January 16, 2008 | Read Time: 1 minute
Two fund-raising experts are discussing how to make pitches “relevant” to the lives of donors.
Jeff Brooks, creative director at Merkle, a fund-raising consulting
company, writes that there are seven elements that make an offer connect with a potential contributor.
They include asking him or her to help with a specific problem, showing how a gift would help solve that problem, and explaining why the money is needed urgently.
“Relevance is the secret to fund raising. That’s all. If your message fits in with your donor’s life, the chance that she’ll give is very high,” he writes on his Donor Power blog.
Jeremy Gregg, director of development for the Central Dallas
Ministries, praises Mr. Brooks’ observations.
On his blog, The Raiser’s Razor, he offers his thoughts on the seven elements and suggests that fund raisers should not forget to add a human touch.
“Don’t be afraid to share your own emotion with your donors. Let them know that they really matter to you,” he writes.
What do you think of the seven elements Mr. Brooks outlined? What would you add or take out? Click on the comments link below this post to share your thoughts.
