How should you write your appeal letter? So how can you write something simultaneously real, and lively, and on a level that most people can understand? Do you have a way you get yourself in the space to write? Now let’s get down to brass tacks. MORE
Then learn and laugh as you gobble your way through Jeff Brooks’ new guide to writing great nonprofit content: How to Turn Your Words Into Money: The Master Fundraiser’s Guide to Persuasive Writing. Here are a few of Jeff’s more surprising steps to message magic: Your high school English teacher would HATE your most effective writing because it breaks almost every rule he taught you. MORE
Learn how to write appeal letters to major donors that raise money. The post How NOT to write a letter to your supporter community appeared first on MarketSmart | . Here’s an old letter from my alma mater. MORE
Write an annual report that. “How to Write a. Most professional writers will tell you that writing really good short articles and profiles is harder than writing long ones, and the same can be true for short annual reports. MORE
and haven’t quite figured out your content calendar for next month, then use these prompts for your blog posts, social media updates or newsletter articles for next month taken from our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts Email Newsletter : On the Calendar. MORE
Here are a few writing prompts to get you thinking creatively about March topics. If you were on our Nonprofit Writing Prompts email list, you would have received these a month ago. Sign up for our free Nonprofit Writing Prompts. MORE
Eureka! The sharp folks at Marketing Experiments have shared this crystal-clear matrix to help you determine how long your fundraising or marketing copy should be for greatest impact. As with all marketing “formulas,&# there’s a lot of “it depends&# here. MORE
Use these prompts taken from our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts Email Newsletter for your blog posts, social media updates or newsletter articles. (If If you want ideas every month, sign up for our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts E-Newsletter. MORE
To write a good profile about a client, donor, volunteer or other supporter of your nonprofit organization, you need to see several sides of that person. Ten questions should give you enough to write a great profile. MORE
For the last month I’ve been writing you posts and showing you examples and giving you free webinars all about what makes a good appeal letter. If you’ve read the posts above, then you already know that y ou’ve got to write a short story and lead with the most dramatic thing. MORE
But now you are less than two weeks away from August and have no idea what you are gonna write about. Here are some ideas for blog posts, social media updates or newsletter articles for next month taken from our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts Email Newsletter : On the Calendar. MORE
We''ve Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us. We''ve Moved! Update your Reader Now. MORE
Is your writing dry and boring? Eliminating jargon and overall wordiness is a great place to start, but here are 20 more ways that you can bring your writing back to life. Then go back and write. Make the reason you are writing crystal clear. MORE
Write to an audience of one. Write as if you are speaking to that person. If, say, a family member helped you with a down payment on a car, you wouldn’t write that person a note saying, “Together we found the funds to purchase. Claire Meyerhoff. MORE
We've Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us. We've Moved! Update your Reader Now. MORE
I am always learning how to write. For right now, for example, I feel like I’ve got appeal letters nailed, but I’m learning how to write a screenplay. In our nonprofits, we have to write all the time. It was hard to write. MORE
We’ve all read those mission statements or fundraising appeals that seem to have smart ideas, but when you take a closer look you realize they just have a lot of words. Shorter is nearly always better. Replace these wordy phrases with their concise alternatives. a majority of = most. MORE
I love and hate to write. Here are three pieces of advice based on my daily struggle with blogging, fiction and work-related writing. Writing is that way - casting you forever in the role of novice, whether you enjoy it or not. If you write something that makes you want to hide or erase, keep going straight to that feeling. This is the work of writing. Write what you want to read, say what must, lay down what matters to you. MORE
David Brooks @NY Times Just dashing in here to drop off a quick note on improving your writing. Whether short or long, email or grant report, making your writing more engaging is a worthwhile enterprise. david brooks metaphor Small nonprofit writing figuratively speakingTo improve your understanding and use of metaphor, check out this great lesson by the excellent NY Times columnist David Brooks: How Metaphors Make Meaning. MORE
how to write your appeal letter. Now we’re getting into Part 2, Which is ALL ABOUT writing the different parts of your direct mail letter. You could write about that. Write it now. . Can they write to their elected official about this issue? MORE
This training IS about how you write awesome landing and donation pages that get your visitors to give! You’ll learn everything you need to know about writing for your website AND get one-on-one feedback on your landing or donation pages from Tom Ahern. MORE
How can you be brave and stand up and write something different than has been tried before? Take out the first three paragraphs you write. Read before you write. They help you write in short sentences, and write like your character’s life depends on it. MORE
Follow these simple guidelines for finding and writing a story that is not only engaging, but also improves how your message is presented to the world. Don''t try to get fancy with your writing. If you are writing something technical, find a way to translate it into more accessible language. Use those details to make your reader hear, feel, see, taste and smell what you are writing about. Is the problem you are writing about regional -- such as a drought? MORE
At the start of each month, we send at least 10 writing prompts (usually more) to the subscribers of our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts E-Newsletter. Source of the Month – other places to find writing inspiration. MORE
I read this book last week called “How to Write Knockout Proposals&# by Joseph Barbato. Barbato says “Your goal is to write a persuasive proposal that will get funded.&# I agree. Grant WritingIt was a quick read and had lots of golden nuggets. I thought I’d share a few with you along with my interpretation of them. One size does not fit all. Don’t put together one proposal then send it to lots of different funders. It’s lazy. MORE
Join us this week for Writing a Donor-Centered Website with Tom Ahern. Writing a Donor-Centered Website. Fundraising Writing for the WebYou can’t just add a “Donate” button to your nonprofit’s website and expect it to be successful. MORE
Think your in-house created direct mail appeal doesn’t stand a chance against the big boys? Think again. You don’t need to hire a firm in order to have a successful appeal letter. You also don’t have to be an expert in fundraising. MORE
I took a workshop last weekend with the Willamette Writers Group on how to write and sell short stories, for fun! Will you use this diagram to write your next appeal letter or newsletter story? Are you working on your summer appeal or your summer newsletter? MORE
Let me begin with two questions. Do donors really care about getting results from the nonprofits they support? And, do they really care about the nonprofits themselves … as in, do they want a relationship with those groups? I’m prompted to ask these questions for two reasons. First, because I just read this UK report mentioned by Bluefrog’s Mark Phillips , which says that most donors don’t really pay much attention to results at all. MORE
Last week, we talked about those wordy phrases you need to trim (and what to use instead). For example, just say “enough” instead of “a sufficient amount of.” ” Today, we are going to cover redundant phrases. MORE
So, I decided to become a journalism major instead even though I wasn’t very good at writing. Anyway, in one of my first classes, the Professor told us to pick up The Elements of Style by Strunk and White — the timeless guide and companion for anyone who needs to write (that includes you). Here are 9 gems from it that might help you write better communications to benefit your donors. Your writing should not be designed to impress your donors. MORE
Guest bloggerMargot Friedman, principal of Dupont Circle Communications, conducts trainings on writing and placing opinion editorials. I invite you to use the comments box below to try out an idea or ask a different question about writing publishable op eds. MORE
I like this story-writing exercise recommended by Leah Eustace at Good Works. After reminding us why storytelling is so important to fundraising, Leah suggests four stories to write: Write the story of the people who founded your organization. Interview the Chair of your Board and write a story about why she volunteers so much time and energy to the cause. And as Leah says … always write about why. MORE
I’ve just re-released my popular e-book on how to write a nonprofit annual report. If you are struggling with how to produce one, this guide will answer your questions. MORE
At the start of each month, we send at least 10 writing prompts to the subscribers of our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts E-Newsletter to get them thinking about articles, stories, press releases, blog posts, Facebook updates, letters, and other content for the following month. MORE
Its mission is to help government and businesses write clearly. There’s even a Plain Writing Act, which “requires that federal agencies use clear government communication that the public can understand and use.” Is your writing personal and conversational? MORE
In truth, when it comes down to actually writing a deliverable for a client, even details such as the report style, format, length and the sections I use vary considerably. Writing a really solid executive summary. I often get asked how I structure my actual written strategic social media engagement plans when working with a public sector or non-profit organization. MORE
Unfortunately, not every nonprofit can afford to hire accomplished copywriters and designers to prepare their fundraising messages. I wish everyone could, because there’s an enormous bank of know-how out there, and there’s no real substitute for it … fundraising copywriting and design is a craft. MORE
In response to the query I posed a few days ago, Should Roger Keep Writing? , Dear Roger, Please write. it appears that Agitator readers — at least the vocal ones — believe that donor relationship-building matters. We continue to have hope for converting the naysayers. Thanks for your comments. And so Roger has been instructed to complete his book on donor retention. Now he has both his publisher and expectant Agitator readers to satisfy! MORE
Even if you like to write like I do, it can still feel like it takes forever to produce something good. Below are five online writing tools we like and that were also recommended by friends. Is there a writing tool you use all the time? MORE
Have you ever felt, “Geez, I work hard, but my writing muscles don’t want to flex today! Especially now, I’ve got to write this appeal letter, and it’s just not FLOWING man!&#. So, how do you get in the groove to write this thing? MORE
It’s nonprofit writing! Not all nonprofit writing, of course, but a fair amount of it. Here are 20 ways you can bring your writing back to life. Then go back and write. Make the reason you are writing crystal clear. It’s dry. It’s boring. MORE
You can get it all with Jeff Brooks’ Turn Your Words into Money: The Master Fundraiser’s Guide to Persuasive Writing. You’ll learn and laugh as you gobble your way through this guide to writing good—then great—messages that spur the actions you need. Overwhelmed by a huge writing to-do list for right-now campaigns, the annual report, and probably some special projects thrown in just because we don’t have enough to do. MORE
Writing Related Topics 
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JUNE 20, 2016
Is your writing dry and boring? Eliminating jargon and overall wordiness is a great place to start, but here are 20 more ways that you can bring your writing back to life. Then go back and write. Make the reason you are writing crystal clear.
Getting Attention
MARCH 16, 2016
You can get it all with Jeff Brooks’ Turn Your Words into Money: The Master Fundraiser’s Guide to Persuasive Writing. You’ll learn and laugh as you gobble your way through this guide to writing good—then great—messages that spur the actions you need. Overwhelmed by a huge writing to-do list for right-now campaigns, the annual report, and probably some special projects thrown in just because we don’t have enough to do.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JULY 25, 2016
Join us this week for Writing a Donor-Centered Website with Tom Ahern. Writing a Donor-Centered Website. Fundraising Writing for the WebYou can’t just add a “Donate” button to your nonprofit’s website and expect it to be successful.
Getting Attention
JANUARY 28, 2016
Then learn and laugh as you gobble your way through Jeff Brooks’ new guide to writing great nonprofit content: How to Turn Your Words Into Money: The Master Fundraiser’s Guide to Persuasive Writing. Here are a few of Jeff’s more surprising steps to message magic: Your high school English teacher would HATE your most effective writing because it breaks almost every rule he taught you.
iMarketSmart
SEPTEMBER 19, 2016
Learn how to write appeal letters to major donors that raise money. The post How NOT to write a letter to your supporter community appeared first on MarketSmart | . Here’s an old letter from my alma mater.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MARCH 2, 2015
At the start of each month, we send at least 10 writing prompts to the subscribers of our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts E-Newsletter to get them thinking about articles, stories, press releases, blog posts, Facebook updates, letters, and other content for the following month.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JULY 30, 2015
At the start of each month, we send at least 10 writing prompts (usually more) to the subscribers of our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts E-Newsletter. Source of the Month – other places to find writing inspiration.
Wild Woman Fundraising
JANUARY 12, 2015
I am always learning how to write. For right now, for example, I feel like I’ve got appeal letters nailed, but I’m learning how to write a screenplay. In our nonprofits, we have to write all the time. It was hard to write.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MARCH 26, 2015
This training IS about how you write awesome landing and donation pages that get your visitors to give! You’ll learn everything you need to know about writing for your website AND get one-on-one feedback on your landing or donation pages from Tom Ahern.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
SEPTEMBER 21, 2016
We’ve all read those mission statements or fundraising appeals that seem to have smart ideas, but when you take a closer look you realize they just have a lot of words. Shorter is nearly always better. Replace these wordy phrases with their concise alternatives. a majority of = most.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
SEPTEMBER 28, 2016
Last week, we talked about those wordy phrases you need to trim (and what to use instead). For example, just say “enough” instead of “a sufficient amount of.” ” Today, we are going to cover redundant phrases.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JULY 18, 2016
But now you are less than two weeks away from August and have no idea what you are gonna write about. Here are some ideas for blog posts, social media updates or newsletter articles for next month taken from our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts Email Newsletter : On the Calendar.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
FEBRUARY 19, 2015
To write a good profile about a client, donor, volunteer or other supporter of your nonprofit organization, you need to see several sides of that person. Ten questions should give you enough to write a great profile.
iMarketSmart
JANUARY 18, 2017
So, I decided to become a journalism major instead even though I wasn’t very good at writing. Anyway, in one of my first classes, the Professor told us to pick up The Elements of Style by Strunk and White — the timeless guide and companion for anyone who needs to write (that includes you). Here are 9 gems from it that might help you write better communications to benefit your donors. Your writing should not be designed to impress your donors.
Wild Woman Fundraising
JUNE 23, 2011
How should you write your appeal letter? So how can you write something simultaneously real, and lively, and on a level that most people can understand? Do you have a way you get yourself in the space to write? Now let’s get down to brass tacks.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MARCH 1, 2011
Here are a few writing prompts to get you thinking creatively about March topics. If you were on our Nonprofit Writing Prompts email list, you would have received these a month ago. Sign up for our free Nonprofit Writing Prompts.
Getting Attention
FEBRUARY 16, 2012
Guest bloggerMargot Friedman, principal of Dupont Circle Communications, conducts trainings on writing and placing opinion editorials. I invite you to use the comments box below to try out an idea or ask a different question about writing publishable op eds.
Get Fully Funded
MARCH 9, 2011
I read this book last week called “How to Write Knockout Proposals&# by Joseph Barbato. Barbato says “Your goal is to write a persuasive proposal that will get funded.&# I agree. Grant WritingIt was a quick read and had lots of golden nuggets. I thought I’d share a few with you along with my interpretation of them. One size does not fit all. Don’t put together one proposal then send it to lots of different funders. It’s lazy.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JANUARY 13, 2011
It’s nonprofit writing! Not all nonprofit writing, of course, but a fair amount of it. Here are 20 ways you can bring your writing back to life. Then go back and write. Make the reason you are writing crystal clear. It’s dry. It’s boring.
Wild Woman Fundraising
SEPTEMBER 22, 2014
For the last month I’ve been writing you posts and showing you examples and giving you free webinars all about what makes a good appeal letter. If you’ve read the posts above, then you already know that y ou’ve got to write a short story and lead with the most dramatic thing.
Wild Woman Fundraising
JUNE 22, 2011
Have you ever felt, “Geez, I work hard, but my writing muscles don’t want to flex today! Especially now, I’ve got to write this appeal letter, and it’s just not FLOWING man!&#. So, how do you get in the groove to write this thing?
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
FEBRUARY 17, 2013
I love and hate to write. Here are three pieces of advice based on my daily struggle with blogging, fiction and work-related writing. Writing is that way - casting you forever in the role of novice, whether you enjoy it or not. If you write something that makes you want to hide or erase, keep going straight to that feeling. This is the work of writing. Write what you want to read, say what must, lay down what matters to you.
The Agitator
MARCH 29, 2015
Unfortunately, not every nonprofit can afford to hire accomplished copywriters and designers to prepare their fundraising messages. I wish everyone could, because there’s an enormous bank of know-how out there, and there’s no real substitute for it … fundraising copywriting and design is a craft.
The Agitator
MARCH 17, 2014
Let me begin with two questions. Do donors really care about getting results from the nonprofits they support? And, do they really care about the nonprofits themselves … as in, do they want a relationship with those groups? I’m prompted to ask these questions for two reasons. First, because I just read this UK report mentioned by Bluefrog’s Mark Phillips , which says that most donors don’t really pay much attention to results at all.
Fundraising 123
NOVEMBER 19, 2007
Follow these simple guidelines for finding and writing a story that is not only engaging, but also improves how your message is presented to the world. Don''t try to get fancy with your writing. If you are writing something technical, find a way to translate it into more accessible language. Use those details to make your reader hear, feel, see, taste and smell what you are writing about. Is the problem you are writing about regional -- such as a drought?
Wild Woman Fundraising
NOVEMBER 27, 2013
How can you be brave and stand up and write something different than has been tried before? Take out the first three paragraphs you write. Read before you write. They help you write in short sentences, and write like your character’s life depends on it.
Ann Green
NOVEMBER 16, 2015
Its mission is to help government and businesses write clearly. There’s even a Plain Writing Act, which “requires that federal agencies use clear government communication that the public can understand and use.” Is your writing personal and conversational?
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JUNE 19, 2013
We''ve Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us. We''ve Moved! Update your Reader Now.
The Agitator
MAY 5, 2011
I like this story-writing exercise recommended by Leah Eustace at Good Works. After reminding us why storytelling is so important to fundraising, Leah suggests four stories to write: Write the story of the people who founded your organization. Interview the Chair of your Board and write a story about why she volunteers so much time and energy to the cause. And as Leah says … always write about why.
Getting Attention
SEPTEMBER 14, 2011
Eureka! The sharp folks at Marketing Experiments have shared this crystal-clear matrix to help you determine how long your fundraising or marketing copy should be for greatest impact. As with all marketing “formulas,&# there’s a lot of “it depends&# here.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MAY 2, 2012
Write to an audience of one. Write as if you are speaking to that person. If, say, a family member helped you with a down payment on a car, you wouldn’t write that person a note saying, “Together we found the funds to purchase. Claire Meyerhoff.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
NOVEMBER 4, 2014
Think your in-house created direct mail appeal doesn’t stand a chance against the big boys? Think again. You don’t need to hire a firm in order to have a successful appeal letter. You also don’t have to be an expert in fundraising.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
DECEMBER 20, 2010
I’ve just re-released my popular e-book on how to write a nonprofit annual report. If you are struggling with how to produce one, this guide will answer your questions.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MARCH 19, 2013
We've Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us. We've Moved! Update your Reader Now.
Social Media Bird Brain
APRIL 15, 2011
David Brooks @NY Times Just dashing in here to drop off a quick note on improving your writing. Whether short or long, email or grant report, making your writing more engaging is a worthwhile enterprise. david brooks metaphor Small nonprofit writing figuratively speakingTo improve your understanding and use of metaphor, check out this great lesson by the excellent NY Times columnist David Brooks: How Metaphors Make Meaning.
The Agitator
MARCH 19, 2014
In response to the query I posed a few days ago, Should Roger Keep Writing? , Dear Roger, Please write. it appears that Agitator readers — at least the vocal ones — believe that donor relationship-building matters. We continue to have hope for converting the naysayers. Thanks for your comments. And so Roger has been instructed to complete his book on donor retention. Now he has both his publisher and expectant Agitator readers to satisfy!
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
FEBRUARY 27, 2017
Use these prompts taken from our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts Email Newsletter for your blog posts, social media updates or newsletter articles. (If If you want ideas every month, sign up for our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts E-Newsletter.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JANUARY 12, 2009
Write an annual report that. “How to Write a. Most professional writers will tell you that writing really good short articles and profiles is harder than writing long ones, and the same can be true for short annual reports.
Public Sector Marketing 2.0
NOVEMBER 23, 2012
In truth, when it comes down to actually writing a deliverable for a client, even details such as the report style, format, length and the sections I use vary considerably. Writing a really solid executive summary. I often get asked how I structure my actual written strategic social media engagement plans when working with a public sector or non-profit organization.
Wild Woman Fundraising
JULY 5, 2016
I took a workshop last weekend with the Willamette Writers Group on how to write and sell short stories, for fun! Will you use this diagram to write your next appeal letter or newsletter story? Are you working on your summer appeal or your summer newsletter?
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