Pack Your Writing and Design With a Valuable Punch

Pack Your Writing and Design With a Valuable Punch

Sept. 27, 2005

By Sarah Durham and Ali Kiselis

When it's time to plan your next annual report, holiday appeal or direct-mail campaign, ensure the writing and design hits your audience where it counts most: their values.

At The DMA Nonprofit Federation's recent New York Nonprofit Conference, keynote speaker Kay Sprinkle Grace eloquently reminded us of the importance of value-based direct marketing. To paraphrase: Values and the corresponding issues and emotions they inspire are the closest, most intimate, and most motivating route connecting you and your audiences. They are also an inherent building block of your organization. If you can make the connection resonate in your communications materials, you'll have a recipe for successful fundraising.

We all nodded our heads in hearty agreement because it makes perfect sense, but do nonprofits remember to put it into practice when it's time to communicate with donors and prospects?

When it comes to writing and design, many nonprofits face the pitfall of focusing too much, or even entirely, on themselves: their organization, their work and how they do things. While that's important information to convey, it needs to take a backseat to what's even more important: your donors and what matters to them. Focus, instead, on how your work impacts them, the issues they care so much about and why they can feel good about supporting your mission.

Inspire donors and prospects to say, "Yes, these guys are addressing something I really believe in. It makes me feel good to give them my money and my support."

Here's a great example of a nonprofit's marketing copy that packs a value-driven punch:

Did you really mean it when you said, "If I could change the world … ?" Sometimes the journey of one affects the journey of thousands. Transform the lives of women and girls in the Jewish community and, at the same time, shape your life in ways you never imagined.

--Jewish Women's Foundation of New York

Alternatively, they could've said something along the lines of this: "We uniquely help women, and make a real difference in the world. We need your support." Compared to the former, it just doesn't pack the same punch.

Strive to fuel your fundraising with value-driven writing and design. Inspire your donors and prospects into action with the most powerful tools at your disposal -- the values that ignited your organization from day one and continue to move it forward.

Five tips for valuable copywriting:

• The words "you" and "your" should appear more than "we" and "our."
• Talk about the issues you address more than the work you do.
• Explain how the donor personally benefits by supporting your organization.
• Share a first-hand account of a life you've helped transform.
• Include a quote with a lot of heart: from clients, staff or board members.

Five tips for valuable design:

• Highlight pictures of the children, adults or community you help.
• Show before/after pictures (if appropriate to your mission). For example, a nonprofit that builds affordable housing might show an empty lot next to the same lot they've transformed with clean, new apartments and a family standing out front.
• Colors are especially emotive. Use a color palette that compliments your brand identity to help evoke a mood and convey your message consistently.
• Sometimes, less is more. Use white space to create poignancy.
• Try an innovative, unique format (tall, square, narrow, wide, etc.) to help draw attention and differentiate you from your competitor(s).

Sarah Durham is principal and founder of Big Duck Studio, a New York-based communications firm that exclusively works with nonprofits. Ali Kiselis is public relations manager. They can be reached at smartcommunications@bigduckstudio.com.