Pop Art Black woman wow

Invisible but Important: Less-Known Ways to Improve Open Rates for Email

Digital Fundraising
So far, as we’ve been talking about ways to improve the open rates of fundraising emails, we’ve focused on things donors can see and respond to. There’s another whole class of things you can do that donors can’t see. But…
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Beyond the Subject Line: More Secrets for Getting Your Fundraising Emails Opened

Digital Fundraising
Email is the backbone of nonprofit digital fundraising. Grow and engage your list consistently, and you’ll enjoy increasing returns on your email appeals … assuming your supporters open your emails. In our recent blog, Secrets for Effective Fundraising Subject Lines,…
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Secrets for Effective Fundraising Subject Lines

Digital Fundraising
Email is the king of digital direct response fundraising. If you consistently grow your email list and engage and solicit it well, you’ll enjoy a steady growth in digital fundraising revenue. Of course, your emails can only earn donations if…
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How to Create Amazing Fundraising That Goes Beyond “Donor as Hero”

Donor Psychology
June Steward previously wrote about the challenges of effectively motivating donors to give while fully respecting the dignity of those donors who wish to help, and without promoting a sense of “white saviourism.” (See Worried about “donor as hero” fundraising?…
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Worried about “donor as hero” fundraising? Here’s another way to think about it

Writing
Trigger Warning: this post contains examples of fundraising that address child sex trafficking. Imagine this. As a smart fundraiser, you’ve put together a compelling appeal. It has an emotional story. A tangible offer. And direct asks in all the key…
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5 More Winning Ways to Start Your Next Fundraising Appeal

Direct Mail, Writing
Lisa Sargent’s last post on this blog, 6 Winning Ways to Start Your Next Fundraising Appeal, was so popular, that we asked her to give you even more! Over to Lisa… The right lead on a fundraising letter is like…
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Monthly Giving: It’s Not Rocket Science

Monthly Giving
A few months ago, I taught the “Recurring Revolution” training for members of The Fundraisingology Lab, by Moceanic. It was a lot of fun. Several members responded to a question about how best to keep their monthly donors. One of…
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What Your Direct Mail is Like for Real People

Direct Mail, Donor Psychology
I’ve spent a good decade and a half defending direct mail. Mostly in response to anxious nonprofit insiders saying things like “I’d hate to get all the mail we send.” I won’t pretend everyone you mail wants it. And I…
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3 Last-Minute Tweaks for Your End-of-Year Campaign

Direct Mail
Tweak: a fine adjustment to a mechanism or system Here are some fine adjustments you can do that can meaningfully improve your upcoming year-end campaign. Tweak One Make a direct ask. As in “Fiona, will you please make a donation…
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Great Fundraising: It’s Not Just for Big Charities — You Can Do It Too!

Direct Mail
You don’t have to be a huge organization to get your fundraising right. Case in point: Two direct mail pieces that came to me in the final weeks of December.  I’ll just show you the outer envelopes of both packs,…
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