The Little Words Mean the Most

Another reason NOT to go to the Seattle NPO storytelling conference this Nov

#9 -- I haven't done any research yet re: local cocktail bars see OLD SAYING: "Write drunk. Edit sober." OK ... so this conference? Are we writing ... or are we editing? The revolution begins. Shall we, next generation?

INFO

Whenever I check the weather I'm

a bomber pilot in WWII hoping for the best

knowing the best wasn't very good

When you're a board member and driving your fundraiser crazy

Ask yourself: Are you a person riding a horse, with spurs? If you don't use the spurs, we're a team. If you do, you're a cruel and ignorant asshole

Moments in a consultant's life

Mostly you feel like a control tower

Simone and I are working on a snappy song for a donor-centric musical

 

With your help...bahbahbah

With your help...bahbahbah

We can do so very much

With your help...

With your help...

We can do so very much

And we need you by our side

With your help...bahbahbah

THEN ADRIAN SALMON contributed these delightful lyrics:

Mosquito nets to save a precious baby,
Hydration kits, and drugs, and food, and maybe
A mother's heart has wings
These joyful things
Remind me of you...

A student finally on their way to college
Spread out before them is the whole world's knowledge
That's why my heart has wings
These joyful things remind me of you.

You read, you heard, you gave a gift
These things are dear to me
They seem to bring you near to me

Our research that may help a cure for cancer
A telephone that rings - it's you that answers
That's why my heart has wings
These joyful things were all done by you.

Responsible walkers on country roads

wave to courteous motorists

"Mommy, why do we have 4-page letters?"

It's not about the length of the appeal, darling. It's about the quality of the writing.

Top professional letter writers worldwide see their best results with longer letters where they can tell a big and involving story. It's like watching a movie ... where you, the donor, are the star. Great professional direct mail embraces the reader, delights the reader, and empowers the reader to do something useful ... something that will help, heal or change the world. Long letters written by capable and talented hands take the time to raise the empathy of the reader to a boiling point.

Shorter is better if you're writing dull or dysfunctional letters.

The whole "how long should a direct mail appeal letter be" debate is irrelevant for most nonprofits because they write their stuff in-house or use semi-pro freelancers. Go for short and to the point. Best bet.

Did you ever read "Nickel and Dimed"?

By Barbara Ehrenreich, a journalist who tried to live for a year exclusively doing minimum-wage jobs. It broke her. Here's our book review, in a sense. We tip.

Dear Agent J and the other Agent J

And I got to tell you b/c this is WEIRD: there are NO Js in the Periodic Table

Please advise: How can we now do secret communicat@#$%?

Nowherely yrs,

AT