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Knows her audience
Speaks with passion,
purpose and power
Uses vivid words
Tells a story with a clear
point of view
Stirs people with emotion
TAKE A LESSON FROM PINK
GOALS FOR TODAY
Commit to communicating in messages,
not just the facts
Learn to rely on storytelling
Put donors at the center of communications
Unlock the keys to writing with verve!
IT ALL BEGINS WITH THE MESSAGE
Delivering the facts is not enough
It’s not about you. Your organization is simply
a means to an end for a donor.
Your message is about the impact your
donors can make when they support you
COMMUNICATE IN MESSAGES
Fact Message
The stove is hot.
Washington state spends $10 less
per student than the national
average on textbooks.
You’ll burn your fingers if you
touch the stove.
Textbooks in many of our public
schools are so old they say
Richard Nixon is president.
The Red Cross provides for the
immediate needs of individuals
and families temporarily displaced
by disaster.
Your gifts feed, clothe and shelter
people during the most difficult
crises of their lives, while also
assuring them that someone cares.
GREAT NONPROFIT MESSAGES
Speak directly to a target audience.
Paint a vivid picture for the mind.
Are compelling, memorable and brief.
Illustrate the results of what you do, not just
what you do… and make the donor the hero.
“Your gifts to support our grants enable teachers to
pursue the most innovative new approaches to
inspire student learning.” vs. “We provide innovation
grants to teachers.”
THE END OF THE ‘ELEVATOR PITCH’
Reciting a standard message, no matter how
powerful, is no substitute for real conversation
Replace it with one line and a question to
engage donors in their interests
Core message – the answer to the question,
“What does your organization do?” – still
needed for print
YOUR CORE MESSAGE
BEFORE
The Fremont Public Association is a large human services agency that provides housing programs, in-home care for the elderly, food and nutrition programs, and other services for low-income people in Seattle and King County.
AFTER
Solid Ground builds stable, self-sustaining futures for 25,000 families each year, helping them overcome hunger, isolation, violence, homelessness and despair and develop the skills and resources they need to thrive. Your support advances our shared vision of an end to poverty in our community.
THE CONVERSATION STARTER
Fundraiser: “Solid Ground is working to end poverty in our
community. What do you think it would take to do that?”
Prospect: “Gosh, that seems like a huge task. Maybe get
people jobs?”
Fundraiser: “That’s a big step. You’re right. And our
computer classes help people improve their job skills.
Stabilizing a family’s housing and making sure they have
enough to eat is also important. Let me tell you about the
Mills family…”
THE POWER OF STORYTELLING
Information-giving activates the part of the brain
that decodes words into meaning. That’s it.
Storytelling activates all the parts of the brain
you’d use if you were living the story.
The Vulcan Mind Meld: Your stories influence
others’ emotions…
…and emotions leads to action
THE POWER OF STORYTELLING
Tell your organization’s story through the
stories of the people who benefit:
The cancer patient who healed
The museum-going family who bonded
The jobless mother who’s now employed
The environmental-cause donor who found purpose
Non-direct service providers: You own the
results of your impact, too!
THE POWER OF STORYTELLING
I don’t keep secrets anymore.
Thanks to Childhaven and people like you who support it, I am no longer the frightened little girl who was forced to keep terrible secrets about her own family. I’m no longer the battered and scarred child who couldn’t trust, who always felt like the next betrayal was right around the corner.
Yes, you and Childhaven changed my life. Without you, it might have been so different.
LET PEOPLE MAKE THE IMPACT
Goodwill’s scholarship
program is helping many
students advance their
education, including
immigrants, refugees and
other low-income
individuals.
They’ve overcome obstacles
and hardship with tenacity.
Most are balancing work,
school and kids. Several are
immigrants, trying to help not
just themselves but their
extended families as well. And,
thanks to you and Goodwill, all
of them just moved closer to
realizing their dreams for a
better future.
FACT-BASED, PROGRAM-CENTERED, UNENGAGING
MESSAGE-DRIVEN, HUMAN, INTEREST-PIQUING
PROGRAMS BORE, PEOPLE INSPIRE
A perishable food recovery
program since 1990, Seattle’s
Table has served King County meal
programs with a direct delivery of
otherwise wasted, nutritious, fresh
foods. In 2008, as an offshoot to
this award-winning program, the
Seattle’s Table partner program
was developed as a joint effort
with Seattle Public Utility (SPU) and
Seattle King County Public Health
to safely recover more edible food
from Seattle’s commercial waste
stream.
Mike Bitondo hates to waste food.
The owner of Seattle’s Garage
Billiards, Mike was one of the first
restaurateurs to participate in the
Seattle’s Table partner program, a
2008 offshoot of an innovative
initiative started by Food Lifeline in
1990 with generous donations from
people like you. Together, we are
recovering fresh and nutritious food
that would otherwise go wasted.
FACT-BASED, PROGRAM-CENTERED, UNENGAGING
MESSAGE-DRIVEN, HUMAN, INTEREST-PIQUING
SACRIFICE DETAILS FOR THE STORY
YOUTH OF THE YEAR REACHES
FULL POTENTIAL WITH HELP OF CLUB
DONOR-FUNDED SCHOLARSHIP
AWAITS YOUTH OF THE YEAR
Youth of the Year is the premier
youth recognition event for Boys &
Girls Clubs. The awards luncheon
on February 11 welcomed nearly
250 business leaders and youth
advocates to the Washington
Athletic Club.
Imani Bender, a 10-year member of
the Ballard Boys & Girls Clubs,
walked away with the winning title
and a $2,000 college scholarship.
Imani is an honor student, a varsity
basketball player and president of
Ballard’s Keystone Club. She
aspires to major in psychology.
Imani Bender never thought of herself as
a leader. But her Boys & Girls Club did.
The 2014 Youth of the Year says the Club
“transformed me from a young timid girl
who wore her smile like a safety blanket”
to a confident leader in her community,
her school and her own life.
Now, the honor student from our Ballard
club is headed to college to study
psychology to “help people overcome
problems they cannot tackle on their
own.” And she’ll do it with the help of a
$2,000 scholarship funded by generous
donors like you.
WHO DOES IT ALL? THE DONOR!
WE DO IT ALL
THE DONOR DOES IT ALL
With your ongoing support, the
UW athletic programs have been
able to build the best facilities,
attract the best coaches and
provide high-performance
support in all areas of the
student-athlete experience.
You and your generosity have built
the best facilities. You have enabled
us to attract the best coaches. You
provide the support our student
athletes need to win on the field, in
the classroom and in life.
Students like Norris Frederick, the
most decorated athlete in the history
of Husky Athletics…
MEDIA WANTS STORIES, TOO
Journalists like to write about people, not
programs or institutions
“If you want to show that war is hell, write about
the soldier, not the army.”
LET’S TALK IT OVER
Break into pairs. Be friendly – choose
someone you do not know!
What challenges do we face in letting the
stories of people tell our story?
What great idea or tactic or approach do you
use to meet those challenges?
Share your successful strategy with the group
WRITE LIKE YOU TALK
Use conversational language
Use/utilize
On/upon
Find out/ascertain
Live/reside
People/individuals
If you wouldn’t say it that way over coffee with
a friend, don’t write it!
WRITE LIKE YOU TALK
Nonprofit clichés (avoid them like the plague)
Now more than ever.
We need you.
Leverage your gift.
Avoid jargon and acronyms
ESL, HIPAA, DSHS, OLG, ECEAP, LEP, case manager, impact study
Major gift, planned giving, leverage, stretch, impactful, sector, capacity
Use contractions
Fragments can be powerful for emphasis
Your gifts change lives. Every minute. Every day.
WRITE LIKE YOU TALK
Use active voice, simple sentences and sparse words
Passive voice Active voice
The construction of the playground at
the Auburn branch is expected to
greatly enhance the recreational oppor-
tunities for the children in our care.
The kids in Auburn will love the play-
ground that your gifts built.
When you donate an extra dollar
with your ticket, you ensure that low-
income kids have access to the arts.
Donating an extra dollar when you buy
your ballet ticket is a way to ensure that
low-income kids have access to the arts.
Your investment is deeply appreciated. We deeply appreciate your investment.
WHEN WRITER’S BLOCK HITS…
… say it out loud.
A good written piece for donors is like a lively
and passionate personal conversation.
NUMBERS CAN BE NUMBING
Beware statistical overload
Last year, we served 1,982 individuals including 691 families
who accessed 27 different programs representing a 16%
increase over 2010.
Last year, nearly 2,000 people benefited from your generosity.
And the need is growing.
Add an emotional trigger
Thanks to you, some 700 families found a home of their own
and are no longer on the street, in their cars or sofa-surfing
with friends.
BEFORE WE TALK NEWSLETTERS…
In the age of cyber electronics and instant
communication, is the print publication dead?
WHEN IT COMES TO DONORS…
The answer is a resounding NO The reality of email open rates
The age of the average donor
Print = $$$, email… not so much
Please, argue with me!
NEWSLETTER NO-NO’S
A long, laborious letter from the exec
Keep it short – 200 to 250 words
Include meaningful info, not just platitudes
Thank the donor, always
Ghost-write it
Formality: Friendly and personal rule the day
Too many long articles, too few snappy
headlines (most donors only scan)
No emotional impact – Show your passion and
inspire mine
NEWSLETTER NO-NO’S
No photos/bad photos
Please, no more meeting room shots!
Long columns of unbroken text
Short paragraphs
Subheads
Pull quotes/highlighted text
Bullets
Storytelling without direct quotes
Ugly, boring design
END THE BORING APPEAL LETTER
One-page letter versus many pages –
which works best?
Speak to my interests:
What did you do with my money?
What would you do if I gave you more?
Tell me a story
Vary the author
ANNUAL
REPORTS
Don’t simply
‘report on’
what you did
last year.
Tell me some stories.
Praise and thank your donors.
EVENT SPEECHWRITING
Script everyone.
The executive director should inspire, not
report.
Let the emcee take care of details, including
reciting the long list of sponsor thank-you’s.
Always have a client, patron or grant recipient
speak – show me the impact of my gift.
Rehearse!
WRITING FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
All the previous rules apply – on steroids
Stories captivate, stats don’t
The 70-30 rule
ENGAGING ON
SOCIAL MEDIA
Enlist staff, board,
volunteers and
supporters in liking,
commenting and sharing
THE KEY WORD IN WRITING FOR DOLLAR$
For every little boy like Matthew, there is another
child who does not have a CASA volunteer. By
supporting the National CASA Association, you can
change that. You can make a gift that will change a
life, an investment that will offer you a return like
no other. We are counting on you to bring us closer
to the goal of providing a dedicated volunteer to
every child who needs one by 2020.
YOU
SUMMING IT UP
Write in messages, not facts
Stories about people tell your story best
Speak to the donors’ interests – let them be
the heroes
Write like you talk
The most critical word: YOU
And don’t forget to proofread!
MOORE INK. PR &
FUNDRAISING COMMUNICATIONS…
… helps clients with a cause build awareness, understanding
and support for the vital work they do to improve and enhance
people’s lives. We work with organizations to help them identify
and herald their unique strengths and inspiring successes. We
take your cause to heart, adopt your mission as our own, and
through strong relationship-building and strategic communi-
cations, help you tell your story, raise more money and achieve
your goals.
206-721-9540
teresam@mooreink.com
www.mooreink.com © 2015 Moore Ink. PR
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