Creative

No matter how bad (or good) your writing is today, it’s possible to improve it overnight. Here are seven quick “tricks” that can improve the very next piece you write. 1. Know your reader. 2. Know your objective. 3. Use short words. 4. Use short sentences. 5. Use short paragraphs. 6. Use active language. 7. Write recklessly, and rewrite ruthlessly.

Staying on your donor's good side can be a dicey proposition. People and relationships are full of paradoxes and contradictions. And that's doubly true of donor relationships, which are complicated by the fact that you spend a lot more time talking at your supporter than with her.

"For the most part, educating donors is a futile and money-wasting exercise. Not only does it squander resources and opportunities — but it nearly always fails to educate." Those were the words from Jeff Brooks in his September 2008 Easier Said Than Done column, "The Futility of Educating Donors."

Subject lines are more important than you might think. On average, at least 100 e-mails flood your constituents' inboxes every single day. That's a lot of digital noise to shout over, which is why your e-mail subject lines need as much TLC as the content inside. Here's a simple, four-step makeover to help transform your subject lines from ho-hum to "Oh, wow!": State the obvious, stand out from the crowd, avoid the spam trap and keep it short.

As social-media platforms seem to keep changing at an exponential rate, there is one thing that you can count on to remain the same for at least the next thousand years: People will always make decisions based on emotion and justify those decisions with reason. Here are six ways brain science can increase fundraising results, get more volunteers, and change behaviors: Tell them what the Jones' gave. Leverage the halo effect. show them how far they have to go. Let them see the impact. Swap out stats for stories. Ask them to promise.

Our industry has developed a long list of best practices, based on experience, testing and measured results. But best practices are guidelines. When they're etched in stone they can become tombstones.

In the September 2008 issue, copywriter Willis Turner wrote about "3 Things Your Donor Doesn’t Give a Hoot About." The bad news? "Sorry, Charlie, but it starts with you," Willis warned.

I learned a long time ago, as a development professional, that having a great case for support is nearly meaningless unless you also develop compelling messaging. Unfortunately, many nonprofits continue to send the same dull, institutional-focused direct mail that prospects easily bypass in the paper shuffle. Charities continue to make uninspiring calls, publish informative articles few read, run ads that donors only glance at and soon forget. Here are three tips for crafting more compelling content: 1. Cite fewer statistics and tell more stories. 2. Use humor. 3. Choose your words carefully.

In July 2008, Jeff Brooks warned that no matter how good an idea is, it can hurt you if you do it wrong in his Easier Said Than Done column, "Useful Truths: Apply With Care."

If you're in a real hurry to drive your fundraising program into the ground by driving away your donors, here are some common nonprofit practices that can help you along the way: 1. Write and design to please yourself. 2. Have a braggy, self-centered brand. 3. Educate your donors. 4. Don't tell stories. 5. Don't offer your donors choices. 6. Take a long time to acknowledge gifts. 7. Send your donors generic acknowledgments, not genuine thank-yous. 8. Never report back to donors what their giving accomplished. 9. Let your donor data be sloppy.