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Do long letters in fundraising still work?

The Weird Power of Long Fundraising Letters

Direct Mail, Donor Psychology, Major and Mid Value Donors
Long letters work better. But don’t just take it from me. Dr Barnardo wrote a four-page appeal letter in London in the 1880s using classic direct mail techniques: Underlining, urgency, dollar handles, specific ask and a clear reference to what…
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Do long letters in fundraising still work?

Why Your Boss Is Wrong – Long Letters Do Work Better In Fundraising.

Direct Mail
Aunt Ruth was smiling. Aglow with happiness. I couldn’t figure it out. My 79-year-old aunt had just brought in the day’s mail. There was a lot of it, including several fundraising appeals. She threw one away unopened. The others she…
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Made to stick

Six Steps to Make Your Communications Sticky

Donor Love, Branding, Donor Psychology, Storytelling
How do you make sure that everything you write grabs the reader’s attention, engages them and makes something happen? After all, there is no point writing stuff that doesn’t have the desired outcome. Even if that outcome is to help…
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Passive-Aggressive Fundraising -- Just Stop It!

Passive-Aggressive Fundraising — Just Stop It!

Fundraising
Do you need your donors? It’s a yes-or-no question. There’s no maybe, no degrees of agreement. You need donors to make your work possible, or you have some other source of funding and you don’t need donors. Even if donors…
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How to Prevent the Heartbreak of Boring Fundraising

How to Prevent the Heartbreak of Boring Fundraising

Writing
If you think you’re boring your audience, go slower not faster.  – Gustav Mahler (20th century Austrian composer) When I come across really boring fundraising copy, I think two things: The writer was rushed. And she doesn’t seem to care.…
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So You Think You're Donor Centric?

So You Think You’re Donor Centric?

Fundraising
There was a list of “donor centric fundraising tactics” floating around our industry a few months ago. It was mostly proven and common-sense tactics for treating donors with respect, thanking them, showing them the difference their giving makes. Stuff like…
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Did you hear about Chelsea

The Power of Witnessing

Storytelling
Many charities have proven that telling individual stories is more motivating for potential donors than throwing statistics and numbers at them. Telling potential donors that there are 10,000 people diagnosed with a disease per annum is not as effective as…
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Pop Art Youve got mail 123rf

How Your Best Fundraising Turns into Junk Mail When You Aren’t Looking

Direct Mail
Are you worried your organization might be sending out junk mail? Here’s a quick way to find out. Check any of these statements you agree with: ❒ Our mail annoys our donors. ❒ I wish we didn’t have to ask…
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The Secret of Success: Do Only What Only You Can Do

Fundraising, Fundraising Training Needs
Guest blogger – Dearne Cameron, CEO of Pareto Fundraising (Sorry Moceanic subscribers and Dearne – the email that you may have received about this post did not explain that Dearne is the guest author of this article – not Sean!)…
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How to Raise Funds on Obscure Holidays and Awareness Days

Donor Psychology
July is National Wheelchair Beautification Month here in the USA.  It’s also Cord Blood Awareness Month. I’m not telling you this in order to mock these awareness holidays. There are no doubt quality nonprofit organizations that use these days to…
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