is, though, that through quality and building relationships, these jobs can be found and employment can lead to a career in the field. For those who are struggling to start out, finding those first copyediting positions is the most difficult part of the challenge. But, with the web's growth and the demand for more and...(related: Copywriting)

3 Keys To Better Online Copywriting
Doing the copywriting for your own website without the proper knowledge and tools is pretty much like flying blind in a snowstorm without piloting expe...(related: Copywriting)

Copywriting Goldmine: One Of 20 Insider Secrets To Great Copywriting
Each weekday during my Red Hot Copywriting Bootcamp, attendees (or recruits) get a daily drill designed to reinforce the training I give on weekly phone calls. The drills are illuminating and fun. Plus these drills build your copy from the ground up. By the end of Bootcamp, you actually have a sales letter that would have cost you anywhere from $3,000 to $15,000 to have written professionally.So how do you get going? Grab a kitchen timer or stopwatch, a piece of paper and a pen. Your bite-sized drill today is to separate out the features from the benefits. So let's do an exercise.Befo...(related: Copywriting)

Magic Words That Sell And What Words To Avoid
We all know words are powerful. Whether written or spoken, according to advertising legend David Ogilvy, some of th...(related: Copywriting)

How To Develop A Killer News Hook
When you are going to write a press release probably the most important thing you can do is create a killer news hook. A press release without a news hook is just blatant advertising, plain and simple. There is nothing that turns off journalists more than a press release that's just advertising, and when you turn them off, they're often off for good.So, with this in mind, creating a news hook for your press release and media plan in general is probably the most important thing that you can do. But, how do you do it?A...(related: Copywriting)

Is Your Web Copy Plain Talk?
It's true, we were all taught in school to express ourselves differently on paper, than the way we speak. To follow rules of grammar, and inject an artificial air of formality.Forgetting about this training when you write web copy is one of the best thing you can pos...(related: Copywriting)

Are You Asking The Right Questions In Your Copy?
It's a common approach to writing copy. You begin by asking questions. Why? To evoke thoughts in your readers' minds, to stir up emotions, and to get customers thinking in the way you want them to think. But have you ever thought about how you phrase your questions? Are you doing it in a way that will have the greatest impact on your readers or are you just throwing questions on a page?Behaviorally speaking, not everybody respo...(related: Copywriting)

How To Test The Body Of Your Sales Copy For Weaknesses
Your sales copy is the life source of your business. If your sales copy isn't pulling in a decent conservation rate, then your business is suffering.In this article, we are...(related: Copywriting)

How To Write Profitable Ads
Regardless of how you look at it, the most important aspect of
any successful business is its advertising. In fact,
the success of any business is largely dependent on good advertising.
First of all, you've got to have a dynamic, spectacular ad that
attracts the eye and grabs the interest of the people you're
trying to sell to. Thus, unless your ad really "jumps out" at the
reader, your sales won't live up to expectations, and your ad
money will be wasted.
The eye-catching appeal of your ad must start with the headline.
Use the headline to very quickly create a picture in the minds of
the reader--a vision of all their problems being solved, and
attainment of the kind of ...(related: Copywriting)

Professional Writing: Six Great Reasons To Hire A Writer
Most people can write. Some can even write well. But only a few individuals can write as quickly and persuasively as a professional writer. Effective communication requires a well-crafted message that is interesting to your audience. Anything less is a waste of your time and money.Professional writers can develop a wide variety of documents including proposals, advertising and design copy, content for websites, sales letters, strategic plans, brochures, and newsletters. An organization looking for the best value should consider the following benefits of hiring a professional writer:1. Save time: Your time is valuable. ...(related: Copywriting)

The Power Of Saying You Can
If you have children, you will doubtless remember saying to them, "You can do it."It's what we say when our toddlers first struggle to their feet.It's what we say when they face their first day at school, when they first ride a bicycle, or first swim a full len...(related: Copywriting)

Organizing Your Data To Write Better Copy
Last quarter I talked about interviewing / gathering data. So now you've got several thousand words of notes, hopefully digitally recorded. What comes next?GETTING ORGANIZEDI suggested organizing your interview questions into 4 groups. I'm going to label them for you A, B, C, D.·what is the business p...(related: Copywriting)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 Empower! Web Design | All Rights Reserved. | Copywriting