7 Ways to Use Verbal Images to Pull Donors Into Your Appeal
6. Convey your nonprofit’s work
Mission statements are usually uninspiring. You wouldn’t want to include one in your appeal. But a verbal image can express a nonprofit’s work in a way that engages donors: “John used to be a drug addict. Used to be. Today, saying grace at the dinner table with his two small kids, he sneaks a glance at them. Their heads bowed, hands folded, they’re … smiling! Finally he’s the father and provider he hoped he could be.” Immediately your readers know what this nonprofit does, and they get it in a way that’s more human and memorable than saying, “We help people overcome addiction.”
An agency-trained, award-winning, freelance fundraising copywriter and consultant with years of on-the-ground experience, George specializes in crafting direct mail appeals, online appeals and other communications that move donors to give. He serves major nonprofits with projects ranging from specialized appeals for mid-level and high-dollar donors, to integrated, multichannel campaigns, to appeals for acquisition, reactivation and cultivation.
