Greetings!  

Back when I drove 35+ minutes each way to work I listened to a lot of talk radio -- and a lot of direct response commercials.    A decade later, the opening copy for "Hooked on Phonics" still rings in my head: "People judge you by the words you use."

That's extremely true in peer-to-peer fundraising where the difference between success and failure can depend on the subject line of an email or the wording of an appeal.    

Katya Andresen's recent blog post "The five words that made women give 20% more" dramatically illustrates this point.  

I assume -- always dangerous -- that most major programs are testing their copy.   For those of you who are not yet testing copy, it's relatively easy and inexpensive to try.  To get started, consider these simple approaches.

David Hessekiel

President

Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council