...say I'm the only bee in your bonnet! 👒 This is the 144th Fundraising Writing Newsletter. If you find value here, please tell a fundraising friend. (Your fundraising friend can ​subscribe here for free.)​

In this issue:

✅ Not to put too fine a point on it...

✅ All Aboard! 2 weeks from tomorrow, will you be on the Tom-Ahern bus too?

✅ Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge you

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Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Hi Reader,

There's a fun old song by a fun old band I think of now and then. Maybe you know it?

It's "Birdhouse in Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants.

I don't know what making a little birdhouse in your soul means (though it sounds pretty nice). Yet this is one of those songs that pops in my head now and again — especially because of the lyric that goes...

"Not to put too fine a point on it...

...say I'm the only bee in your bonnet."

It's because of this one evocative line, mostly, that the song has become a part of my mental real estate. It lives in a fine neighborhood of bees and bonnets and birdhouses.

It hits different.

It's the rhyme.

Never underestimate the power of a good rhyme.

Rhyming is sometimes looked down upon as childish.

But really, who doesn't love Dr. Seuss?

Or Amanda Gorman?

Or [insert most any song you love]?

You can be brilliant AND be someone who's always got the time to spin a little rhyme.

In the same way Will Farrell's Buddy from Elf embraces his loving side, shouting to the good people of the Big Apple...

...I encourage you to embrace your rhyming side. Think:

I WILL RHYME​
​I WILL RHYME​
​AND I DON'T CARE
​WHO KNOWS IT!

Why not try it in your fundraising, when the context is right?

A thank-you, for example, can include a rhyme like this one Brett and I wrote for a client:

A good rhyme will make the heart warmer for most every donor.

It's irresistible.

It's memorable.

Your donors'll thank you, smiling in approval. 😃

AND I HAVE A HUNCH
​YOU'VE GOT A POEM OR TWO
​INSIDE OF YOU!!

All Aboard!​
2 weeks from tomorrow: will you be on the Tom-Ahern bus too?

​Join us!​

The last Tom-Ahern-mega-webby of 2024 is just 2 weeks away. It could make your day and possibly your year!

Tom and Jeff Brooks (with a little help from me, your moderator) will cover all things DM and digital appeal writing. Things you should know but don't, things you did know but forgot, things you don't know but will soon!

Judging by our experience, a good, productive time will be had by all!
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This unique training comes complete with multiple, empathetic experts, unlimited Q&A, the priceless PDF handout and comprehensive recordings.
​
​Date: Thursday, September 12, 2024
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​What? The 2024 edition of Tom Ahern's acclaimed direct-mail-appeal masterclass, with unlimited Q&A delivered by a will-not-quit world-class DM expert (Jeff Brooks).
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Special guest expert? The one and only Jeff Brooks!
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​Time: 1 PM Eastern (Noon Central; 11 AM Mountain; 10 AM Pacific.) Jeff Brooks comes on board at 2:30 PM Eastern. As for other time zones...? Relax: the entire show is recorded: listen/watch at your convenience.
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​Who??! YOU! The ideas and information are expert level ... yet beginner friendly.
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​Why you!?!?!? Maybe you're ambitious. Maybe you've got a new job or boss ... and you have something to prove. Maybe last year's appeal under-performed. Maybe you're a veteran who wants a refresher course and confidence booster.
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​Why tune up your appeal skills N!O!W!???? Here comes the 2024 giving season: the months of October, November, December ... even January, surprisingly enough. Let's not overlook Giving Tuesday either: December 3, 2024.
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​The classroom: Your computer via Zoom
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​Price: A budget-friendly $129 per Zoom link​
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​HANDOUTS and TAKE-AWAYS!!! Each Zoom link receives a PDF handout of every slide in the entire show. The recording includes me, Tom Ahern, as well as ALL the Q&As fielded by me, guest expert Jeff Brooks, and moderator Julie Cooper.
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​You WILL need this PDF in the future, trust us. Science says humans forget 80% of new information within 24 hours. The PDF handout is your hard guarantee that YOU won't forget ... ever.
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Will this particular webinar be offered again in 2024? Sorry, no. (Sign up now, while you're thinking about it?)

Randomly yours: to inspire and recharge you

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

• Fundraisingly Informative — Beginner? How to write appeals that work by Mary Cahalane (a helpful blog post featuring 8 things to think about if you're new to fundraising appeal writing)
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• Astoundingly Associative — The Rubber Hand Illusion via Nicolas Hubacz, M.S. (a LinkedIn post featuring a 5-minute, 11-second video demonstrating how a person can mentally associate with a fake rubber hand through a clever setup with the fake hand in view and their real hand behind a partition)
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• Dizzyingly Romantic — Skywalkers: A Love Story trailer via Netflix (a 2.5-minute trailer for the new Netflix documentary that at first seems like it's about daredevils and eventually reveals itself to be about pouring your feels into a Kleenex; look away if you must when the heights soar, but don't miss this unforgettably moving true love story, expertly told)​

Until next time: May all your joys and tasks intertwine, and all your days and dreams rhyme!

Grateful,

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