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.

How to Write Successful Fundraising AppealsNow 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.

Preface to the Third Edition ixAbout the Author xiiiIntroduction: Why You Should Read This Book 1Part One Motivating Your Audience1 Why People Respond to Fundraising Appeals 92 How a Fundraising Appeal Is Like a Personal Visit 213 What Donors Really Think about Fundraising Letters 354 Characteristics of an Effective Fundraising Appeal 415 A Leisurely Tour through One Successful Appeal 47Part Two Your Plan of Action6 What to Do Before You Write Any Fundraising Appeal 717 Eight Steps toward Successful Fundraising Appeals 858 The Cardinal Rules of Fundraising Letters 959 You're Writing for Results--Not for a Pulitzer Prize 115Part Three Customizing Your Appeal 10 Recruiting New Donors: Starting Intimate Conversations with Strangers 12711 Recruiting New Supporters: Beginning the Cultivation Process Online 13312 Welcoming New Donors: Treating People Like Part of the Family 14113 Appealing for Special Gifts: Bringing Your Case Down to Earth 15514 Asking for Year-End Contributions: Making the Most of the Holiday Spirit 16715 Recruiting Monthly Sustainers: Offering Small Donors a Chance for Greater Impact 18516 Soliciting High-Dollar Gifts: Framing the Case for Major Contributions 19117 Going for Bigger Gifts: Persuading Donors to Make an Extra Commitment 20318 Seeking Annual Gifts: Building Long-Term Loyalty, One Year at a Time 21319 Thanking Your Donors: Friend-Raising before Fundraising 21920 Promoting Legacy Gifts: Seeking the Ultimate Commitment 233Part Four Reinforcing Your Appeal21 Rounding Out Your Appeal with Online Media and More 24522 Writing Online Appeals 26123 The New Keys to Success in Fundraising Today 297Part Five The Appeal Writer's ToolboxA Sample Multichannel Campaign Calendar 313B Twenty Great E-mail Subject Lines 317C Sixty Successful Outer-Envelope Teasers 319D Fifty-Four Strong Leads for Fundraising Appeals 329E Ninety Ways to Use the Word "You" in a Fundraising Appeal 331F Sixty-Three Ways to Handle Awkward Copywriting Transitions 335G Forty-One Powerful Ways to End a Fundraising Appeal 339H Fifty-Eight Ways to Start a P.S. in a Fundraising Appeal 341I Fifteen Ways How Not to Get Results 345Index 353