How to Write Fundraising Materials that Raise More Money


Book Description

Writing to raise money takes more than a few choice words. Highly profitable communications use a wide array of "trade secrets" to boost response. Things like emotional triggers, a working knowledge of reader psychology, the discovery of eye motion studies, and donor research ? all help writing pros reap big rewards from their appeal letters, newsletters, websites, case statements, and more.Now these trade secrets are yours, collected in one easy-to-understand volume: How to Write Fundraising Materials that Raise More Money ? The Art, the Science, the Secrets. Author Tom Ahern is recognized as one of North America's leading experts on effective communications. His workshops are in hot demand. Last year he released a first-of-its-kind book on moneymaking donor newsletters.Now, in his new book, Ahern reveals all: how top fundraising writers inspire their prospects to make that first gift ? and how they keep existing donors loyal and generous.Raising more money through words, via the printed page or online, is no accident. But anyone can do it well: you don?t need special writing talent. All you need is this essential guide to best practices in the fundraising industry.




The End of Fundraising


Book Description

Why does it cost nonprofits on average $20 to raise $100, while it costs companies only $4? Simply put: Nonprofits have no leverage. No one has to make a donation. And since most donors have no direct stake in the organizations they support, they make donations out of the goodness of their hearts. If donors feel like writing a check, they will. If they don't, they won't. The End of Fundraising turns fundraising on its head, teaching nonprofits how to stop begging for charity and start selling impact. For the first time, nonprofits have economic power. We live in a new era where consumers, businesses, investors, employees, and service providers attach real economic value to social outcomes. An era where yesterday's "feel good" issues—education, the environment, health care, the arts, and animal rights—now have direct economic consequences and opportunities. Nonprofits now have leverage. To use this leverage, nonprofits must learn how to "sell" their impact to a new set of stakeholders. Using his fifteen years of experience advising the world's leading nonprofits, foundations, and corporations, Jason Saul reveals the formula for how nonprofits transcend the paradigm of charitable fundraising and reach true financial sustainability. Specifically, this groundbreaking book offers nonprofit professionals a guide to Understand the role of social change in our economy Capture and communicate impact in simple, compelling terms Identify the new market stakeholders that value nonprofit outcomes Create powerful value propositions to increase leverage Improve the success of a nonprofit's pitches to funders The End of Fundraising includes the tools needed to effectively frame, market, and sell a nonprofit organization's impact, and contains step-by-step guidance for creating dynamic new opportunities with a variety of funders.




Raising More Money with Newsletters Than You Ever Thought Possible


Book Description

Today, many organizations are raising more money with their newsletter than with traditional mail appeals.And after reading Tom Ahern's riveting book, Raising More Money with Newsletters than You Ever Thought Possible, it's easy to understand why.Great newsletters, as distinguished from the mundane ones many of us receive, have so much more going for them.For starters, they deliver real news (not tired features such as "From the Director's Desk'' and "Introducing Our New Staff"). They make the donor feel important. They use emotional triggers to spur action. They're designed in a way to attract both browsers and readers. And they don't depend on dry statistics to make the organization's case.The essence of Raising Money with Newsletters than You Ever Thought Possible centers around seven fatal flaws, as Ahern calls them. And along the way to discussing ? and dissecting ? these flaws, the reader is treated to such chapters as:o Making news out of thin airo What a front page is foro Lower the grade level of your writingo Anecdotes versus statso How should it look? A proven formulaTransforming your newsletter into a substantial money raiser isn't all that difficult. As Ahern himself says, "You don?t need a degree in journalism to publish a newsletter that will keep your donors inspired (and generous). You just need a few skills and insights."Read this book. Pick up those skills. And be assured that the ratio of time spent versus gains realized might well be the most cost-effective of your entire career.




How to Connect with Donors and Double the Money You Raise


Book Description

There is no shortage of donors.What is lacking is our ability to relate to the donors we already have.That, in essence, is the message of Thomas Wolf's new book, How to Connect with Donors and Double the Money You Raise.Too often today we see donors through the distorted lens of retention rates, average gifts, moves management, and gift table place setters.It's as if our donors have become video game avatars we can manipulate.But that's not how top fundraisers operate. Those who secure the largest gifts do something many of us seem afraid of in this electronic age. They shake hands, they meet for lunch, they lend an ear, they commiserate, they celebrate. And, most importantly, they're genuine. As How to Connect with Donors and Double the Money You Raise makes brilliantly clear, successful fundraising is all about turning a name into a relationship.When you do, the money will flow.




Donor-centered Fundraising


Book Description

"Supported by dozens of studies over twenty years involving tens of thousands of donors, 'Donor-Centered Fundraising' paints a candid picture of why donors stop giving, and what it will take to preserve their ongoing loyalty in the future. In clear language and backed by statistical evidence, the book explores the pitfalls of the fundraising industry's traditional approaches to donor communication and recognition and clarifies what donors want but seldom get from the charities they support."--Publisher description.




Engagement Fundraising


Book Description

THE TIME HAS COME This book is for you if you know your job is getting harder because donor expectations have changed, the old orthodoxies and conventions don't work anymore, and competition for the charitable dollar is growing. Engagement Fundraising was developed from the perspective of a donor who discovered firsthand that the impersonal, spray-and-pray approaches of his beloved charity were not only offensive but also wasteful and ineffective. With Engagement Fundraising, you can be the fundraiser you want to be, helping wealthy and legacy-minded individuals find meaning in their lives through giving. The key is in leveraging smart strategies and powerful technologies to engage your supporters with highly relevant, captivating, respectful communications. Try Engagement Fundraising and the results will speak for themselves.




The Digital Fundraising Blueprint


Book Description

Written by a fundraiser for fundraisers. The Digital Fundraising Blueprint provides a one-stop resource for nonprofits to use when it comes to raising more money online. The strategies and tactics contained in this book are the exact same ones used by the author, a digital fundraising consultant, that helped raise over $100 million for nonprofits. Now, you have access to the same tips and frameworks, which can power your nonprofit to do more good in the world. This book goes into detail about raising money via website content, email, social media, social media ads, search engine marketing, online display ads, mobile, and more! In addition, this book is loaded with tips that you can immediately put into place to incrementally generate more money for your nonprofit. What about Snapchat, Amazon Alexa, and Facebook Live? There are tips on those in this book as well. Looking for ways to incorporate digital with your direct mail fundraising efforts? That's in here too. For a beginner audience, it provides education on digital fundraising terms and marketing channels. For nonprofit leaders that may not be directly engaged with the digital efforts of its organization, this book will provide a baseline to understand the concepts and learn how to ask the right questions. For a more advanced digital fundraising audience, this book will include several tips for digital creative, testing ideas, donation page recommendations, and an overview of the digital fundraising ecosystem. The content of this book will spark ideas that will help you take your digital fundraising to the next level. In addition to providing information on what digital fundraising is and how to use it, this book also walks the reader through how to plan and organize your fundraising efforts. This is the most comprehensive book on the market about digital fundraising, based on real-life experience, not theories or second-hand knowledge. The following are topics covered in The Digital Fundraising Blueprint:The Digital Fundraising Ecosystem OverviewDigital Fundraising ComponentsYour WebsiteWebsite Hierarchy of ContentWebsite User Experience (UX)Website Branding and PositioningWebsite Email Capture TipsDonation Page TipsWebsite Content TipsWebsite Tracking & AnalyticsWebsite Search Engine Optimization (SEO)Website Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, and GDPREmailEmail Acquisition TipsThe Anatomy of a Fundraising EmailFundraising Email TipsAffirmation Email TipsCAN-SPAM Overview & Email BlacklistingEmail List HygieneEmail TestingEmail Design TipsSocial Media OverviewFacebookYouTubeInstagramTwitterLinkedInSnapchatDigital Media OverviewSearch Engine Marketing (SEM)Google Ad GrantsOnline Display AdsSocial Media AdsContent MarketingDigital Integration with Direct MailMobile FundraisingOther Digital Fundraising ChannelsThe Digital Fundraising FunnelAnnual Digital Fundraising PlanningTypes of Annual Planning AssetsHow to Prioritize Your Digital Fundraising ChannelsDigital Campaigns Overview




Raising More Money


Book Description

Raising More Money is an organization based in Seattle that coaches nonprofits on a system for raising sustainable funding from individual donors. Axelrod, the group's founder, here lays out the rules of engagement for the Ask Event, a one-hour gathering of a large group of people that focuses on an organization's mission in order to generate multiple-year pledges for operational funding. The goal is to get away from the hand-to-mouth, burnout-generating reality of most nonprofits, which often focus on a single year's financial goals at the expense of long-term survival. Axelrod's guide puts the event into a larger fund-raising context, explains how to prepare for and hold an Ask Event, and shows how to sustain the cycle.




How to Legally Raise Private Money


Book Description

Renowned securities attorney Kim Lisa Taylor provides the keys to legally raising money from private investors - whether for real estate or other small business. She provides a simple step-by-step format to teach you to not only raise money, but to do it legally. You'll learn how to raise all the money you need for your next venture, whether it's funding a real estate acquisition, a new idea, a product or a service - all while keeping control of your business. Some call this driver's ed for raising capital, because once you know the rules of the road and how to drive, it becomes second nature. So it is with raising capital. This book will help teach you to structure deals with investors and legally raise funds for any venture. With this knowledge, you can change your life and the lives of those who matter - family, friends, and new investors you'll meet along your journey. What are you waiting for? In this book you will learn: How to Comply with Securities Laws; How to Effectively Market Your Offering; How to Legally Ask Investors for Money; How to Structure Your Company; and How You Can Earn Money While Helping Your Friends, Family, and Acquaintances Meet Their Investment Goals. You can use these strategies over and over to Raise Private Money Legally, Ethically, and Profitably.