I often read Maria Popova’s newsletter The Marginalian, and recently happened upon a piece on Marianne Moore on the Three Elements of Persuasive Writing. Moore, a Pulitzer Prize and National Bo Award winner, had set down her views on writing in a series of essays. Being a connoisseur of the art of creating persuasive fundraising…
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Nonprofits put enormous time and care into donor communications. Yet too often, appeals, es, newsletters, websites, and event promotions fail to generate the response organizations hope for. Why? Usually. it’s not because the mission isn’t compelling. It’s because the communication isn’t connecting quickly or emotionally enough. Today’s donors are overloaded with information and constantly distracted.…
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This is one of my all-time most popular posts. And since you’ve still got time to sprinkle a little magic into your year-end fundraising, I decided to share it again!
Consider each of these seven words a magic potion unto themselves.
The more of these words you use, the more powerful a spell your appeal will cast.
Each of these packs a bigger persuasive punch than you might imagine.
Let’s take a closer look at how this works.
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Think AI is cold, complicated, or not for fundraisers? Think again. I’ve experimented myself. Asking ChatGPT to draft an e. Or an out. Or a draft for a proposal. At first, I was unimpressed. The content was a bit generic, and often redundant. Citations were sometimes incorrect. The logic was questionable. And, of course, the…
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Let’s say you’ve done everything thus far suggested in this fundraising appeal checklist.
✅ You’ve done the groundwork.
✅ You’ve focused your message.
✅ You’ve made it about the donor—not your organization.
Now it’s time to bring it home.
Because no matter how clear or well-structured your appeal is, it won’t inspire action unless it moves the reader.
Emotion—not logic—is what compels people to give. And that emotion is sparked by how you make your donor feel.
Do they feel seen? Valued? Needed? Inspired? Uplifted?
The final four steps of this 8-step checklist are about speaking to your donor’s best self, inspiring compassion, and stirring urgency.
These are the emotional ingredients that turn intention into action.
Let’s explore them.
In Part 1 we looked at the first four:
Today we continue with four more.
What if part of the reason our sector has so little understanding of our supporters is because we think we’ve done the work of understanding by slapping the activist, volunteer, donor (insert other generic label here) on people?
— Kevin Shulman, Founder, DonorVoice
Trying to categorize them neatly into donor “personas” (e.g., “Wanda Widow,” “Busby Business Man,” “Suzy Soccer Mom,)” doesn’t work nearly as well as helping them express their best self or selves.
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Before you write a single word of your annual fundraising appeal, pause.
Take a deep breath.
And think about the person who will open your letter or email.
They’re not just a “donor.” They’re a person with hopes, fears, dreams and values.
When you think in this broader context, it’s clear your appeal is more than a request for money. It’s a chance to build a bridge between your donor’s values and yours. To spark hope. To remind someone of the good they can do—through you.
Too often, well-meaning appeals are ignored—not because the cause isn’t worthy, but because the message misses the mark. Maybe it’s too vague. Too organizationally focused. Or simply doesn’t make the donor feel like they matter.
That’s where this 8-step self-test comes in.
These first four steps are designed to help you lay a strong foundation before you write. They’ll keep your message clear, focused, and deeply donor-centered—so your appeal doesn’t just get read, but truly felt.
Let’s dive in.
We’ll review the final 4 steps in Part 2.
“The most beautiful thing in the world is you.”
— Alvin Ailey, choreographer and dancer, (1931-1989)
Not to yourself, program staff. or your board of directors. You’re writing to ONE donor. It’s about their ego, not yours. Their needs, not yours.
Take a good hard look at your letter. How often do you use “I,” “my,” “our,” “we,” or the name of your organization vs. “you” and “your?”
Fix this! Here’s a “you test” you can use from Bloomerang.
The job of the smart fundraiser is inspiring passionate philanthropy to make people’s lives better. I know you’re smart, because you’re reading this article! But none of us is born with a fundraising gene. And no one ever really teaches us how to write a smart fundraising appeal. We from our predecessors. Or maybe read…
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Every fundraiser knows the tension: You want to lead with a story that stirs hearts. Your CFO wants broad messaging that raises money for the whole organization. They’re not wrong—unrestricted funding is essential. But broad, abstract appeals rarely move donors to act. Most people give to something they care about deeply. A moment. A face.…
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We use them to understand our world.
But do the same stories work in any time? For any person? No.
You need to understand your SMIT story – ‘Single Most Important Thing’ – at this moment in time.
And that SMIT will change, depending on the environment in which you’re operating.
You need to know your audience. Today. The story you told last year may not work as well this year. And here is why:
(1). The story must be relevant to the donor – which will depend on what is top of mind for them (hint: pay attention to the news).
(2). The need to give the story a happy ending must feel urgent (hint: pay attention to the news).
Whatever your mission, relevancy and urgency are the key to emotional appeals.
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Recently, fundraising writing and thanking guru, Lisa Sargent, posted a list of “small stuff” it’s absolutely important to sweat. It to me decades – decades! — to learn this on my own in the trenches, and I’d have given anything to have had a mentor like Lisa to clue me in from the get-go. Lucky…
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People are wired for stories