Let’s build up your fundraising people
Also popular is bespoke training. We take one or a combo of the courses below and tailor it with examples to YOUR charity and cause. The feedback we get from this approach is phenomenal with participants always commenting how useful it is to see training principles applied to their context. Contact us directly for a quote.
Our goal with all training is not only to show you HOW but also WHY. You don’t just learn the tactics and mechanics of copywriting and fundraising. You also develop an understanding of why certain approaches work (even if they seem counterintuitive) and acquire a fundraising mindset based on donor love and relationship building.
Our flagship direct mail training is now available with new content that incorporates evidence-based philanthropic psychology. Phil psych is the art and science of using donor love through applying donor psychology, identity and wellbeing principles to drive giving.
You’ll also learn the tried and tested direct response skills that top copywriters use to write fundraising packs that rake in the dollars. I have personally used these techniques to write fundraising letters for clients that have doubled or even quadrupled appeal results.
Writing an effective appeal is not just about following a template. It’s about feeling the donor love. It’s about connecting with donors in a way that moves them to make a gift. And you’ll not only drive more donations but build stronger connections between your donors, cause and beneficiaries.
Full participation in Donor Love & Impact Language is applicable for 4.5 points in Category 1.B – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.
Reboot your fundraising retention comms! Our popular Donor-Centred Language training has been overhauled and reworked to incorporate evidence-based philanthropic psychology. Learn how to apply phil psych to your impact reports, newsletters and other fundraising communications.
This session covers not only tried and tested direct response and persuasive copywriting techniques but also how to use donor psychology, identity and wellbeing to make your donors feel AWESOME about giving to your cause and organisation. This is VITAL if you want to retain your donors and maximise lifetime value.
Full participation in Donor Love & Impact Language is applicable for 3 points in Category 1.B – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.
If you want fundraising copy that moves donors to give, you must grab their eyeballs first – and keep them reading your appeals and messages! With limited attention spans online, this session covers how to write compelling copy for digital spaces.
Includes my top tricks for attention-grabbing online copy plus how to optimise copy for every part of a digital communication – from subject line to postscript with templates you can swipe. Includes tons of real world examples.
Note: this session does not cover writing for social media.
Full participation in Eyeball-Grabbing Digital Fundraising Copy is applicable for 2 points in Category 1.B – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.
After your list, your offer – or what you ask your donor to donate to – is the next most important part of your appeal or campaign. Yet so many charities present their asks to donors in an uninspiring, abstract or utterly baffling way… which means you’re missing out on precious dollars to fund your work.
No matter what your cause or how unsexy you believe it is, there will be a compelling way to present your offer to attract donors’ attention and dollars.
Full participation in Killer Fundraising Offers – With Love is applicable for 1.5 points in Category 1.B – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.
Emma, Launch Housing
With the growth of the business, that is no longer possible. June has creative and strategic oversight of all projects and aims to empower the writers she works with to best practice in all aspects of fundraising copywriting.
We focus on copy only although we often provide design notes or supply mockups on supplied copy. However, we are not a full service agency and actual design is not included in our services. You will need to use your own designer or we can recommend someone.
We can also advise on design so it works together with the copy and to avoid common problems which reduce direct response readability and decreases income and response. These may include using tiny font, large slabs of reverse text and squashing parts of the Johnson box into a corporate style banner.
Creative – As a person of faith, June is passionate about following in the footsteps of the Creator who made us all. We’re all about using our storytelling talents to create a better world with more love, kindness and grace. We want to care for His creations whether people or planet and show God’s love in the world.
Giving – This is about reflecting the example of God who gave us the greatest gift of all – Jesus. Beyond that, we use the art and science of encouraging donors to be financial givers to great causes. We believe that giving to others is a vital expression of our faith. We want to create change through love in action, expressed by giving money.
Note, this doesn’t mean we only work with Christian organisations. We love working with any non-profit that is doing good stuff in the world.
June is always interested in hearing from other fundraising copywriters. Please contact her as we often need help with ad hoc jobs during busy periods.
We get asked this question a lot. Hence I have put together the following document that gives you an overview of how much time to allow.
Our approach has always been driven by donor centricity. However, we recognise that many charities wish to make their fundraising more beneficiary-centred and less saviourist. We have been exploring evidence-based ways to take into account the needs of donors AND to do no harm to participants and their communities.
This is why we are interested in philanthropic psychology and other similar approaches, based on research and testing proven to increase donor income and response. Although the language approach may appear to overlap with strengths-based or rights-based fundraising, they are not the same thing.
Here are some articles related to this subject.
Or you can download a package of resources we’ve put together. Download here
June works from Melbourne, Australia, and uses various contract writers.
We don’t charge by the hour. We quote a project fee after talking to a prospective non-profit client about their needs, donor base, previous fundraising activities, past results and fundraising culture as well as their job requirements.
Many of the non-profits I work with tell me they’re committed to moving away from saviourism. Over the past few years, I’ve encouraged them to
This is the last in a series of four posts reflecting on a conversation about donor-centred fundraising and growing donor love with Professor Jen Shang
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