Use Quotations in Your Fundraising Appeal Letters to Inspire and Motivate Your Donors
Someone like Mother Theresa. Mark Twain. Rosa Parks. Ernest Hemmingway.
Quotations are one of the most effective ways to inspire and motivate donors. Think of all the topics you could possibly want to write about in a fundraising letter, such as apathy, challenge, faith, freedom, generosity, injustice, love, optimism, persistence, poverty and war. Chances are, someone, somewhere, at some moment in history, has said something quotable on your topic.
So when you are stuck for the best way to say something, reach for a book of quotations and turn to the table of contents. Look up the topic you are struggling with. Turn to that page and hunt for a quotation that conveys your thought in a memorable or wise or pithy or funny or epigrammatic way. Then take that quotation and incorporate it into your appeal letter.
For example, let's say you're requesting funds for a shelter for homeless people. You want to convey to your donors the plight of people who end up living on the streets. You pick up your book of quotations, look under the topic Injustice, and find that Pearl S. Buck, human rights activist and Nobel Prize winner, once remarked: "Hunger makes a thief of any man." There's a zinger that you can incorporate somewhere into your letter.
Or let's say you're writing to the same donor about the same homeless shelter, but instead you're struggling to communicate how the streets are especially hard on homeless children. You don't want to simply say, "The streets are especially hard on homeless children," because you're afraid that you'll be stating the obvious, or sound like you're preaching.
So you search under the topic of Children, and find this nugget from Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Hodding Carter: "There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other, wings." There you have a memorable way to state your case. You could even turn this quotation into a theme that runs throughout your fundraising letter package, starting with the outer envelope teaser.
Quotations are an effective way to up the octane in your fundraising letters for a number of reasons:
They help you communicate truths about sensitive topics by letting someone else speak for you
They add colour to your writing, the same way sound bites do in a TV documentary
They help you express the funny side of a situation (by quoting Bill Cosby, for example) when doing so directly might sound crass or insensitive
When you quote people word for word, be sure to mention who you are quoting. Imitation, as Charles Caleb Colton said, is the sincerest form of flatter, but quoting people without citing your source isn't imitation. It's plagiarism.
If you want help finding suitable quotes for your fundraising letters, buy The Fundraisers' Book of Quotations, the latest e-book from Andrew Spencer Publishing. It contains over 200 pages and over 2,700 quips, proverbs, aphorisms, witticisms, zingers, epigrams, quotes, one-liners and words of wisdom to inspire and motivate your donors. Details here.
Related Tags: quotations, donations, fundraising appeal letters, donors
----
About the author
Alan Sharpe is president of Raiser Sharpe, a full-service direct mail fundraising agency that helps non-profit organizations raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors. Sign up for free weekly tips like this, and discover other helpful resources, at http://www.RaiserSharpe.com.
Recent articles in this category:
- Earn More Revenue With Media Buying Agency
Media Buying Agency is composed of professionals who can help you get maximum exposure for your busi - Fundraising Idea - Offer Your Supporters A Healthy Product
How do you raise money for your non-profit organization in tough economic times? Consider the benefi - Discount Cards For Fundraising Make Raising Money Easy & Stress Free
Whether you are trying to raise money for the church youth group, the junior high cheerleading squad - Earthquake Survivors In Haiti Receive Aid From Cydcor
One of the leading providers of face-to-face sales teams, Cydcor, donated a total of 25 large boxes - Cydcor Makes Donation To Aid Earthquake Survivors
In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, one company has stepped up to assist surviv - Ultimate Fundraising Will Maximize Your Efforts
How are your organizational fundraising efforts going? Are you seeing a decrease in your funds due t - Raise Awareness For Autism With Fundraising
Are you aware that experts estimate that two to six children out of every 1,000 will have autism? Ar - Tapping Into A Variety Of Fundraising Resources - 2
In the previous document we looked at the new situation school principals find themselves in the new - Maximize Fundraising Profits With The Right Fundraiser
When it comes to running a non-profit organization, it doesn't matter if the economy is good or bad - Fundraising, How You Can Help
Fundraising is the process of gathering money or other forms of gifts from charitable foundations an
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Three Simple Steps to Establishing a Goal: The First Step To Successful Fundraising
Creating a logical and realistic goal is the beginning to any successful fundraiser. Goals need to - Make More Money by Working Together: Grant Writers of Wisconsin
Grow Wisconsin is a new network of grant writers in WI who exemplify that collaboration begets succe - How to Get Free Wheelchairs through the NHS
It is possible to obtain a wheelchair either funded or part funded by the NHS through what is known - Save Thousands by Using a Free Grants Database
I received the following question from a reader: "I serve on the Board of a new foundation that is r - The Changing Face Of Commercial Mortgages In The Uk
Commercial mortgages in the UK have traditionally been somewhat of a mysterious subject and yet ther - Strategic Fundraising for Startup Technology Companies
Almost every company goes through it, except for the fortunate few. Some people have gone through it - How To Contact Grant Makers with Success
Last week was a busy one for me: I am the contact person for applicants to a local Education Foundat - How Donor's Needs Affect The Reading of Fund Raising Letters
Donors need lots of information to be persuaded to send gifts by mail.They may say they want to read - Why Do People Respond to Fund Raising Letters?
Your fund raising letter must persuade the recipient to take an action that much of humanity thinks - Selling Glow Sticks for a Fundraiser
Kids love these glow-in-the-darks sticks. Especially after dark. They can wave them in the air, conn