Are you a real friend or a moocher?

If you’re trying to raise money from donors, you must communicate with them.  Donors are people with interests and feelings – not ATM machines or wallets.  And to build relationships, we must communicate.

Have you ever had a friend who only called you when they wanted something?  Not much of a friendship, is it?  You might fell taken advantage of or used.  Yet that’s how so many nonprofit organizations treat their donors.

Remember that friendships are about give and take, not take, take, take.  You must share information and success stories with your donors so that they know what you’re doing with their gifts.  The sharing of info builds trust and affirms to the donor that they made a good choice to invest with your organization.  Otherwise, you’re just a moocher, taking everything you can from your donors and not giving anything back.

A well-done print or email newsletter can accomplish most if not all of these objectives with your donors.  Starting next week, I’ll be leading a 3-part webinar series called “Secrets of Successful Newsletters.”  I’ll be sharing with you exactly what you need to do to put together a newsletter that your donors will actually read and respond to.

Get all the scoop or register at http://getfullyfunded.com/secrets-to-newsletters.

Ideas for newsletter content that donors will love

Let’s face it: most nonprofit newsletters are boring.  They’re full of jargon and insider news that leave donors feeling less than connected.  To make your donors read your newsletter from start to finish, it must include info that donors find interesting.

Put yourself in your donor’s shoes:  what would they care about?  What would make them take time from their busy life to pay attention to what you’ve put in print?  Here are some ideas for things you can write about that will keep your donors engaged.

  • Client story. Tell a story about someone whose life has been changed by your organization.  Keep it short and focused on the person – not your organization.  Use a good photo or two and your donor won’t be able to stop reading.
  • A Day in the Life. Share what a typical day looks like for one of your clients. This will help donors better understand the work you are doing and help them identify with the people you are serving.
  • Common myths. What are the common myths about your cause?  Dispell them by stating them and then giving the real information.
  • Testimonials. Let others do the talking for you.  Share a brief testimonial from a client, a donor, a volunteer, or a local celebrity about your organization.
  • Statistics. Share a couple of shocking statistics about your cause or the work your organization is doing.  Don’t go overboard here – one or two good facts with a tidbit of supporting info is all you need.

What have you included in your newsletter that got people talking?  Share with us so we can all benefit.

Telling a story without pictures

I heard a wonderful presentation recently about storytelling.  It’s entirely possible to tell a very compelling story without using pictures.  Instead, you paint a picture with the words you use.

To see what I mean, check out The Girl Effect.  www.girleffect.org.

Then think about what you see in your mind’s eye as you watched the video.

Cool, huh?

What stories can you tell about the work your nonprofit does that will paint such a vivid picture in your reader’s mind’s eye?