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June 2014
 

I've been worshipping Tom Ahern for almost 15 years. He is THE expert on donor communications. To have him as my guest writer this month is a dream come true. 

The 9 fatal flaws of donor newsletters that Tom talks about below are from his new book, Making Money with Donor Newsletters. I see these deadly mistakes in just about every newsletter that crosses my desk. So chances are you could benefit from getting yourself a copy of Tom's book. Regardless, please take what he has to say to heart. He knows what he's talking about. 

 

See you next month!

Tina

  




Tina Cincotti


P.S. For all you dog lovers, Tom is also one of my Penny's adoring fans. She even gets a credit in his upcoming book. I get one too but I'm much more excited about hers. 


Tom Ahern on the 9 "fatal flaws" that kill response to donor newsletters 

 

 

Donor newsletters can be fabulously lucrative.

 

For every $1 the Nashville Rescue Mission spends on its newsletter, almost $7 flows back in gifts. The Mission's monthly newsletter on its own raised more than $2 million in donations last year. I know numerous other donor newsletters that do as well.

 

Yet I'd venture to say that at most charities, the donor newsletter is a cost center, not a profit center.

 

Here's why.

 

Almost every donor newsletter I see suffers from at least one of the following fatal flaws. 

 

Notice: I did not say "moderately destructive" flaws nor "mildly offensive" flaws. These nine flaws are grave. I am stunned by how many donor newsletters suffer from all nine.

 

Flaw #1: Your front page is boring. 

You reserve your front page for (1) important news that (2) makes the donor feel good or needed. As a donor, I should feel joy instantly when I look at the front page. That's the first impression you want to make.

 

Last time I did a major survey of charity newsletters, with more than 60 spread out around my office, I was shocked to see that the majority devoted their front pages to a recurring, less-than-inspiring letter "from the desk of" the executive director or board chair. Don't fall for this dull convention.

 

Flaw #2: Your newsletter is not "donor-centered."

A good newsletter will tell donors that they are making an important difference in the world, that they are good people, generous people, kind people, compassionate people ... over and over and over. Their interest in your organization will quickly wane if you fail to deliver on this.

 

Flaw #3: Your newsletter has weak or dysfunctional headlines. 

If any fatal flaw deserves the title "Most Deadly," this is it. Headlines are a key reader convenience. Headlines summarize the gist of the story, so I don't have to read the story. Headlines in donor newsletters summarize the gist AND give the credit to the donor.

 

Flaw #4: Your newsletter avoids using the word "you." 

A good donor newsletter is friendly, even intimate, in tone. It embraces the reader in a very obvious way by using the word "you" a lot, especially in the headlines. If you insist instead on a corporate voice (a lot of "we did this, we did that"), you will keep your readers at arm's length and prevent them from crawling into your lap for a head rub (dog lovers will know what I'm talking about).

 

Flaw #5: You claim it's a newsletter (i.e., a bearer of news). But it's not: it's really just an excuse to say, "Hi! We'd like to talk about ourselves and sell you stuff."

 

Flaw #6: Your newsletter has no emotional triggers. 

It's cold (data driven), not hot (story driven). Restrained, not flattering. Corporate, not loving. No anger. No hope. No joy. Wrong: tugging the heartstrings is a full-time job, if you're serious about raising money.

 

Flaw #7: No "accomplishment reporting." 

Your newsletter is supposed to answer the basic questions: "What did you do with my gift? How did philanthropy help advance the mission?"

 

Flaw #8: Your newsletter depends far too much on statistics (and far too little on anecdotes) to make your case for support.

 

Researching charitable impulses, Duke psychology professor, Dan Ariely, discovered something worth thinking twice about: anecdotal information (i.e., a story) raises more than twice as much money as statistical information (i.e., data). And unfortunately, if you mix stories and statistics, giving remains suppressed. Numbers undermine the charitable impulse response.

 

Flaw #9: The newsletter is not set up for rapid skimming. 

I subscribe to three daily newspapers. And efficiently absorb the lot, well over 100,000 words daily, in less than half an hour. How do I perform this amazing feat? I skim; I don't read deep. I look at headlines, pull quotes, photos and captions -- all the bigger, bolder, briefer stuff -- searching for news that interests me. As research shows, like most people, I rarely read past the first paragraph of any article. If you tell your readers something important in paragraph 3, you can safely assume that almost no one saw it.

 

 

Excerpted for Funding Change from Tom Ahern's new book, Making Money with Donor Newsletters.

 

 

 

 

Tina's pic

Want to read more...?
 
 
There's tons more expert advice in past issues of this newsletter onlineSo if you're a new subscriber or want a refresher, check out my archive. 

 

You'll find no-nonsense advice on how to write for better results, what an effective website looks like, ways to improve your fundraising appeals, how to make "thank you" calls... you name it, it's probably there. And if it's not, let me know -- maybe I'll cover that next!
 

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Who is this email from, anyway? 


That's me! 

A fund development expert with a passion for social change, Funding Change founder Tina Cincotti gives grassroots groups the skills, tools, training, and confidence they need to raise more money from their supporters.

 

She specializes in building individual donor programs; improving donor relations and donor communications; writing newsletters, annual reports, and solicitations; coaching staff new to development; and motivating boards to be more engaged in fundraising.   

 

Are you looking for consulting, coaching, or training help? Let's talk!   

 

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