Want people to read your nonprofit website content? Start here.

If you want donors, members and advocates to respond … they need to be able to EASILY read what you have to say. This is true for direct mail appeals, brochures (if you use them), emails, and your website text. Readability is a must. I often point out that poor color contrast hurts readability. Such […]

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They’re or There or Their and other common grammar errors

Hopefully you use “spell check” in your word processing program to catch typos, misspellings, and such. But it won’t catch the misuse of there for they’re or their. It won’t catch the misuse of form for from. And so forth. To help catch these errors – and other problems with the copy – have several […]

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And the winners are . . .

Regardless of the topic, industry, or market … no one person or consultant has all the answers. Neither does any single organization or agency have all the answers. You and I need to get input from a variety of sources to help us in our work. Speaking for myself, that means I read numerous blogs, […]

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To Like … Or Not to Like. That is the Question.

There’s lots of good advice and tips on how to get more followers and fans. Yet it all boils down to one principle: Don’t ask people to follow, friend or like you unless you give them a reason why! So whether it’s building your nonprofit email list, or building your social media networks … give […]

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20% jump in video plays with quick and easy change

You’ve created a video for a reason. It has good content and includes a strong call-to-action. So how do you get more people to click the “play” button? Easy. Have the first frame look interesting. And no; that doesn’t mean the name of your nonprofit plastered across the screen! Marketing Experiments did research with a […]

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What SINGLE change can improve any fundraising appeal?

If you’ve read my blog or newsletter for long, then you know I’m a stickler for reader-centric copy. I’m talking about copy centered on your donors, members, and advocates. And the easiest way to get one giant step close to reader-centric copy is to make this single change to your acquisition or renewal appeal: Change […]

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A penny saved could be two dollars lost

I’ve written about it before: The importance of exceeding your donors’ and members’ expectations; of giving them exceptional service … and an exceptional experience with your nonprofit. Yesterday that’s what Jeff Brooks wrote about in his blog, Future Fundraising Now: How skimping on your donors can make you lose your shirt. He reminded readers that […]

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Are you SURE we know “Who your nonprofit is and what do you do?”

Far too many folks at nonprofits think tidbits of copy are the answer for all communications. They believe no one reads more than a few sentences of anything, anywhere for any reason. First – that’s not correct. Second – you’re making your job of fundraising more difficult with that approach. Writing short copy is much […]

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Reality Fundraising

My opinion is that “reality TV” is about as far from reality as we can get. But here’s a genuine reality you can’t avoid: “Horizontal marketing is the new reality for just about every organization,” to quote Seth Godin. This applies to charities, associations, and for-profit businesses. As Godin says, horizontal marketing itself isn’t a […]

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Infographics for Nonprofits … the Good; the Bad; the Ugly

Infographics – like any other tool, channel, idea, etc. – have their place when used correctly. The Chronicle of Philanthropy made a good point in an article about a month ago: Infographics can make data fun and informative.  I agree. But there’s a catch. The infographic has to be readable and tailored for the audience. […]

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