Hi! We're Julie Cooper and Brett Cooper, fundraising copywriters for great causes. Does your fundraising bring in as much money as it could? You can send donor communications that stir hearts to action. We'd love to help. π Start by subscribing to our FREE weekly newsletter.
Sometimes you just gotta move it ... and PIVOT! This is the 104th issue of the Fundraising Writing Newsletter. If you find value here, please tell your lovely peeps. (Your lovely peeps can βsubscribe here for free.)β
In this issue:
Wednesday, August 30, 2023
Hi Reader,
We are packing up and moving down the road β next week! So Brett and I are currently extra busy.
We've got boxes that are packed and stacked.
And we've got boxes that are unpacked and stacked.
Since we're in full-on gung-ho moving mode β
I'm reminded me of this . . .
That's because the short answer to this question is:
But wait. You need context. And the long answer.
Context:
During a recent interview for a generosity report we're writing for a client, the interviewee asked, "Will you take out the umms and ahs?"
The long answer:
Yes, we will! β
β
Interviews used for donor comms should always make the interviewee look and sound good. The idea is that the final piece should be representative, not verbatim.
You might say, βWe will make you sound as eloquent as we hear you in our hearts.β
Because, really, when we listen to someone in person our hearts filter out the umms and ahs and anything similarly slightly off β such as grammatical errors and circumlocution.
Therefore . . .
BUT keep in mind: you don't want to change so much that you lose the person's voice. Be sure to preserve some of their slang and informality to retain the sense of the unique and the element of the human. This feels more real.
Once you've done all your editing, it should feel natural.
Send the copy you've written to the interviewee for approval. Ideally, they'll read it and think: "Yeah, that sounds like me."
It's our job as writers β we do the hard work of making it seem easy. π
Time to get moving?
Have you registered for Tom Ahern's appeals writing webinar on September 14th?
If so, yay!
If not . . . and you are now or soon will be writing your year-end appeal . . . and you do not feel 100% confident . . .
. . . then I urge you to learn all about Tom's webby here.
(featuring guest expert Jeff Brooks!
and I will be moderating)
You can register via this informational page.
Or you can click this friendly red button:
Register Now |
After the webinar, youβll receive learning materials including a video replay of the full 1.5-hour training plus the all-you-can-eat Q&A session...
β
(Which sessions can and usually do last for hours β and you can easily get your money's worth just by partaking of this unique smorgasbord of up-to-the-minute questions answered before your eyes and ears in real time!)
For your brain, heart, and funny bone...
Until next time: May your donor comms always make people sound more like who they really are, because they deserve it!
Grateful,
PS: Here's an old favorite from our weekly video series, Win It in a Minute. You can (and maybe want to?) subscribe here.
A webinar attendee asks: βHow do I create urgency when things often take several years (to see the full impact)?β
Click below for Tom's answer...
βHi! We're Julie Cooper and Brett Cooper, fundraising copywriters for great causes. Does your fundraising bring in as much money as it could? You can send donor communications that stir hearts to action. We'd love to help. π Start by subscribing to our FREE weekly newsletter.
Well, hello there, friend! (And a special welcome to the new subscribers from Martha's Vineyard Nonprofit Collaborative whom we had the pleasure of training earlier this week!) This is the 131st Fundraising Writing Newsletter. If you find value here, please tell a fundraising friend. (Your fundraising friend can subscribe here for free.) In this issue: β π¬ Direct Mail + digital (like finding a puppy in your letterbox) β Are you ready for the Great Wealth Transfer? Do you want more bequests?...
Welcome, You! This is the 130th Fundraising Writing Newsletter. If you find value here, please tell a colleague. (Your colleague can subscribe here for free.) In this issue: β "...you, someone who loves them!" (Identity-based fundraising writing.) β Mail Bag π¬ β Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge you Wednesday, April 17, 2024 Hi Reader, Some tips are so simple that, when you hear them, you might have the urge to smack your forehead and exclaim, "I should have thought of that!" and "I can...
Welcome, You! This is the 129th Fundraising Writing Newsletter. If you find value here, please tell a colleague. (Your colleague can subscribe here for free.) In this issue: β Photos not required. But if you do... β 3 Tips for choosing the right photo for your appeal β Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge you Thursday, April 11, 2024 Hi Reader, If you read my fundraising photo tips newsletter from last week, this right here is where I pull a Columbo and say, "Just one more thing." (If you...