on the topic of pronouns
- "you" is glue
- "you" is a non-toxic glue, nutritious as well as elevating
- "you" is magic
- seeing/hearing "you" makes whatever topic your org. happens to be yapping about personal right away ~ even before I understand it
- seeing/hearing "you" creates INSTANT ... unavoidable ... interest ("Me? Are you talking to me? About me?")
- Dear board chairs, executive directors, marketing overlords and other sundry non-fundraising staff: If your organization doesn't pass the "you" test, you're not even trying. You've failed at the start.
- There are more than 1 million words used today in the English language [Oxford says]. "You" is the 14th most commonly used word in English ~ #1 is "the"; then: be, and, of, a in, to, have, to, it, I, that, for [https://www.wordfrequency.info/free.asp?s=y]
- [TWEET] Dear org. > When you talk about yourself, everything you say to me is boring ... until proven entertaining (stats are boring as gravel, e.g.). > When you talk about how wonderful I am, though ~ ME?! ~ now you have my attention. > And wasn't that what you REALLY wanted all along?
- [TWEET] I get paid seriously good money to fake sincerity. And I just cannot do it. Every time I start writing to a donor or to someone who might BECOME a donor I feel real gratitude flood up through my heart and lungs and guts. So, clients: sorry. It's REAL sincerity. All I've got.
- [TWEET] Industrial fundraising and local fundraising differ in at least one crucial way. Industrial fundraising can afford to drive off people with its rude behavior; there are always more doors to knock on. Local fundraising can't as much. The pool of supporters is so much smaller.
- [TWEET] orgs. V. people ¶ they're not giving TO you, they're giving THROUGH you ¶ the org. is a means to MY end: feeling good, feeling better, feeling purposeful, feeling wanted, feeling useful, feeling part of something important, feeling connected ¶ from NEW Degrees of Donor-Centricity
- [TWEET] You know who really LOOKS at annual reports? The committed. And you're wasting your prime real estate on low-value staples like the Letter from the ED ("I'm good. Thanks.") and the Letter from the Board Chair? (Cue: trumpets.){"Where are the trumpets?"}[["I thought YOU were..."]]
- "we" on the other hand is a stun grenade
- "we" snaps the connection, destroys the delicate illusion
- "we" is other than me
- "we" is more important than me
- unless it's "We, the people" AND I personally choose/hope/want to identify with that
- pronouns aside, most attempts by nonprofits to communicate with supporters are dumb-data-based, self-applauding and strongly imply "what have you done for this cause lately"