Copywriting

I don’t write copy for clients. It’s just not the most strategic use of my time. If you’re the CEO or chief development officer at a nonprofit, chances are this is true for you, too. I have yet to work with a CEO or chief development officer who is fulfilling his or her potential or responsibility in fundraising by re-writing (vs. brief edits) a document...

Today’s Associated Press Style, used by most journalists and professional communicators, seeks to abbreviate copy and save valuable space—whether in print or online—knowing that readership and comprehension both increase with brevity....

Let’s say you’ve been asked to write the year-end appeal for your organization. Now you’re staring at that proverbial blank sheet of paper or more likely, the new (and wordless) document you’ve opened on your computer. You feel the pressure mounting …And now what do you do?...

The Guardian, three years removed from a Pulitzer Prize that helped spur the British newspaper’s international expansion, is fully embracing a new moneymaking strategy in the face of industrywide revenue problems: philanthropy. The company has established a nonprofit venture in the U.S., theguardian.org, to focus on tapping philanthropic organizations—or even corporate foundations and think tanks—for…

Storytelling has been "hot" for some time now and for good reason. Our human brains are wired for storytelling. We’re automatically open and receptive. So, you’d be foolish not to use this to your advantage when it comes to your nonprofit marketing and fundraising—especially if your goal is to raise money. Storytelling is not difficult once you get the knack of it...

Business writing skills are more important than ever before. In a world full of emails and messages, you need to be able to get your point across in writing. If you feel you need some help with your business writing skills, here are nine tips that will help you improve...

The words you use on your donation page are powerful. And there’s a danger in assuming your donor understands why they should give to you just because they land on your donation page. By adding copy to your page, you can articulate those reasons clearly and increase your donations...

There is one important thing everyone involved in the process of creating a fundraising appeal has to remember: You are not the target audience. What you think or feel doesn’t matter. What matters is what the person being asked to make a donation thinks and feels...

There is a lot of talk these days about fake news. Fake news is intentional misinformation. Falsehoods. I recall getting an email from a friend during the 2008 presidential election. The information presented was shocking, but appeared to be from a “reliable” news source. I spent 15 minutes on Google and found that the information was completely false...

The National Park Foundation is commemorating the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary with its $350 million Centennial Campaign for America’s National Parks...