The document provides tips for creating an effective nonprofit fundraising appeal in 20 minutes or less. It emphasizes the importance of clarity, brevity, and a clear call to action. Key recommendations include focusing on one compelling benefit for donors, using short paragraphs and active language, and crafting an attention-grabbing message for the envelope to maximize open rates.

1. How to Create a
Nonprofit Appeal
in 20 Minutes
January 15, 2015
Host: NonProfit Times
Conducted by: Herschell Gordon Lewis
Interlocutor: Paul Clolery

3. Is it
possible?

4. Oh, yes, it’s not only
possible but probable…
when you recognize three
unique values to YOU as
fundraiser:

5. Value number one:
If you’re a start-up, you
can be competitive with
established nonprofits.
(As a business, all
nonprofits compete
against all other
nonprofits.)

6. Value number two:
You can inspire without
specifying how funds will
be used.
Invariably, statistics
become not only dull but
a turnoff to some
prospective donors.)

7. Value number three:
You can transmit clearly
the clarity of purpose – the
value of your offer to both
you and to your targets –
without leaning on
validation.
(To some, validation raises
the otherwise dormant
question of validity.)

8. Parenthetical point:
References to validators
who aren’t well-known to
prospective mailers may
weaken your sales
argument rather than
enhance it.
(It’s a 20th century pre-
web hangover.)

9. You have 20 minutes
from your decision to
create the PowerPoint to
having it on the screen.
Your sole motivation:
Think like a salesperson,
not like an analyst

10. THE
CLARITY
COMMANDMENT
One element should drive
every professional
communication you create,
from this moment forward:

11. The Clarity
Commandment:
When you choose words and
phrases for
force-communication,
clarity is paramount.
Don’t let any other component
of the communications mix
interfere with it.

12. RECOGNITION
OF
PURPOSE
A second element should
drive every professional
direct response message
you create, from this
moment forward:

13. Recognition
of Purpose:
The purpose of a direct response
message is to convince the
recipient of that message to
perform a specific positive act
as the direct result of that
message.

14. Typical email subject line
or
carrier envelope copy:
This is what
I want you to do:
(envelope copy --
handwritten preferred)

15. Then
tell them
what to do

16. Get to the point
fast.
You’ll save their
time…
and yours…
and probably
generate more
response

17. You know the optimum:
Letter – no paragraph longer
than 7 lines. One paragraph
can be a single word.
Email – limit paragraphs to
four lines. Three is better.
For both – active voice, not
passive voice.

18. No time or
space
wasted.
Note the
gripping
way this
letter
seizes and
holds
attention
… but…

19. Excellent
test
possibility:
Would
response be
quicker and
stronger
reaction if
the
message
had been
shorter?

20. Want to knock out your
message within 20
minutes?
Visualize describing the
story as you’re sitting
next to a possible donor
on the bus … then write
it that way.

21. Want to knock out your
message within 20
minutes?
For snail-mail, tell
yourself your message
won’t run beyond one
page. You’ll automatically
and quickly condense.

22. Want to knock out your
message within 20
minutes?
For email, tell yourself
your message won’t run
beyond four paragraphs.
You’ll automatically and
quickly condense.

23. Simple no-brainer
techniques for letter or
email coming up.

24. Do you need graphics to
augment a shorter email?
No.
In fact, graphics can
damage the image of
urgency.

25. Forget plurals.
It’s “Me to you”
not
“We to you”
or
“… to those of you who…”

26. Exception to Singular Rule: A
generalized announcement
• DEARWIKIPEDIA READERS:
• Advertising is not evil. But it doesn't belong here. We survive
on donations averaging about $15. Now is the time we ask. If
everyone reading this right now gave $3, ourfundraiserwould
be done within an hour. Yep, that’s about the price of buying a
programmera coffee.We’re a small non-profit with costs of a
top 5 website: servers, staff and programs. Wikipedia is
something special. It is like a library ora public park, a temple
for the mind where we can all go to thinkand learn. When we
founded Wikipedia, we could have made it a forprofit company
with advertising banners, but we decided to do something
different. To protect ourindependence, we'll neverrun ads. If
Wikipedia is useful to you, take one minute to keep it online
and ad-free anotheryear.
• Thankyou.

27. Do self-mailers work?
Possibly: Self-mailers are
worth testing.
Obverse (front side) has
name, address, and a
“grabber” punchline.
Reverse side has a dramatic
picture.
Both sides tell the recipient
to participate NOW.

28. Before you start writing,
answer this question:
What benefit might
donors expect?
Build your text around
that and you’ll write
faster and more
powerfully.

29. Does “Cute” increase or
decrease response?
• Sloths are entirely dependent on the health of tropical rain forests. But tropical rain
forests are at risk—as deforestation occurs, sloths lose their shelter and food source.
WWF works with communities, governments and companies to protect forests around
the world, including in Brazil, where an initiative in the Amazon has become the
largest conservation project in the world.
During this season of giving, share your commitment to conservation and wildlife.
When you make a donation to WWF, you can choose one of these special thank-you
gifts to show your friends and family how much you care about safeguarding animals
in the wild and threatened habitat.

30. Motivational or weak? What
might you have written?

31. What makes this
effective?

32. Decide quickly – what might you
have written differently?

33. In the real world, for this you might
have one minute to create strong
envelope copy. What would you say?

34. In haste, you might write
“assumptive” copy with “in-
talk” outsiders misinterpret

35. A curious bit of
marketing philosophy
that’s especially apt for
both subject lines and
content:
Offering options gives
them options.

36. Another way of making
the same moneymaking
point:
“Tell them what to do”
should refer to what
appears to be a single
course of action, not
multiple choices.

37. A quick look at
some of the
weapons in our
arsenal:

38. Don’t waste “keyboard time”
puzzling over envelope copy.
Think, think, as you’re
writing other elements:
What can I write…
or not write…
on the envelope to convince
someone to open it?
Then write, look, decide.

39. The carrier envelope has
just one purpose
(other than preventing
the contents from falling
out into the street):
to get itself opened.

40. Two questions:
1. Which of these is more likely to be opened?
2. What would the comparative attitude be at
the moment of opening?

41. Both are flawed.
1. What wording would you use in rewrite?
2. Would you consider handwriting, or blank?

42. Two questions:
1. Will the typical recipient look at this
envelope copy with suspicion?
2. Does the “Multiply” line help or hurt?

43. An easy theme:
Promise an exclusive benefit –
tickets to an event
appointment to the Board
multi-year membership for
the cost of one year
publicity
If you use one of these, put it
on the envelope.

44. Saying too much
on the envelope
can damage response.

45. A quick look at
the key selling
element of direct
mail – the letter:

46. Some logical
and ridiculously
simple rules
for
effective letter-
writing
(and much email):

47. Keep your
first sentence
short.

48. No paragraphs
longer than
seven lines.
Option: handwritten
notations in margins add
emphasis

49. Single space
the letter.
Double space
between paragraphs.

50. Don’t
sneak up
on the reader.
You’re at point-blank
range. So:
Fire
your biggest gun
first.
(Imperative for e-mail.)

51. Tired of “Dear Friend”?
Try one of these:
• Good morning!
• Hi.
• Dear Colleague,
• Dear Tennis Nut,
• Dear Fellow Tennis Nut,
• This will be a good day, [NAME]!
• If you’re like I am, [NAME]…
(When should you use
only the first name?)

52. Don’t overwrite
an email.
If they have to
analyze, you’ve
written it wrong.

53. An absolute rule of
online fundraising:
Make response
no-brainer
easy.

54. Adding the recipient’s
name to the “Subject”
line usually increases
response.
Be sure you or your
production team can do
this before assuming it’s
there for you.

55. An absolute rule:
Don’t go backward
Words such as “available” and
“among” drag the thrust
backward. “What I meant was” is
deadly.
You’re in command. “Backward
phraseology” lets the rudder slip
out of your hand. You’ll never
make it in 20 minutes.

56. You have time today to
analyze fundraising
messages you’re working on
now and waiting for your
fingertips to produce
improvement…
and you have a lifetime for
your fingertips to use what
you’re picking up today.

58. Want to discuss a
project?
Send an email to
Herschell@hglewis.com

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Questions
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