Speaking of Fundraising: Copywriting for the Post-Recession
Think of creative as your fundraising portfolio. In tough times, you shift your investments to more conservative stocks to make sure you don't lose too much. When the economy is stronger, you diversify and extend your risk in the hope of increasing your reward.
4. Test what works. Necessity might be the mother of invention, but confidence is the mother of innovation. Breakthrough packages don't come from timidly following what has always worked. In one of the hundreds of how-to-survive-the-recession presentations I listened to over the past year, I heard a direct-mail guru say that creativity equals risk. Maybe so. But remember that risk equals reward.
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.
