The Complete Guide to Writing Successful Fundraising Letters for Your Nonprofit Organization


Book Description

With more than 1.4 million nonprofit organizations in operation in the United States and an estimated 100 million fundraising letters mailed out each year, you may find yourself wondering how you can separate yourself from the hordes of nonprofits clamoring for donations. If you employ the techniques provided in The Complete Guide to Writing Successful Fundraising Letters for Nonprofit Organizations, you will ensure that your letter stands out and achieves its goal. In this new, exhaustively researched book, you will learn everything you need to know about formatting a letter, using the word you, structuring a letter, emotional triggers, what works, what does not work, asking for year-end contributions, asking for the right amount, and common pitfalls to avoid. You will learn about follow-up letters, thank you letters, front-end premium letters, back-end premium letters, survey letters, special event letters, petition and protest letters, special appeal letters, renewal series letters, major donor letters, sustainer letters, and lapsed donor letters, as well as letters for recruiting new donors. Additionally, you will learn how to generate the best response, how to phrase your appeals, how to address your letter, how to write strong leads, how to open and close your letters, how to structure your letter, how to use compelling stories to your advantage, how to be personal, how to write with a sense of urgency, and hundreds of other writing tips. The Complete Guide to Writing Successful Fundraising Letters for Nonprofit Organizations provides you with a wealth of sample letters, examples, writing exercises, and forms all of which are included on the companion CD-ROM as well as detailed advice and instructive case studies. By reading this book, you will come to understand your donor and his attitudes. You will ultimately create a successful fundraising campaign and achieve your organization s goals. Whether you are a nonprofit focused on the arts, charities, wildlife protection, religion, health, science, literature, or any other field, you will find valuable information in this book. The companion CD-ROM is included with the print version of this book; however is not available for download with the electronic version. It may be obtained separately by contacting Atlantic Publishing Group at [email protected] Atlantic Publishing is a small, independent publishing company based in Ocala, Florida. Founded over twenty years ago in the company president's garage, Atlantic Publishing has grown to become a renowned resource for non-fiction books. Today, over 450 titles are in print covering subjects such as small business, healthy living, management, finance, careers, and real estate. Atlantic Publishing prides itself on producing award winning, high-quality manuals that give readers up-to-date, pertinent information, real-world examples, and case studies with expert advice. Every book has resources, contact information, and web sites of the products or companies discussed.




Writing For A Good Cause


Book Description

Provides tips for the novice on writing effective, persuasive grant proposals for non-profit organizations, and discusses researching donors, communicating the organization's needs, and editing drafts.




Becoming a Public Relations Writer


Book Description

Becoming a Public Relations Writer is a comprehensive guide to the writing process for public relations practice. Using straightforward, no-nonsense language, realistic examples, easy-to-follow steps, and practical exercises, this text introduces the various formats and styles of writing you will encounter as a public relations practitioner. A focus on ethical and legal issues is woven throughout, with examples and exercises addressing public relations as practiced by corporations, non-profit agencies, and other types of organizations both large and small. In addition, the book offers the most comprehensive list of public relations writing formats to be found anywhere—from the standard news release to electronic mail and other opportunities using a variety of technologies and media. The fifth edition has been updated to reflect significant developments in the public relations field, including: New and updated information on research into persuasion and social psychology aimed at helping readers be more influential in their writing. Significant updating on a new chapter on multimedia, introducing a new transmedia format for a comprehensive news package for print, broadcast, online and social media. Expansion of a chapter on websites, blogs and wikis. Expansion of the chapter on direct mail and online appeals. Updated examples of actual pieces of public relations writing. A companion website with resources for instructors and students, including a glossary, flashcards, exercises, and appendices on ethical standards, careers in public relations, and professional organizations. Through its comprehensive and accessible approach, Becoming a Public Relations Writer is an invaluable resource for future and current public relations practitioners.




Simple Development Systems


Book Description

How do smart nonprofit solo-fundraisers find their focus, lose the overwhelm, create a strategy, and -- most importantly -- fund the mission? Simple Development Systems to the rescue! Lose the "fits-and-starts" fundraising model so prevalent in our sector and get on a plan. Discover how to create the donor-focused fundraising systems that move your organization forward -- in any economy! Covering: *Nonprofit Storytelling *Foundation Grants *Fundraising Planning *Multichannel Fundraising Appeals *Donor Newsletters *Nonprofit Annual Reports *Selecting Your CRM, and more Written by an in-the-trenches fundraiser with nearly two decades of experience, Pamela Grow knows what it's like to face limited resources and overwhelming need. She guides you surely and safely through Bright Shiny Object Syndrome on to a roadmap of what really works. You'll learn how to systematize your fundraising and grow your individual donor base exponentially. Loaded with tools, templates, and even recorded webinars, Simple Development Systems will get you off the fundraising hamster wheel once and for all - GROWing your sustainable funding. Guaranteed. The essential guide for fundraising executive directors, new development directors, and board members who want to know the real secrets to fundraising success. About the Author Pamela Grow is the founder of Basics & More Fundraising online training, offering the time and budget-strapped nonprofit professional classes in the systems that build their fundraising. Pamela was named one of the 50 Most Influential Fundraisers by UK's Civil Society magazine, and in 2016 she was named one of the Top 25 Fundraising Experts by the Michael Chatman Giving Show. She's been featured by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the Foundation Center and Small Shop Savior, a weekly column of NonprofitPRO Magazine. Her weekly newsletter, The Grow Report, reaches over 40,000 nonprofit professionals. Pamela can help you take your donors from first-time gift...to lifetime!




The Complete Guide to Fundraising Management


Book Description

The real-world guide to successfully funding your nonprofit program The Complete Guide to Fundraising Management is the comprehensive handbook for successful fundraising, with a practical focus that applies across the nonprofit sector. With a focus on planning, self-assessment, continual improvement, and high-payoff strategies, this book provides more than just ideas—it shows you the concrete, real-world actions that make it all happen, and gives you the tools you need to bring these concepts to life. This new fourth edition features the latest information about social media campaigning, internet fundraising, crowdfunding, and more. Timelines, checklists, and forms help you streamline management tasks to focus on effective development, and updated sample reports and budget information help you begin implementing these approaches quickly. The nonprofit world is becoming increasingly competitive in terms of funding, and fundraisers are being asked to perform miracles more than ever before. This book offers a time-tested framework for fundraising success, with step-by-step guidance through the entire process from prospect to program. Understand and apply the major principles and best practices of fundraising Manage information, resources, development, and volunteers Adopt new approaches to relationship-building and prospect identification Write grants and fundraising materials that make a rock-solid case for support There is never enough funding to go around. To survive and thrive, nonprofits must revitalize interest and generate more support. Gone are the days of door-knocking and bake sales; strategy is critical, and execution must be top-notch. The Complete Guide to Fundraising Management shows you the real-world strategies that get your programs funded.




How to Write Successful Fundraising Appeals


Book Description

How to Write Successful Fundraising Appeals Now in a completely revised third edition, this classic book shows how to create winning appeals that will realize the full potential of direct mail and online fundraising. Written by fundraising guru Mal Warwick, with assistance from Eric Overman, this comprehensive resource gives nonprofit fundraising staff the information needed to write compelling fundraising appeals for any medium. If you follow Warwick’s guidelines, your direct mail and online fundraising campaigns will produce better results, year after year. Written in an easy-to-read style, the book is filled with practical techniques, proven approaches, and illustrative examples of both successful and unsuccessful appeals based on the authors’ wealth of experience fundraising for hundreds of nonprofits. Step-by-step and appeal by appeal, the book shows how to navigate the fundraising appeal process with ease. To meet the demands of today’s socially connected donors, this new edition explains how to mesh today’s online technologies with direct mail to produce optimal fundraising results. You’ll learn how to use e-mail, websites, Facebook, Twitter, and mobile technology to recruit more donors and raise more money. The book includes current research on timely topics such as online vs. offline behavior, online giving statistics, demographics, and best practices in integrated fundraising. If you’re a nonprofit professional eager to master the latest methods in fundraising, or simply need to write direct mail appeals for your organization, How to Write Successful Fundraising Appeals will help you hone your skills and create appeals that will hit the mark every time.




Fundraising Basics: A Complete Guide


Book Description

As nonprofit organizations face heightened scrutiny by the general public, donors, regulators, and members of Congress, the Third Edition of the essential book on the basics of fundraising provides new, up-to-date and valuable information that every fundraiser needs to know. With ethics and accountability being the primary theme of the Third Edition, this practical guide will continue to provide an overview of the field and give development staff, managers, and directors a platform from which to operate their fundraising programs. The new edition also provides much needed information on giving trends, computer hardware and software available for fundraisers, cost estimates and workflow timetables, and the importance of the Internet. This primer remains a must-have for anyone new to the fundraising arena.




The Reputation Society


Book Description

Experts discuss the benefits and risks of online reputation systems. In making decisions, we often seek advice. Online, we check Amazon recommendations, eBay vendors' histories, TripAdvisor ratings, and even our elected representatives' voting records. These online reputation systems serve as filters for information overload. In this book, experts discuss the benefits and risks of such online tools. The contributors offer expert perspectives that range from philanthropy and open access to science and law, addressing reputation systems in theory and practice. Properly designed reputation systems, they argue, have the potential to create a “reputation society,” reshaping society for the better by promoting accountability through the mediated judgments of billions of people. Effective design can also steer systems away from the pitfalls of online opinion sharing by motivating truth-telling, protecting personal privacy, and discouraging digital vigilantism. Contributors Madeline Ashby, Jamais Cascio, John Henry Clippinger, Chrysanthos Dellarocas, Cory Doctorow, Randy Farmer, Eric Goldman, Victor Henning, Anthony Hoffmann, Jason Hoyt, Luca Iandoli, Josh Introne, Mark Klein, Mari Kuraishi, Cliff Lampe, Paolo Massa, Hassan Masum, Marc Maxson, Craig Newmark, Michael Nielsen, Lucio Picci, Jan Reichelt, Alex Steffen, Lior Strahilevitz, Mark Tovey, John Whitfield, John Willinsky, Yi-Cheng Zhang, Michael Zimmer




The Storytelling Non-Profit


Book Description

"The Storytelling Non-Profit is a portable consultant for fundraisers, communicators and executive directors who want to tell great stories. In this book, professionals will learn a process for telling a story that inspires and resonates with a target audience."--Back cover.




Nonprofit Kit For Dummies®


Book Description

Tips and techniques to help your nonprofit thrive in any economy Due to the recent downturn in the economy, a significant number of nonprofit organizations have experienced a major decrease in funding and contributions. Nonprofit Kit for Dummies, 3rd Edition caters to these organizations and shows you how your nonprofit can thrive and survive even in the current economic climate. With 25% new and revised material, Nonprofit Kit For Dummies, 3rd Edition offers new tips and information on everything you need to navigate the process of setting up and effectively running a nonprofit organization. Covers raising money, applying for grants, and developing the perfect mission statement Details on how state laws vary; conducting program evaluations; and conforming to accounting standards CD includes forms, worksheets, templates, and more Whether you're thinking about starting your own nonprofit or are already working in the sector, Nonprofit Kit For Dummies, 3rd Edition is a valuable source for getting the latest information and practical advice on running a prosperous nonprofit organization.