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CHATS: the Norooz letter, in Farsi

by SOFII

It’s an ancient truism of fundraising that if you want to communicate with donors you must speak to them in their language, not yours. Here’s a small example that paid off in practice.

Blue Cross: a brand refresh

by SOFII

This charity’s brand refresh is different from many others because it puts supporters and their deep love and concern for pets first. It’s designed to meet fundraising objectives as well as brand awareness.

St Michael’s Hospital Foundation: the 2010/11 annual report to donors

by SOFII

The St Michael’s Hospital Foundation view their hard-working and very appealing annual report as an opportunity to showcase the accomplishments of the past year and honour their generous donors. It shows them that their donations have been wisely spent and have made a real difference to the patients cared for at St. Michael’s.

Help the Aged: ‘you have this gift’ direct mail pack

by SOFII

Both the text on the envelope and the incentive in this classic direct mail pack from the 1980s have been copied frequently.

How I wrote it: Jules Brown talks about the Women’s Aid fundraising letter

by Fergal Byrne & Jules Brown

In Fergal Byrne’s seventh interview with leading fundraising copywriters, Jules Brown from New Zealand explains why he begins with a case study. ‘I immerse myself in the case study. For me, it forms the guts of what fundraising direct mail is all about.’ Click here to see the powerful case history he used in the featured letter that he wrote for Women’s Aid in Ireland.

Greater London Fund for the Blind: Christmas card and thank-you card tests

The Christmas card starts off sad and then become wonderfully uplifting and inspiring.

by SOFII

Some people were so pleased with their thank-you cards that they rang GLFB to say so. SOFII is sure that when the next batch of mailings land on their doormats the one from GLFB will spark off a fond memory and, therefore, picked up first.

Rhode Island Foundation: why less can be more with the annual report, particularly when it comes to legacies

by SOFII

To send or not to send? If you ask your donors if they want to receive your annual report, why do you think they don’t reply? It could be inertia, ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’. Maybe they think they'll be saving you time and money, they’re nice, considerate people after all. By the same token intertia will stop them going to your website to view your report online – and you will never know. If you send a printed copy, you know they have it and might they not be more likely to look at it, if it’s there in their hands? The stories here from Tom Ahern and the Rhode Island Foundatio show the power of the printed word.

How I wrote it: Alan Sharpe’s War Child fundraising letter.

by Fergal Byrne & Alan Sharpe

In this, the sixth of a series of interviews with leading fundraising writers, Alan Sharpe talks with Fergal Byrne about a fundraising letter written for Canadian charity War Child in 2011. During this conversation, Alan reveals the thinking that went into his letter and what really matters in making a letter a success.

Grassroots International: their distinctive annual report

by SOFII

Grassroots Interenational’s staff diligently take photos during field visits and now they have a wide choice of images to use in their annual report. They also use donor profiles to support their message, so GRI donors are interested and highly involved.