Creative

Check out the winners of the 2014 FundRaising Success Gold Awards for Fundraising Excellence Email ($10 Million and Over) category from the National Park Foundation and Wilderness Society.

Nonprofits are in the business of changing lives; learn and share your stories with donors, and make hearts soar.

For the benefit of those who missed them, because no one taught them, here are nine fundamentals that will make your readers' job easier and consequently improve your fundraising results.

Yes, your organization is small, your budget is smaller and your available time is the smallest yet. You want to grow so that this time next year, you have more supporters — and more money to accomplish the mission you are passionate about.

When writing your organization's branding and style guide, nitpick. Books, chapters, paragraphs, sentences, letters. Writing is composed entirely of little details, precisely arranged to create a cumulative effect.

There is too much competition for your donors' attention and dollars to make fundraising a narcissistic exercise.

Be explicit, don't beat around the bush, get to the point and be clear in your fundraising appeal letter. You'll raise more money if you do!

When I open an envelope, I want to quickly grasp what it is I am being "offered" — what problem can I solve if I send a gift? Are you answering that question for your reader?

Part 2 of my alphabetical list of writing mistakes that are easy to make but important to avoid.

Nonprofit competition is keen. You must create a story that is unique and separates your organization from others in the community.