Repeat Archives | The Better Fundraising Company

LIST of what to “repeat” to save time and raise more money

Steven Screen | August 7, 2025July 17, 2025Repeat

I know the idea of “repeating” fundraising you’ve done before doesn’t make sense at first. And it can feel weird.

That’s why I want to talk about the secret of “repeating” – just think of it as a tool that savvy fundraisers use to save time and (surprisingly) raise more money.

What We Mean by “Repeat”

When we say you can “repeat” something, here’s what we mean in a nutshell: do the same thing again, but slightly differently.

Send the same letter again, but slightly reword it
Send the same email again, but slightly reword it
Run the same event again, but with a different beneficiary speaker
Send the same letter again, but with a slightly different design

Are you picking up what I’m laying down?

And in some cases you can send the exact same thing. Same email. Same letter. We’ve done both of them and they’ve both worked:

My podcast partner Jeff Brooks tells a story about an organization that sent an appeal every month. One month it accidentally sent out the exact same appeal that it sent the previous month – and it raised more money the second time!
I think about an organization that took half their donors and sent them the same exact email the last four days of the year. Those donors gave more than the other half of their donors who received four unique emails.

Because remember:

Most of your donors aren’t paying that close attention
Many donors need to hear something twice (or more) before they pay attention and really think about it

When to Repeat Letters and Emails

Here’s how to repeat your appeal letters and your emails.

If you are doing something that you did the year before, you can repeat it.

Say you send out a Thanksgiving appeal last year, and you’re going to do another one this year. The first thing to do is to look at last year‘s Thanksgiving appeal and its results.

If the results were better than the previous year, repeat it. Don’t write a completely new email. Don’t design a completely new letter. Make only the minimal number of changes you need to make.

The same is true for anything you do each year. Here’s a list of things we’ve repeated to great success, and I’m sure there are more examples:

Year-end / Thanksgiving / Back-to-School / etc. – letters & emails
Facebook campaigns
Events
Giving Tuesday
Renewal
13^th Gift
Sponsorship/monthly giving upgrade campaigns
Monthly giving recruitment

You name it. If you do it every year, you should be repeating it and making slight tweaks to make it better, not reinventing the wheel.

When You Repeat, Watch Out for…

Here’s what to watch out for when you’ve decided to repeat a fundraising tactic…

Any detail that was true last year, but not this year. You need to update anything that’s not true. New ED? Update the name at the end of the letter. This year’s “Thanksgiving Meal” costs $1.93 instead of $1.92? Update the letter. Your organization now rescues Wombats? Add “wombats” to the list of animals you rescue.
Does the story need to be updated? Many letters contain a story about a person that illustrates the need. That story should be swapped out and replaced with a new story. But the rest of the letter doesn’t have to change.
Note: this is true for events as well.
Doing too much. Don’t make too many changes just because you’re in there.

Story Time with Steven

I used to write appeal letters and emails for The Salvation Army. They are a fundraising machine who has all of this down to a science. (You might read that they are a “fundraising machine” and think, “Well, that would never work with my donors.” Please be open to the idea that it would work. Many of your donors also give to the Army.)

Most of the time I would receive the following instructions when it was time to write a letter:

“Here’s last year’s letter. It worked great. Update it for this year and change only what’s absolutely necessary. Do not mess this up.”

Inspiring!

No, not really. At least if you’re a ‘creative type’ like me.

But that’s how you build a mature fundraising program that raises the big bucks. You take something that works. You repeat it. You refine it. You look for little ways to make it better. You watch the results closely and look for what donors love, as told through their giving.

Over time you build a money-raising machine that allows you to do so much good in the world that people come to learn fundraising from you.

Listen, a lot of people don’t like hearing this. They want to be creative. They want to love the fundraising they send out.

I’m the same way. I get bored writing the same emails for the second (or tenth) year in a row.

But over time, if you look at the results, it becomes really obvious that if you repeat what worked before, you’re going to raise more money.

Please trust me – I’ve banged my head against that wall enough time to have a small dent in the middle of my forehead. (Well, actually that scar is from my sister throwing a Hot Wheel at me, but it’s a better story if it’s a fundraising scar.)

You are going to be tired of what you’ve been doing. So will your boss and your Board. You’re going to want to do it differently. You’re going to want to ‘come up with a new theme for this year’!

Don’t give in. Keep doing what’s been working great. You’ll raise more money each year.

If you invent a new approach each year you’ll be causing two problems: #1, you’ll be raising less money; and #2, you’ll be taking a LOT of time you could be using to do something else. Like, you know, focusing on major donors, where 90% of your individual donations come from. Or acquiring new donors, who are the future of your organization.

But Whither Innovation?

I’m going to write a post later this month on ‘how to innovate when you’re in a culture of repeating what’s worked in the past.’ Because you have to innovate.

But you want to innovate in a way that minimizes your risk. And I’ll share how to do that. But here’s an analogy to tide you over…

If you’re Apple, do you decide to stop making the iPhone and replace it with something completely new? No. You keep on updating, tweaking the iPhone to make it better each year. And you keep releasing different versions of the iPhone to try out new ideas.

Sheesh

Enough rambling. I hope the concept of “repeating” is making sense. I know it’s not how normal nonprofits operate. But it’s one of the secrets that savvy fundraisers have discovered – and you should be using it. You’ll save time, and you’ll raise more money.

If you’d like to have me help your organization know what to repeat – or to tweak what you’re doing to make it even better – get in touch!

This post was originally published on June 7, 2018.

Events are Part of Your Donor Cultivation Cycle

Samantha Swaim | July 29, 2025July 10, 2025Repeat

The following is a hand-picked guest post from Samantha Swain. Enjoy, and you can read more about Samantha below.

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In the nonprofit world, events often get a bad reputation. They’re seen as expensive, time-consuming, and not always worth the return on investment. But what if we reframed how we think about events? What if, instead of viewing them as standalone parties, we integrated them into our broader donor cultivation strategy?

The team at The Better Fundraising Company has long advocated for the cycle of “Ask, Thank, Report, Repeat” as the cornerstone of effective fundraising. Today, we want to explore how events can strengthen each part of this cycle – and why they should be an intentional part of your donor cultivation continuum.

Events as an Extension of Your Mission

Before diving into the cycle, let’s establish an important premise: the best nonprofit events are those that allow donors to experience your mission firsthand. When a donor attends your event, they should walk away with a deeper understanding of your work, the people you serve, and the impact their support makes possible.

Think of your events as windows into your organization’s soul – opportunities for donors to see, hear, feel, and connect with the work they’re funding. This experiential element is unique to events.

Let’s Build Events into “Ask, Thank, Report, Repeat”

The Ask

Events provide unique asking opportunities that complement your direct mail, digital, and personal solicitation strategies:

Public asks at events can create momentum and inspire others to give
Peer-to-peer giving happens naturally when enthusiastic supporters bring friends
One-on-one conversations during events can lay groundwork for major gift solicitations

Remember: an event without a clear ask is a missed opportunity. Every event should include at least one moment where attendees are invited to support your work. Then in the moment, when they give via a paddle raise or text to give, they should be thanked.

The Thank You

Events allow you instant, in-the-moment donor stewardship and thank you.

Publicly recognize donors and their impact
Applaud paddles going up
Print bid names on the paddles so that fundraising hosts can use first names
Use technology like a text to give platform that allows a name to appear on the screen

The Report

Events are powerful reporting tools as your event is a story of your work:

Share impact stories through video, presentations, or testimonials
Have program participants speak directly to donors about how their lives have changed
Display visual representations of your impact (photos, infographics, exhibits)
Create immersive experiences that demonstrate your work in action
Take photos and share them on social media to demonstrate that folks were a part of your work
And most important, similar to a report after a direct mail appeal, be sure to report out the results and impact of the event

The emotional connection formed when donors witness your impact firsthand is invaluable – it creates memories that last far longer than a written report. But don’t forget the written report too.

Repeat

Events build anticipation for the next engagement:

Use events to announce upcoming initiatives that will need support
Create event series that naturally lead donors to the next opportunity
Follow up with attendees to continue the conversation
Use event interactions to inform your understanding of donor interests for future communications

Building Your Event Strategy Within the Donor Cultivation Continuum

To truly integrate events into your donor cultivation cycle:

Map your donor journey. Identify where different types of events fit within your cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship pathways. There are different event models for awareness, acquisition, engagement, stewardship, and legacy giving. Pick the model that works best for your current donor needs.

Segment your audience. Different donor segments should be invited to different types of events based on their giving level, interests, and relationship stage.

Create a year-round calendar. Plan events that complement your other fundraising activities and provide regular touchpoints throughout the year. Events are a big labor lift so 1-2 big events a year is often the best-case scenario.

Measure what matters. Look beyond net revenue to evaluate events. Consider metrics like new donor acquisition, donor retention, increased giving from attendees, and relationship advancement.

Follow up intentionally. An event is never the end of the conversation—it’s an inflection point that should lead to the next meaningful interaction.

Events as Part of the Bigger Picture

The true power of events comes when they’re viewed not as isolated fundraising activities but as integral components of your overall donor engagement strategy. Each event should move donors forward in their journey with your organization.

By thoughtfully designing events that enhance your Ask, Thank, Report, Repeat cycle, you’ll create more meaningful donor experiences, deeper relationships, and ultimately, greater long-term support for your mission.

Remember: the goal isn’t just to hold successful events – it’s to use events successfully as part of cultivating lifelong donors who are passionate about your cause.

***

Steven says, “Samantha Swaim has more than 20 years of event planning and fundraising expertise. She is the co-author of Planning a Successful Major Donor Event, is the founder of the annual Elevate fundraising event conference scheduled for March 3-4, 2026 and is the co-host of The Fundraising Elevator podcast – which I recently appeared on: check it out!”

Build a Longer Table

Samantha Swaim | July 24, 2025July 10, 2025Repeat

The following is a hand-picked guest post from Samantha Swain. Enjoy, and you can read more about Samantha below.

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In times of uncertainty, the most powerful action nonprofits can take isn’t to retreat, it’s to gather.

The Big Idea: Community as Resilience Strategy

The organizations that will thrive in challenging times aren’t those with the most resources, but those that have woven the strongest web of human connection around their purpose. Your most valuable asset isn’t your funding or even your programs – it’s the community that believes in your mission.

When people physically gather around shared purpose, something transforms. Science confirms what we intuitively know: face-to-face connection builds trust, generates empathy, and creates the neural foundation for collective action.

Building Your Longer Table

In a world pulling apart at the seams, building a longer table isn’t just a concept – it’s essential. Every time you bring people together around your mission, you create:

Sustainable fundraising rooted in relationship rather than transaction
Deeper volunteer commitment grounded in belonging, not obligation
Responsive programs shaped by community wisdom
Authentic advocacy powered by diverse voices

Your Immediate Next Step

This month, host one gathering designed explicitly to extend your organization’s table. Structure it not for efficiency but for connection. Create space for stories that reveal why your mission matters to each person present. Start small like a dinner with your board, a tour with a donor.

Remember: In times of scarcity, we must resist the urge to contract. Instead, build your table so long and so welcoming that people can’t help but be drawn to your work—not just for what you do, but for the community you create.

The most resilient organizations aren’t building higher walls. They’re building longer tables.

***

The Donor Story You’re Probably Ignoring (and Losing Money By Doing It)

T. Clay Buck, CFRE | July 17, 2025July 8, 2025Repeat

The following is a hand-picked guest post from Clay Buck. Enjoy, and you can read more about Clay below.

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Let’s play a quick game.

Which of these would you trust more?

An AI navigator that says, “Turn left now,” just as you drive into a lake.
Or a paper map from 1993 that at least *tries* to tell the truth.

If your donor database isn’t clean, your fundraising is doing the same thing as that navigator: confidently giving bad directions. And that’s not just annoying – it’s expensive.

So let’s talk about something most fundraisers don’t get super excited about: data hygiene.

Yes, I know. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t come with confetti or applause. But keeping your donor data clean and up-to-date might be the single most important thing you do to raise more money.

Let me show you why.

Why Dirty Data Is Costing You Money

Picture this: you spend hours writing a beautiful appeal letter. You print it on nice paper. You add a lovely reply card and envelope. You fold it all perfectly and send it out with hope and a postage stamp.

And it gets returned because the address was wrong.

Or worse – it goes to the wrong person entirely. Or uses the wrong name. (“Dear Occupant” never exactly tugs the heartstrings.)

Every returned letter is wasted money. Every wrong name is a little nick in your donor’s trust. And every outdated email or phone number is a missed chance to connect.

It adds up fast. Some studies estimate that the average nonprofit loses 8-10% of its fundraising revenue to bad data.

That’s money you could be spending on programs. On salaries. On stamps that *actually* reach people.

That’s time you or your team are spending editing and cleaning data on the fly – time that could be much better spent scrounging the breakroom for leftovers. (Or, you know, writing those thank you notes you haven’t had time to get to.)

What Do We Mean by “Clean Data”?

Clean data just means this:

It’s accurate.
It’s up to date.
It’s complete enough to do your job well.

That’s it.

You don’t need a PhD in database wizardry. You just need to make sure the basics are solid:

People’s names are spelled correctly
Addresses are current
Emails work
Gifts are recorded in the right place
Notes are consistent

Think of your database like a campfire. Your donors gather around it to support your cause – and they’ve shared some of their stories to keep the fire burning. Their address? That’s a breadcrumb of who they are. Their giving history? A reflection of what matters to them. Every piece of data is a detail they’ve chosen to share.

We talk a lot about the stories we *tell* our donors. But data? That’s how they tell *their* stories to us.

So if our data is messy, we’re not just making our jobs harder – we’re ignoring their story. And betraying their trust.

Clean Data Builds Trust

Let’s say you send a thank-you letter, and it includes:

“Dear Sarah, thank you for your $100 gift made on February 28 toward our literacy program. You’ve made a real difference in helping kids learn to read.”

Sarah will feel seen, valued, and appreciated.

Now imagine that same letter said:

“Dear Supporter, thank you for your gift. You are helping.”

Sarah’s checking her watch and wondering if you even noticed her at all.

When your data is clean, you can personalize every message. And personalized messages build relationships.

And relationships? They’re what fundraising is *actually* all about.

The ROI of Clean Data (a.k.a. The Math That’ll Blow Your Mind)

Let’s talk numbers – and I promise, no calculator required.

Say you have a list of 1,000 donors. Over the course of a year, they give a combined total of $100,000. That’s an average of $100 per donor.

Now let’s say 10% of that data is bad. Maybe the addresses are outdated, the emails bounce, or the names are wrong. That’s 100 donors you can’t reach.

And if you can’t reach them, you can’t raise money from them.

So, 100 donors x $100 each = $10,000 in lost revenue. Just because your data wasn’t clean.

But it doesn’t stop there.

Next year, those 100 donors are still missing. And maybe another 10% drop off. Now you’ve lost another $10,000.

That’s $20,000 in lost potential.
And the next year? $30,000.
It *compounds* – like interest, but backwards.

You’re not just losing money once. You’re losing it over and over again, every year that donor can’t be contacted, can’t be thanked, can’t be invited to give again.

This is the hidden cost of bad data. And it’s real.

On the flip side? Clean your data, and you’re not just raising more money today – you’re building a stronger base for next year, and the year after that.

Common Excuses – And Why They Don’t Hold Up

“I don’t have time.”
You also don’t have time to keep redoing mailings that bounce. Or to fix angry donor calls. Or to spend hours searching for info you *should* have at your fingertips. Or finding new-and-theoretically-‘better’ donors.

“I’m not good with tech.”
Good news: data hygiene isn’t about knowing all the buttons. It’s about habits. Like checking addresses when donors call. Or confirming names before merging lists. You don’t need to be fancy. You just need to be consistent.

“It’s not my job.”
Actually, it is. If you’re a fundraiser, your job is to connect with donors – and that only works when the data behind the scenes is solid.

Think of your database like your kitchen. You don’t have to love scrubbing it, but if it’s full of crumbs and sticky spots, cooking’s going to be a lot harder.

Easy Wins to Clean Up Your Data

Use a consistent naming format.
Verify addresses annually.
Remove duplicates.
Check bounced emails.
Log every interaction.
Make it someone’s job
Run regular cleaning and appends like NCOA, de-duplications, standardization, phone and email validation, etc. (Shameless plug, if you need help with this, Next River Fundraising Strategies can help. It’s quick, relatively painless and, honestly, a lot less expensive than you think.)

Bonus tip? Turn it into a game: once a month, see who can find and fix the most errors. Winner gets coffee. Loser still gets clean data.

A Final Word (With Feeling)

You don’t need to love spreadsheets.

You don’t need to know all the tech.

But if you care about your mission – if you care about your donors – then keeping your data clean is one of the best things you can do.

It’s how you make sure your messages land.
It’s how you show people they matter.
It’s how you raise more money, more consistently, with less stress.

And maybe most importantly – it’s how you show your donors that you’re listening. That their story matters. That the data they’ve shared with you is being cared for, protected, and used with purpose.

Clean data isn’t just tidy.

It’s powerful.
It’s personal.
And it pays off.

***

Steven says, “Clay is the founder and principal of Next River Fundraising Strategies, creator of the Fundraiser’s Planner, and co-host of the #1 ranked fundraising podcast Fundraising is Funny. He’s a wide-eyed optimist about the power of generosity to change the world and focuses primarily on individual giving, strategic planning, and building the systems and storytelling that support and empower successful, ethical fundraising.”

What KFC Can Teach You About Donor & Customer Communications

Simon Scrivner | July 15, 2025July 8, 2025Repeat

The following is a hand-picked guest post from Simon Scriver. Enjoy, and you can read more about Simon below.

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People talk a lot about how often you should be mailing, e-mailing and phoning your donors. Charities often ask me how often they should be contacting their donors. And whenever they do I always think about the Chicken Variety Meal at KFC.

Yes, KFC.

If you’re my age or older you might know them as Kentucky Fried Chicken. But they rebranded in an attempt to hide the word “fried” (or, as some might have you believe, to hide the word “chicken”). KFC is my secret shame. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I’m generally a good person. But, despite myself, I love KFC and have had to manage my addiction to the point where now I can proudly say it’s just a “special treat.”

Every time I go in to KFC and order my meal they ask if I want to give them more money to Go Large. And every time I say yes. And I never get annoyed.

Even if I went in there every meal of every day they would continue to ask me to give them more more money. And I would never get annoyed.

Why not?

Because I love their chicken, I love their fries, and I love their Pepsi. I crave it. Every bite is a euphoric journey to a salty land of nostalgic love. KFC and The Colonel are giving me exactly what I want, when I want it. And when they offer me more, I’m grateful.

You see, junk mail is only junk if it doesn’t apply to you. I get pizza menus dropped in my mailbox every day… and they annoy me every day that I don’t want a pizza.

I hear anecdotal evidence on Donor Communications all the time: People don’t want to get mail, don’t want to get e-mails, don’t want to get phone calls. And people don’t want to be asked for money.

That’s simply not true.

People don’t want to receive bad mails. They don’t want to receive bad phone calls. They don’t want to receive bad e-mails. And they don’t want to be asked for money… badly.

If people don’t want to receive your updates and your appeals it’s not the donors fault and it’s not the medium’s fault. It’s your fault.

The public want to hear from you as often as you have something interesting and relevant to say. How often should you be contacting your donors? Well, ask yourself: how often have you got something good to say?

And ask yourself, honestly, how good is your fundraising-chicken?

[You can read more like this at www.changefundraising.com]

***

Steven says, “Simon Scriver is one of the co-founders of Fundraising Everywhere. If you’ve not heard of Fundraising Everywhere, it’s an online community that provides professional development and peer support for fundraisers. And if you’ve not heard Simon speak, make it a point to go to a session of his at a conference; he is fun, funny, and helpful!” This blog post originally appeared on the excellent Bloomerang.co.

Some of the Most Important Things in Fundraising Don’t Feel Like Fundraising

Simon Scrivner | July 10, 2025June 30, 2025Repeat

The following is a hand-picked guest post from Simon Scriver. Enjoy, and you can read more about Simon below.

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You’d be forgiven for thinking that fundraising is all about asking for money.

But a good fundraiser knows that that’s actually only a small part of the job. The real time-consuming stuff, and the really important stuff, is the things that happen before and after the asks. In fact, if you get really good at the “in-between” stuff, you start to see your asks get easier and your results get better.

And yet we neglect these things.

Why?

Because they don’t feel like fundraising.

But it’s a false economy. Making a bunch of cold calls and asking for money or gifts in kind feels like fundraising. Posting social media post after social media post asking for donations feels like fundraising. Organizing a big gala ball or a golf classic even feels like fundraising because of all of the little transactions along the way.

But are they the best use of your time?

The best fundraisers I know carve time out of their schedule for fundraising that doesn’t feel like fundraising. And if you want to see your results improve, then perhaps ask less and do the following 8 things more:

Conversations with Staff & Beneficiaries — We have nothing if we don’t have stories that demonstrate the work of our nonprofits. Someone once said to me that a fundraiser not collecting stories is like a sports writer not going to watch sports. So it’s important we make time to sit down with staff and beneficiaries (if possible) to ask them questions and build our story bank.
Thank you letters and calls — By now we should all be subscribed to the “Ask, Thank, Report” mentality, but how many times do we dismiss a thank you letter as a simple receipt? Actually, a thank you is one of our most important (and my favorite) fundraising tools. The better the thank you, the more likely you are to get further support. It shouldn’t just be read and then thrown away… it should be so amazing that the reader tells their friends and family.
Asking Questions — Asking your supporters questions is a great way to find out more about your followers and to help them feel engaged. And actually, it’s a great bit of content when you can’t think of or don’t have time to write something new. Haven’t mailed your mailing list for a while? Try emailing them, “Hey! Just wondering if I can ask why you signed up in the first place?”
Prospect Research and Cultivation — The more we know about our potential corporates and major donors, the better our asks. Let’s move away from writing out our standard proposal and printing hundreds of copies. Instead, let’s take the time to learn as much as possible and build that relationship to the point that our proposal is pretty much just a personalized confirmation.
Teaching Volunteers to Fundraise — Your volunteers raise more when you teach them how to fundraise. They don’t sit at home thinking about fundraising, they don’t know what to suggest to their employer, they don’t know what to email to their family, and they don’t know what wording to use on their Facebook feed. A bit of encouragement and a bit of guidance goes a long way and is proven to help them raise more. Certainly worth the time it takes to make a quick phone call.
Networking — Yes it sucks, and you’ll probably feel really anxious at first. But networking doesn’t have to be a nightmare. It’s actually a great opportunity to meet people who share your values. People whose goals you can help achieve. And people who can help you. It’s no secret… the more people you know and the more people that want to help you, the easier fundraising (and life) is. So let’s get out there and start listening.
Learning From Other Fundraisers — There’s only so much you can learn from fundraising courses and books. In fact, with some fundraising qualifications you don’t actually learn anything. No… most of our learnings come from other fundraisers. Why make the same mistake your peer made two years ago? Fundraisers are notoriously generous with their time and support, and for the price of a cup of hot chocolate you can pick the brains of some of the world’s best.
Self-Care — Fundraising is a tough job. One of the toughest. It’s mentally exhausting and emotionally draining. And it’s limitless… you can always be doing more. And your boss, your Board and your donors will take as much as you give them. The only person that can clock you off is you. So schedule time for self care, switch off your phone and do something that makes you forget about fundraising.

***

The power of ignorance in fundraising

Jeff Brooks | July 8, 2025June 30, 2025Repeat

The following is a hand-picked guest post from Jeff Brooks. Enjoy, and you can read more about Jeff below.

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Scene: Board meeting for the very small organization where I’m a board member.

The all-volunteer fundraising committee is presenting a plan to launch a monthly giving campaign. After years of struggling to do this, we finally had an online giving platform that made it easy.

People are nodding. It looks good. After the presentation, it’s time for Board comments.

One board member speaks up: “I really hate the subscription model. I just tune it out whenever I see it. We should not do this.”

Another board members chimes in: “I know what you mean!”

The group teeters for a moment on deciding against monthly giving. Because one member thinks they don’t like the subscription model.

A significant opportunity could have been gone. At least until enough board turnover will allow a reconsideration.

It happens all the time: Board members or other nonprofit leaders make ignorant, harmful decisions based on gut feelings or “intuition.” Often, there’s nobody at the table with knowledge to warn them away. Or worse, leaders are not interested in knowledge and unwilling to listen to it.

As long as leaders choose to remain ignorant, fundraising will suffer.

Part of your job as an awake, aware fundraiser is to fight the good fight for knowledge over ignorance. I’ve seen it work many times – leaders’ eyes opening. Fundraising programs blossoming as a result. It happens. And if you can make it happen, it will be a source of joy and pride you’ll treasure.

In those cases where it cannot happen – where leaders simply won’t listen and actively choose ignorance… you have a choice: Keeping fighting, or go someplace with proper leadership.

I don’t advise that lightly. Creating change is better. If it’s possible. You are gifted with time, talent, and knowledge. Don’t let someone waste it because they can’t listen.

***

Steven says, “Jeff Brooks is the brilliant author of Future Fundraising Now (which you should subscribe to). I’ve been lucky enough to know Jeff since we both had hair that was longer and browner. He’s the best, clearest voice on direct response fundraising that I know of.”

Two Questions Never to Ask About Fundraising

Jeff Brooks | July 1, 2025June 12, 2025Repeat

The following is a hand-picked guest post from Jeff Brooks. Enjoy, and you can read more about Jeff below.

* * *

In fundraising, it’s smart to get more than one pair of eyes on anything you plan to send out.

But not everything you ask people will give you useful or accurate information.

Here are two questions fundraisers often ask others that often lead to fundraising failure:

Do you like this? Fundraising isn’t meant to be liked. It’s meant to connect and persuade. Those are not at all the same thing. In fact, it’s common for the most effective fundraising to be disliked. And when nonprofit staff “like” the message, it is very likely to do poorly with donors. They are the wrong audience entirely. Good fundraising will often rub them the wrong way.
Would you give to this? This might seem a more on-target question. But it’s not. Because rationally thinking through whether or not you’d respond is radically unlike encountering a message, paying attention to it, and following through with a donation. Those two situations are so different, there’s no correlation between the two. If there’s a correlation, it’s the strong negative correlation between insiders saying they’d give and donors actually giving.

If you’re hoping to improve your fundraising, don’t ask anyone either of these questions.

* * *

Steven says, “Jeff Brooks is the brilliant author of Future Fundraising Now (which you should subscribe to). I’ve been lucky enough to know Jeff since we both had hair that was longer and browner. He’s the best, clearest voice on direct response fundraising that I know of.”

Should You Write at a Sixth Grade Level?

Tom Ahern | June 24, 2025June 12, 2025Repeat

The following is a hand-picked guest post from Tom Ahern. Enjoy, and you can read more about Tom below.

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Do low grade scores read as dumbing down?

If you write an appeal at the 6th-grade level, you’re not targeting kids. You’re helping busy adults “get” your ask as fast as possible.

[The subhead above was written at the 6th-grade level, as scored by Flesch-Kincaid. It has a reading ease score of 76 out of 100, far ABOVE the desired minimum of 55. Did you recoil? Did you instantly think: “Dammit, Tom. Stop talking down to me!”]

——

There it was… in my email in-box: the Bat signal … from a friend and colleague…

Hi Tom,

I have a work problem and need your help, please!

When I got to [insert charity name here; it’s in NYC], they were passing the foundation’s quarterly impact reports verbatim on to major donors.

My boss saw that I have the comms knack and let me take over editing these to make them “individual-donor friendly” – mainly choosing one impact story and highlighting a person receiving benefit from our programs, with photo, etc…

Now we have a new VP of Development. The guy who writes these foundation reports directly reports to her… and she is now letting him stick his nose into what we are doing. He has no training in fundraising.

While I was at a doctor appointment a few weeks ago, my junior colleague agreed to share the draft he and I had been working on with this guy, who proceeded to torture him for 45 minutes and tell him how stupid he was for using low Flesch-Kincaid grade scores as our benchmark. To summarize the marcomm rant: “Our donors are not stupid” etc.

You’ve heard it all before.

So I have a very small window in which to educate this ignoramus. I have a big folder of stuff I’ve accumulated over the years plus books.

Do you have any sort of executive summary of Tom’s laws that I can share? If not, I can provide the kit and kaboodle to my colleague, and he can distill it down.

Best,
[name deleted]

PS: I can’t believe this is happening.

——

My reply to [name deleted]…

Preach, sister. (And so sorry!)

Clearly, your marcomm guy doesn’t know what he doesn’t yet know. And weren’t we all in those shoes once upon a time?

It’s almost an unbelievable story, after all.

Who would guess that the Flesch-Kincaid readability scales are one of the best-kept trade secrets of the world’s most successful direct-mail copywriters?

Or who would guess that these same Flesch-Kincaid ease-of-reading scales dictate how the U.S. Navy writes its maintenance manuals? Keeping that sophisticated machinery humming are bright, recent high-school graduates. Hey, sailor: Got a problem? Here’s how to fix it quickly. Even though you’re not a nuclear scientist.

So, my friend, here’s an excerpt from a book I compiled from experts around the world: If Only You’d Known….

If you’re looking for the equivalent to “Tom’s laws,” this is as close as I have.

Chapter 15

What’s the preferred “grade level” of reading for a direct mail appeal?

[ ] 6th grade
[ ] 9th grade
[ ] 12th grade

Grade level and speed reading

[Answer to the quiz above] You’re not sure, right? Well, what if I told you that this particular direct mail appeal hoped to raise donations from alumni of a prestigious university?

In that case, you might assume “12th grade.” The thinking: write at the same grade level as a person’s educational attainment.

Otherwise you commit the insult of “writing down.”

Not exactly

“Grade level,” as measured by the standard Flesch-Kincaid readability scoring system,[1] has nothing to do with your intelligence or how far you went in school.

The system scores just one thing:
How quickly my brain can move through your prose.
Below, on the left, are the readability scores for a successful direct mail letter.

On the right are the readability scores for a university-written case for support. The one on the left will be a brisk read for everyone. The one on the right will be a slog for everyone, including the Ph.Ds.

You decide.

Your writing can bring me clarity and quick understanding. Or your writing can bring me labor. Which do you think is more “reader convenient”… or appreciated?

[1] Built into Microsoft Word and available for free on the internet

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Steven says, “Tom Ahern was described by the New York Times as “…one of the country’s most sought-after creators of fundraising messages.” Tom has what I’d call the industry-leading newsletter about fundraising. Being mentioned in it was a career highlight for me. You can (and should!) subscribe for free here.”