The Fundraiser’s Toolbox
You know that fundraising is hard work. To be successful you need to be well equipped to take on all its challenges. At SOFII, we thought you might like some help. So we’ve put together this fundraiser’s toolbox that we’ll be filling with essential examples, formats, articles, case studies, ideas and tips that we think every fundraiser should know about.
Tutorial 25: 22 ideas for keeping your reader moving on
by Jerry Huntsinger
Keep in mind these principles when you write long letters.
Read moreTutorial 26: How to make a short letter work
by Jerry Huntsinger
Find out how to write successful short letters with these 10 helpful rules.
Read moreTutorial 27: A good start
by Jerry Huntsinger
Learn how to edit your letters and begin with that great emotion that often only surfaces until page two.
Read moreTutorial 28: Is it time to get rid of ‘dear friend’?
by Jerry Huntsinger
Is there a better way to get off to a good start when writing a form letter? Here are some alternatives you may wish to consider. I’ll leave it to you to decide whether any or all of them are good, bad, or just plain ridiculous.
Read moreTutorial 29: Slash your letter writing time in half
by Jerry Huntsinger
I’m assuming that you are already familiar with the basic mechanical techniques for creating a fundraising letter. On the other hand, if you don’t know the first thing about writing a fundraising letter, read on anyway. I’ll show you how easy it is and how much fun you can have doing it.
Read moreTutorial 30: How to pass judgment on a fundraising letter
by Jerry Huntsinger
For the attention of those who are responsible for approving fundraising letters: this tutorial is for you.
Read moreTutorial 31: Make me an offer I can’t resist
by Jerry Huntsinger
The problem with nonprofit mail is that often letters ask for a donation, but fail to make an offer.
Read moreTutorial 32: Logic never makes me cry
by Jerry Huntsinger
Jerry argues that without emotion, your letter will fall flat.
Read moreTutorial 33: 20 dangerous ways to get your letter off to a good start
by Jerry Huntsinger
Here Jerry suggests 20 letter openings to help kick-start that creative void, but they come with a warning…
Read moreTutorial 34: Whatever happened to authentic emotion?
by Jerry Huntsinger
In Jerry’s thirty-fourth tutorial he asks, whatever happened to authentic emotion? Inspired by a fundraising letter that arrived through his letterbox recently, Jerry shares with us this example and explains why emotion is the one thing a successful ‘ask’ shouldn’t be without.
Read moreTutorial 35: Mistakes that Brenda doesn’t need to make
by Jerry Huntsinger
When a fresh-faced communications graduate hoping to forge a career in direct mail fundraising asked Jerry Huntsinger (the dean of direct mail) to divulge the mistakes he’d made in his early days so that she could avoid them, he didn’t disappoint.
Read moreTutorial 36: Creative rules not worth breaking
by Jerry Huntsinger
Stop the press. No, really. If you’re about to send out a new direct mail campaign I suggest you have a good read of the latest addition to the Huntsinger tutorials first. This is an absolute essential for anyone in the business of marketing (and that’s really all of us working in charities isn’t it?)
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