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The Best Fundraising Letter of 2015

April 13, 2015 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

Girl escaping ISISIt’s only April, and I may already have received the best fundraising letter I’m going to see in 2015. And they had me after the first sentence.

MADRE wrote:

Dear Rona and Dennis,

I have an extraordinary story to tell you about how six teenage girls escaped from the extremist group ISIS–and into the care that MADRE partners in Iraq provide, thanks to you.

All right, I quit. After that sentence, you want to hear the story, right? My piddling little blog post is not nearly as important as six teenage girls escaping from ISIS.

And that’s the point.

  • MADRE found a compelling story.
  • They made it personal. (“One night, 16-year-old Ola managed to slip the drugs meant for her into her captors’ teapot.”)
  • They made it topical and created a sense of urgency. (ISIS!)
  • They connected it to their work.
  • And they used the magic word, “you.”

Because of all that, you want to know what happens next. You’re probably cursing that Dennis Fischman who’s talking about how the letter worked–instead of just letting you read it.

Do your donors feel that way about your appeal letters? Do they give them a quick glance and file them, or recycle them?  Or…would they feel cheated if they couldn’t read them to the end?

I challenge you. If you think your letter might really be the best fundraising letter I’ll see in 2015, take a moment right now and share the first sentence of that letter in a comment. I’ll tell you what I think, and so will other readers.

Go!

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Listen like Austen. Write Like Hemingway

August 7, 2014 by Dennis Fischman 3 Comments

Jane Austen was one of the most beloved authors of the 19th century.  She wrote all her novels by sitting in company and paying attention to what people said.

Be like Jane Austen. Before you start to write, listen. On social media, in person, every way you can: find out about your audience and what  moves them.

Ernest Hemingway was one of the most read authors of the 20th century. When he sat down to write, he chopped away adverbs, adjectives, and description. He told the whole story through dialogue and action.

Be like Ernest Hemingway. Whether you’re writing a newsletter, blogging, using social media, or asking for money, be brief. Leave out everything your audience doesn’t care to read.

Listen like Austen, to catch every detail. Write like Hemingway, to be read.

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