Warning: the following may make you hungry. Maybe eat first? This is the 141st Fundraising Writing Newsletter. If you find value here, please tell a fundraising friend. (Your fundraising friend can ​subscribe here for free.)​

In this issue:

✅ 2 Fundraising Writing reminders: Your first pancake ain't perfect ... and Don't let your griddle get too hot.

✅ Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge you

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Wednesday, July 31, 2024
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Hi Reader,

I'm going to be mentioning pancakes a lot.

If you're not careful, you might find yourself dreaming of drool-worthy flapjacks like this "Dutch Baby" from the Original Pancake House:

I bring this up because on Sunday I had breakfast with a good friend who's the executive director for a Chicago-area nonprofit. She's a terrific fundraising writer. We got to talking about the craft.

She told me how sometimes she really struggles with the dreaded first draft — words spilling out in a chaotic mess. She feels like it’s never going to be “done.”

But then, she reminded me of something I once said to her: “Everything you write isn’t precious. Just get it done and hit send!"

As we chatted about fundraising and life, I couldn't help but notice all the people around us who'd ordered pancakes. (Me included. Good choice, y'all!)

Which made me think of . . .

2 Fundraising Writing reminders: Your first pancake ain't perfect ... and Don't let your griddle get too hot.

You know how it is.

You pour that first pancake, and inevitably it comes out all wrong. You wrinkle your nose, you scrunch your face, you think, "Maybe I'll give this one to the dog."

That's just how it goes with pancakes.

It's the same with fundraising writing.

And it's why the first of today's 2 reminders is:

Your first pancake ain't perfect.

It's basic.

Don't expect perfection.

Try — then try again.

Resist the urge to chastise yourself if you're unhappy with your initial drafts. Just set aside those "first pancakes."

On the other hand, today's second reminder:

Don't let your griddle get too hot.

That's how your good work gets burnt.

And how you get overheated.

Sooner than later, you gotta grab that spatula and "plate it."

Don't get stuck in an endless loop examining every last pancake pore (or every last word of every last draft) with a magnifying glass. And don't let all the other "cooks" in your org do that to your donor comms either!

Rather, toss aside your first uncooked pancakes, get your griddle good and hot (but not too hot), and then fill those orders. Your diners — er, donors — are waiting.

Sure, you'd prefer to make perfect pancakes from the get-go. But perfect is an illusion. And as long as what you serve up is not undercooked and not burnt, most everyone will go about the rest of their day with big smiles and happy bellies, perfectly pleased.

And that's how you keep 'em coming back for more!

Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge you

For your brain, heart, and funny bone...

• Fundraisingly Informative — Fundraising is Not Always Fun: 7 Strategies to Help You Cope by Amy Eisenstein (an encouraging article full of advice you might want to try if you're feeling stuck, including "taking a few risks" and "stop trying so hard")​
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• Decidedly Unflinching — Confronting Impossible Futures by Ethan Mollick (an insightful blog post about our near-future landscape from a Wharton professor who studies entrepreneurship & innovation and AI and who authored the currently bestselling book Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI)
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• Entertainingly Average — Ranking of the best TV shows of all time! via @Mrbankstips (a graphic showing the top 50 highest rated tv shows of all time according to an average of scores from 12 aggregators such as Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic)

Until next time: May your donors always eagerly eat up whatever you lovingly cook up for them!

Grateful,

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