Are You Teasing Me?

Let’s think like a donor for a minute. He or she sees your envelope first — and maybe last. If there is nothing that captures attention, you’re sunk. No matter what is in the envelope, your potential donor won’t see it. Your brilliant letter and award-winning photography has just been consigned to the recycling bin or trash can. Ditto on the e-appeal. If the subject line isn’t appealing, the e-mail is deleted. Worse, if the subject line is offensive or just boring, you could be eternally relegated to “junk sender” status.