[Source: "Poll Finds Charities, Adults Could Do More to Help Kids," The Chronicle of Philanthropy, July 10, 1997; 800-347-6969.]
Be careful how you word your mailings: it could cost you added postage. U.S. Postal Service rules forbid not-for-profits from using adjectives like "fantastic", "great", or "rewarding" to describe goods or services in their reduced-rate mailings. Violators have been forced to pay standard postal rates. If you offer prospect products or services related to your mission, describe them in plain language only.
[Source: "Fight Over Right Adjectives Pits Postal vs. Nonprofits", DM News, June 9, 1997.]
Always include a call to action in your communications. Be specific: Tell people what to do, how much you want them to give, and what tasks need to be done.
Convey urgency. Tell people what the problem is, why your organization is the one to solve it, and why their unique contributions are needed now. Explain why the recipient will feel better by acting.
Make your call to action fun and satisfying to participate in. Introduce the call to action early in your communicaations, and repeat it often.
[For more information, see Strategic Fund Development: Building Profitable Relationships That Last, by Simone P. Joyaux, ACFRE, Aspen Publishers, Frederick, Md., 1997; 800-638-8437.]
Want people to read your materials. Make them legible. Sure, you need to write well. But the design must help make reading effortless. The function of design is not art. It must communicate the writer's message.
Your publication designer should follow the basic rules of layout. Copy should read from left to right. Don't make the reader read vertically, or on an angle. Set type flush left, with a ragged right margin. Throw out anything that makes the reader's eye stop unnecessarily -- except for vital information, such as an 800 number. Then use boldface, underlines, or italics.
Don't write in all capital letters, or put extra spaces between letters. Use serifed fonts -- type with fine lines projecting from the body of the letters, such as the Roman type on this page. They're the easiest to read.
Familiar words also are read more easily. Use short sentences.
Use narrow columns, with 5 to 8 words per line. Cluster ideas so they can be seen by a single sweep of the eye. Use ellipsis points (...) or dashes ( ---) to break up copy into easily absorbed chunks. Use 9- to 12- point type; larger for older or younger readers.
Break copy into short paragraphs. Even one-sentence paragraphs are fine. Put space between paragraphs.
Avoid glossy, hard-to-read paper. Don't use tints that obscure words or pictures.
[Source: "Design, Legibility, and Unnatural Acts," Dean Rieck, Direct Marketing, October 1997. 224 Seventh St., Garden City, NY 11530, 516-746-6700; 800-229-6700.]
Looking for fund-raising software? The "1998 Non-Profit Software Guide," published in the October 1997 issue of Fund Raising Management, includes a comprehensive list of products, funcitions, prices, and hardware requirements. To obtain a copy, contact Hoke Communications, Inc., 224 Seventh St. Garden City, NY 11530-5771; 516-746-6700 or 800-229-6700.
What's your state up to? States have a critical role in issues ranging from education to health to employment. But keeping track of state legislation and regulations can be tough.
The 1996-97 Publications Catalog of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) can help. The catalog includes a wealth of information, including reports on individual states and national comparisons. The catalog is free from the NCSL; contact Michelle Solis, 1500 Broadway, Suite 700, Denver, CO 80202; 303-830-2054.
[Source: ERC Newsbriefs, September 30, 1997. 1843 Kalorama Road, N.W. P. O. Box 21385, Washington, D.C. 20009-0885; 202-328-9517. Note: No longer published.]
Board members don't need to be rich or well-connected to make an impact. Any board member can write personalized notes on pledge renewal cards. They can bring membership lists form their churches, clubs, or professional associations for phone-a-thons. And, of course, they can make personal gifts to the organization.
[Source: Aspen's Board and Administrator, October 1997. Aspen Publishers, Inc., 7201 McKinney Circle, Freerick, MD; 800-638-8437.]
Be sure your appeals appeal to women. Detail how your programs will benefit women, girls, and families. Include plenty of information: Women typically require more convincing than men. Also, women want to feel a strong personal connection to the organization before they give.
Don't be afraid to ask for large gifts from wealthy women and female executives. Successful women also have extensive business and social contacts that not-for-profits can tap into. Recruit women as solicitors, board members, and committee members.
Female business leaders have an ever-greater role in fund raising. Women own almost 8 million businesses, and more women than met get college degrees. Women now hold 33% of all corporate management positions.
Learn from other successful campaigns aimed at women. Call the development officer at your local women's college or the YWCA. Ask questions about how their fund-raising campaigns work.
[Source: "Womenpower: The Growing Factor in Gifts Fund Raising in the Decade Ahead," Frank V. Whitley and Penny Staples, Fund Raising Management, August 1997. Hoke Communications, Inc., 224 Seventh St., Garden City, NY 11530-5771.]
Celebrities can improve the odds of your special event making money. But celebrity fund raisers can also be risky. To avoid problems:
- Calculate a realistic entertainment budget. Include all incidental expenses.
- Check with local promoters and performance centers. See which celebrities will be in town around the time of your event. Recruit those who are available.
- If you know the celebrity, personally ask him or her to participate. Otherwise, contact their promoter.
- Make your proposal to the celebrity brief and businesslike.
- Follow up any verbal commitments with a written agreement.
- Detail what services you will or will not provide. Check the celebrity's standard rider requirements carefully.
- Have an attorney or concert promoter review the agreement.
- Seek donations of services from hotels, airlines, limo services, etc.
- Look for individual or corporate underwriting for your celebrity event.
- Schedule events around the celebrity's itinerary.
- Pick a celebrity with a charitable track record and an interest in your cause.
Get personal with your fund raising. When writing to ask for money, mention something about yourself that relates to the appeal. Give the reader some personal background. Show your deep personal involvement in the issue. Prove that a real, live human being is writing.
A letter is an opportunity to make a personal connection with a prospective supporter. Write so that you become the bridge between the not-for-profit and the reader. People can get facts form your group's Web site or brochure.
[Source: "The Huntsinger Clinic", Jerry Huntsinger, The NonProfit Times, August 1997. 240 Cedar Knolls Road, Suite 318, Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927; 973-734-1700; fax 973-734-1777.]
Professional women have a home on the Internet. Sites like Women's Work (http://www.wwork.com) and Advancing Women (http://www.advancingwomen.com) offer discussion groups, expert advice, networking, and job listings.
What's new on the Web? Check out the Internet Scout Report: http://www.scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report. For notable 'Net Happenings, visit http://www.gi.net/NET/.
Aspen's Fund Raising Series for the 21st Century includes:
- Strategic Fund Development: Building Profitable Reltionships That Last, by Simone P. Joyaux
- Successful Special Events: Planning, Hosting, and Evaluation
- Corporate and Foundation Fundraising: A Complete Guide from the Inside
- Donor Focused Strategies for Annual Giving
- Fund Raising Basics: A Complete Guide
- Capital Campaigns: Strategies That Work
- Planned Giving Essentials
What Color is Your Proposal? A Guide to Corporate Grantmaking for Racial/Ethnic Populations. Forthcoming publication (due late 1997) will include information on giving by more than 100 companies. For more information, contact the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, 001 S. St., N.W., Suite 620, Washington, DC 20009; 202-387-9177; fax 202-332-5084.
City Kids Count. Report on poverty in America's inner cities, as compared to the suburbs. Ten key indicators of child well-being are examined. Free from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, City Kids Count Report, 701 St. Paul St., Batimore, MD 21202; 410-223-2890.
Moving a Public Policy Agenda: The Strategic Philanthropy of Conservation Foundations. Report on the giving of corporate foundtions and their role in promoting right-wing politics. $25 prepaid from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, 2001 s St., N.W., Suite 620, Washington, D.C. 20009; 202-387-9177; fax 202-332-5084.
Social Work and the Role of the Religious Community in the Social Service Provision. Report includes information on churches' role in communities and examples of model programs, $6.50 prepaid from the Program on Nonprofit Organizations, Institute for Social and Policy Studies, Yale University, 88 Trumbull St., P. O. Box 208253, New Haven, CT 06520-8253; 203-432-7798. Reference PONPO Working Paper #243.
The Child Welfare League of America 1998 National Conference. March 11 through 13, 1998 in Washington, D.C. This year's tehme: "Children '98: America's promise". For information, contact the CWLA, 440 First St., N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, DC 20001-2085; 202-638-2952; fax 202-638-4004. URL: http://www.cwla.org.
The National Society of Fund Raising Executives 1998 International Conference on Fund Raising. March 29 through April 1 in Philadelphia, Pa. Features over 170 educational sessions, roundtable discussions, and plenaries. Tracks on annual giving, ethics, major gifts, marketing, volunteer leadership, and more. Discount registrations with NSFRE membership. For information, contact NSFRE: 800-666-FUND or 703-684-0410. URL: http://www.nsfre.org.
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Jon Harrison
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