February 26, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
Ken Gordon, editor of nonprofit JBooks.com, did not exactly take to the experience of writing his first appeal letter. “It was excruciating,” he says.
Other words he uses to describe the task of asking readers of his charity’s books for money? “Humiliating,” “horrible,” and “painful.”
But from pain comes, well, inspiration. While mired in the December appeal-letter doldrums, Mr. Gordon got an idea for how to poke fun at the process of writing solicitations, and himself, in dramatic style.
He enlisted the help of former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky (one of JBooks.com’s authors), another friend who was involved with improv, and a former producer at WGBH who’d worked with JBooks.com’s parent organization Jewish Family and Life Media.
Together, they produced a video (“The Spiel, or Send Money”) that Mr. Gordon hopes will raise funds for his charity — and save him from writing too many more appeal letters.
Mr. Gordon is publicizing the video through the charity’s e-newsletters and by reaching out to journalists.
“Our idea was to use humor as a way to differentiate ourselves and at least get the word out about JBooks,” he says. “Where else are you going to see Robert Pinsky singing with a Casio?”
What do you think of the video as a way to raise money? How would you suggest Mr. Gordon publicize the video and use it to generate donations?
