But unless you've learned to ask effectively, it can be a long uphill battle.
Dear Fellow Volunteer,
Because I've been involved with some non-profit or another most of my adult life, I know
just how vital it is, and how difficult it can be, to raise the funds you need to carry on
the work.
You know your cause is important - if it wasn't, you wouldn't be working for it -
but how can you convey that importance to
business owners and individuals, so that they'll choose your cause over dozens of others when
allocating their charitable spending?
Because it is a matter of choosing. No business or individual could possibly say
yes to every appeal. The fact is, you have competition for every charitable
donation dollar in your community.
Your job, then, is to show all those potential donors why the cause you work for
is the most important, and to show them that you are to be trusted to spend their
money where it will do the most to support that cause.
But remember, logic is not enough. You have to touch their hearts.
Most non-profits could raise a lot more money if
they started with one simple truth.
What is that truth? Simply this: "If you are to get, you have to
give something
in return."
In the case of fundraising, you have to give emotional fulfillment. But too often,
fundraisers simply send a letter saying "We need..." without first showing the donors
how fantastic they're going to feel when they give.
If you're to get the funding you need, your appeal has to do three things:
- Tune in to the emotions that cause people to give,
- Subtly let them know that their donation will make them feel
good for helping to solve a problem in the community, and
- Ask for the donation in the proper manner
If you're not a writer, and you haven't studied the psychology of fundraising,
this can seem like an impossible task, but it isn't.
In fact, once you understand the
steps you need to take before you write, what to include in your appeal letter,
and the steps to take when the donations come in,
you'll probably be so excited about your success that you'll want to keep right on
writing.
Those steps, along with some non-writing fundraising ideas, are outlined for you in
my new Fundraising Primer- the e-book I wrote so you could become a successful
"Fundraising do-it-yourselfer."
Why would I do that when I'm a fundraising copywriter? Wouldn't I rather be
hired to write the letter for you?
Sure I would, but I know that many small
non-profits can't afford to hire a copywriter. At least not until they get a good start.
It's a catch-22 - The less money they have, the more help they need with writing a
great appeal letter. If your organization is in that situation right now, the
Fundraising Primer is exactly what you need.
Because the truth is, the more you need money, the less you can afford to mail a letter
that won't get a good response.
My answer to that dilemma is to offer you an inexpensive Fundraising Primer - so
that you can learn the basics and start bringing money in for your cause.
The Fundraising Primer will show you:
- How to get started - how to get inside your
potential donor's heads and recognize the emotions that prompt them to give.
- How to
organize your thoughts and focus on what's most important to your donors.
- What to include in your letter, and
- How to present it to keep your readers
interested in your story.
- Then it will show you what to do to keep your first donors
while you add new ones.
The Fundraising Primer is short and to the point - bringing you only what you need to
get started writing for your cause.
I know you don't have the time right now to learn and study
all the finer points of fundraising - you need to get a letter in the mail as soon as
possible. Later, if you
decide you want to learn more, follow the links I've included in my
recommended reading list.
The monetary cost of this report is less than 19 stamps - stamps you could waste if
your letter doesn't hit the mark.
I kept the price this low because I wanted to
keep it affordable for even the smallest non-profit. And, since you'll need input from
other members of your group, I hope that when you download the report, you'll make
copies for the key people who will be assisting you. Your task will be much easier if
everyone understands what you're doing and why.
Get your copy of the Fundraising Primer today - it's only $7.70 - and like all of my e-books, it's fully guaranteed.
Brought to you by:
Marte Cliff Copywriting
writer@marte-cliff.com
