November 2023: Fundraising Copywriting - Part 2
Last month, I shared a few tips from the first half of this fundraising copywriting course rooted in philanthropic psychology. If you missed Part 1, you can read it here.
Today's newsletter is Part 2, with some key learnings from the second half of the course. I hope these tips motivate you to pour more energy into your year-end content out of love for your donors and supporters.
Tip 1: Readability communicates love and respect.
It can be challenging to prioritize readability when you're also working to infuse your writing with vivid, sensory language. That said, readability opens the door for your supporters to enter your world. If the door is shut, they won't even attempt to read what you've written.
Writing content that’s easy to read shows respect for your readers and their time.
I was previously trained to keep my writing between a 6th and 8th-grade reading level. So far, this newsletter is written at a 6th-grade level.
I was amazed to learn that writing at a 4th-grade level is the sweet spot for fundraising copy. This is insanely challenging!
And visual design matters just as much as the words you choose. Is there plenty of white space? Are you formatting for maximal skim-ability? Are you bolding words and sentences that keep drawing readers back in?
As you write your year-end content, paste it into a free readability checker to ensure it's between a 4th and 6th-grade level. I also recommend running your direct mail pieces by a few donors for their feedback before sending them to print.
Tip 2: "Donate now" is a weak offer.
This does not mean every "Donate" button should be rewritten. Rather, your surrounding content needs to present a much stronger offer. You're on track if...
The problem is easy to understand
Your solution is easy to understand
The donation feels like a great deal for the resulting impact
There's urgency to solve the problem now
Wait—how can you communicate that a donation is a great deal?! By explaining exactly how you will use a donor's dollars efficiently and creatively to combat the problem you both want to solve. E.g. “It only costs $100 to send a bright, eager child to school next year. What could be a better use of your $100? We can’t think of anything.”
And how can you communicate urgency if your work isn't tied to a time-sensitive situation? By using the "sliding doors" technique: Share what will happen if your fundraising goal is met. Then, share with will happen if it’s not.
If you can't send those eight children to school next year, what will their futures look like? If you can't conduct this major research project in 2024, how will people lose out?
You can always create a sense of urgency. You can always explain why supporting your organization is the most effective way to solve the problem now.
Tip 3: If you're writing for everyone, your writing is not good.
When I read this in the course content, I was nodding and snapping like a hipster at a poetry slam:
"It can take 18 to 24 months to break even on some forms of donor recruitment activity. This is partly because the sector struggles with retention. In the US right now, only 2 out of 10 newly acquired cash donors will give again next year. We arrived at this sorry state because boards were only ever interested in the immediate return on investment. So it made sense for fundraisers to recruit as many people as possible, so the initial statistics look good. But of course, if we recruit the wrong donors just to punch the initial ROI, the longer-term performance will tank. And that’s exactly where the sector is. Charities routinely acquire people who they know will never give again."
We are all guilty of writing a piece of fundraising content for anyone who might possibly read it, with the goal of not making anyone feel left out.
If you write on eggshells, afraid that some supporters will realize your organization isn't exactly what they thought and will unsubscribe, your content will be anemic.
I dare you to write all of your year-end content with one specific superfan in mind. Write it all for the person who has a very personal tie to the cause. Write it all for the person who cares about this issue above all others. Write for the donor who proudly identifies as a supporter of your organization.
If you don't, you won't write with enough conviction or enthusiasm. Your fans won't feel warm and cozy, so they will go find a home somewhere else.
I'm so glad I invested in this fundraising copywriting course. Highly recommend. Wish me luck on the final assignment!
If you work to integrate these tips into your year-end content, let me know how your campaign performs.
One final tip: Don't measure each piece of year-end content in isolation. Your stories and messages of gratitude won't drive as many gifts as the "last chance" emails, but I promise, they're boosting the final number—and the relationships.
I'm thankful for you and your readership!
-Caroline
