Dusty Chunks of Plaster Lit by a Bare Light Bulb
1. Get close to the story
Too many fundraising “stories” sound more like caseworkers’ intake reports than dramatic narratives. One reason this happens is because the writers often get their background from caseworkers’ intake reports. So start by getting information from sources as close to the story as you can. Ask to interview the client who received the services. Or the site manager who directly helped him or her.
Willis Turner believes great writing has the power to change minds, save lives, and make people want to dance and sing. Willis is the creative director at Huntsinger & Jeffer. He worked as a lead writer and creative director in the traditional advertising world for more than 15 years before making the switch to fundraising 20 years ago. In his work with nonprofit organizations and associations, he has written thousands of appeals, renewals and acquisition communications for every medium. He creates direct-response campaigns, and collateral communications materials that get attention, tell powerful stories and persuade people to take action or make a donation.
