Fundraising is a specialized form of communication. It’s just plain odd in many ways. In this first part of a three-part series on the conventions and norms of fundraising, we look at the the way fundraising copy is written, and why it contains so much of these things:
- Urgency
- Emotion
- Low-grade reading level
- Repetition
- A P.S.
- Length
- Conversational approach
- Direct style
If you’re someone who must okay fundraising copy, if you’re writing fundraising copy, or if you hope to do either some day, this podcast will be a goldmine of practical information for you.
Steven Screen is Co-Founder of The Better Fundraising Company and lead author of its blog. With over 30 years' fundraising experience, he gets energized by helping organizations understand how they can raise more money. He’s a second-generation fundraiser, a past winner of the Direct Mail Package of the Year, and data-driven.