Tell me everything and I’ll see nothingI was excited to receive an envelope of material from a social impact organization that I supported last year. As it looked like there was a lot of stuff in the package, I looked forward to pulling it apart and reading it. Alas, it fell flat. It contained:
And why is that a bad thing? There was no focus to the package and it was not donor-centred. It was a big collection of everything the organization wanted to tell me about the good work they are doing in the community. But it didn’t involve me, celebrate me or tell me the ways I’m doing good in the world by having an impact on individuals. There’s a whole lot of “we” in the materials and very little “you.” Even in the letter asking for my gift. And while there were two stories talking about impact in the newsletter, neither of them said “Because of you, this happened,” or “Without you, the opportunity for this person to have a future wouldn’t happen.” I don’t need to see corporate logos in my newsletter. That’s recognition for them, not me. I need stories about the difference I am making in the world. Separate your messages i.e. don’t send a letter asking for gifts with an invitation to the AGM – send it separately with a pledge card. Send a donor-focused, story-filled newsletter to donors telling them they’re your heroes, not a bragging newsletter about how great you are. Don’t just dump a whole pile of messages into one package to save on postage. You’ll get better results by tailoring your messages. Because then I’ll be inclined to read what you send, instead of sending the lot to the recycling bin. Julie Mikuska · |
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