It's the little things. It's also the tiny tweaks. We hope these fundraising tiny tweaks help make your week! This is the 115th issue of the Fundraising Writing Newsletter. If you find value here, please tell your fundraising friends. (Your fundraising friends can ​subscribe here for free.)​

In this issue:

• Fundraising tiny tweaks to help make your week!
• Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge you
• Win It in a Minute: Julie asks Tom Ahern a question about designing outer envelopes so donors rip them open!

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

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Hi Reader,

I love me a good tiny tweak.

For example, this keyless entry door lock we now have:

Also, learning how to copy screenshots (on a Mac) directly to the clipboard:

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I'm a vigilant tiny tweak hunter. I especially love when they connect to fundraising. So, as you might imagine, I was tickled when I came across a few fundraising-worthy ideas from a recent Nick Kolenda newsletter on consumer psychology.

At first glance, the tweaks below may seem small.

They are!

They're tiny!

Yet, paired with fundraising best practices, they could help you leverage a lot of impact.

Every tiny tweak counts.

Here are 3 . . .

Fundraising tiny tweaks to help make your week!

Tiny Tweak #1: For your deadline, use a vibrant color.

Reason: Related to the psychology of proximity, saturated colors seem closer to us. And we give more attention to objects that are — or appear — near.

Notice how the blue car in this image feels nearer:

The “proximity” effect also applies to time. Choose a saturated (vibrant) color to make a deadline feel closer:

For more info on this tip, see Nick’s guide here.

Tiny Tweak #2: On your website donation page and/or your direct mail reply form, put an image of someone looking directly at the camera.

Reason: Visibility can influence behavior. When our behavior feels more public, we act more generously. Images featuring someone looking at the camera (straight at you) encourage good deeds.

It’s as if the person in the picture is asking, “What are you going to do now?”

For more info on this tip, see Nick’s guide here.

Tiny Tweak #3: Bring your donation buttons forward using drop shadows or raised button images.

Reason: Consumer psychology shows that people evaluate a buying decision by thinking “Why should I do this?” and “How do I do this?”

Making your donation button feel more “clickable” can help with the how of completing a transaction.

Enhance your buttons with elements like drop shadows or raised button images (e.g., from Canva, below). Create the compelling illusion that your button is oh-so-close:

For more info on this tip, see Nick’s post here.

Tiny tweaks — peace out!

Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge you

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

• Fundraisingly Informative — Arts fundraising – why donor experiences are your superpower by Mary Cahalane (a blog post about lessons Mary learned from her days at an arts nonprofit that can be applied to most any fundraising org)
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• Fundraisingly Thankful — Beyond words: How thanking can transform your relationship with your charity's supporters.​ by Mark Phillips (a LinkedIn post featuring 4 ways to think about thanking)​
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• Internally Pivotal — Dr. Willoughby Britton — The Hidden Risks of Meditation... via The Tim Ferriss Show (a 2-hour, 3-minute podcast episode that explores some little-known potential dangers of meditation and related topics such as psychedelics)
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• Memorably Moving — Change the Ending via AlzheimersResearch UK (a 2-minute animated commercial that powerfully employs nostalgia to help viewers feel the need; note that this and the following link were randomly sent to us by readers of our newsletter from last week: on nostalgia in fundraising)
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• Aptly Jolly — Amazon Sledding Commercial (a 60-second commercial that entertainingly combines nostalgia with the topical element of seasonal messaging)

Until next time: May all the mightiest of tiny tweaks gather around you relentlessly like adorably friendly woodland creatures around a Disney princess!

Grateful,

PS: Here's the latest in our weekly video series, Win It in a Minute.

You can (and maybe want to?) subscribe here.

In this new video, Julie asks Tom Ahern: "How can a fundraising development team design the outer envelope of their appeal letter to maximize the likelihood donors will open it?"

Watch Tom's answer, including examples of high-performing outer envelopes. Get inspired for your next fundraising appeal pack!

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