Jewish Nonprofits Newsletter
When people say "no"
No one likes feeling bad. No one likes remembering hard situations. No one likes being in places – or near people – that make them feel less than. That’s why it can be hard to ask someone for a donation. Because when you ask, there’s a chance they’ll say no. And if they say no, it can get…awkward. (Particularly if this is someone you have a personal connection to.) When you make a big ask and someone can’t say yes, the immediate reaction is…they don’t feel good about saying no. And when...
I’m judging.
Hi Rabbi [LAST_NAME GOES HERE], When I wrote fiction for Mishpacha (a very, very long time ago), one of the story editors, Rachael, said she judges every submission by the opening line. If the conflict weren’t already clear in the first line, the story was over. There was nothing more to read. I remember being so pressured by that. It’s a tall order! You can't open with a nice scene or a prelude. It needed to open – BAM – with an understanding of the conflict. Omer couldn’t hear Noa over the...
What time is it today?
Hi Rabbi [LAST_NAME GOES HERE], One of the most powerful tools a nonprofit has isn’t a database, or a campaign strategy…or even incredible copy (!). It’s the calendar. Certain moments in the year are meaningful times when people naturally pause, reflect, or think about the bigger picture. The Jewish calendar is filled with (and built on) moments like that. Rosh Hashanah. Yom Kippur. Chanukah. Purim. Pesach. These are times when people are thinking about their identity, community, and giving....
A recent client
Hi Rabbi [LAST_NAME GOES HERE], A few weeks ago, we began working with a new client (one I’m personally very excited about, because I’ve seen their work from the inside and have always been impressed with their mission, and specifically their ethics.) When they reached out, here’s what they told us was going on: (Thank you, AI notetaker, for always taking such good notes of meetings!) They knew knew should but lacked the bandwidth to actually send regular emails. Currently sending on a...
Bold is better (sometimes)
Hi Rabbi [LAST_NAME GOES HERE], A lot of nonprofit messaging stays on the safe side. You’ll see lines like: “Help us raise the next generation of Jewish leaders.” And there’s nothing wrong with that, because raising the next generation of Jewish leaders is important and positive and uplifting. But bold is sometimes better. When working with an NPO, we can skirt the issues they’re solving…or name them. Recently, we worked on a brochure for the Chabad in Rancho Mirage about their youth...
Are you *spam*?
Hi Rabbi [LAST_NAME GOES HERE], Just because you have an email to send, it does not mean that you should be emailing everyone on your list. I know this sounds ironic, especially coming from the person who’s always talking about why you should send MORE emails (and HOW). But blast your emails to everyone always, and you wreck your deliverability, reputation, and – eventually – your revenue. Why? 1. You Spamify yourself Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo, etc. don’t read your emails (no matter how...
Before new donors, find these
Hi Rabbi [LAST_NAME GOES HERE], Stop looking for new donors (at least for a minute). Because sitting in your database, right now, is a group of people who already said “yes” to your donation requests once (or twice). You haven’t heard from them since, but that doesn’t mean they don’t care. They’re lapsed donors, an incredibly underestimated asset. If you bring them back on, they’re more likely to give than any brand-new donor you can find. But these donors seem to have fallen off the face of...
Don’t get lost in the scroll
Hi Rabbi [LAST_NAME GOES HERE], More than half of your donors will read your emails on their phone. (And that’s a conservative guess.) Which means an email that looks perfectly fine on a computer isn’t a “well done” email unless it ALSO reads well on a phone. On desktop, this email seems skimmable and engaging. But on mobile, this same email is clunky and unwelcoming. On a phone: Your subject line will get cut off sooner (so it needs to be tighter) “Short” paragraphs will still take up the...
Welcome aboard, [FIRST NAME GOES HERE]
Hi Reader, Last email, we discussed why the first email you send after a donation is so incredibly crucial. Today, we’ll break down how to make sure it’s STRONG. The first email after a donation: Has one of the highest open rates Meeting your donors when they might be having a moment of “Did we really just give away our money?” (aka a smidge of doubt) That’s why you want to: Use the opportunity to nurture them, educate them about what you do Confirm that – yes, you made the right choice! And...
Donor’s doubt?
Hi Reader, Have you ever made a big purchase? Where you deliberated back and forth – to buy or not to buy? Then you settle on a decision: we’re going to get it! You fill out your credit card information and click to process. And then – immediately – think, “Oh wow, did we really just do that?” Was it the right choice? That immediate regret is a 100% normal (EXPECTED!) part of the process. That’s why a good company doesn’t just email you a plain receipt. It will be something that congratulates...
It CAN hurt to try…but do it anyway
Our client had never done a direct-mail appeal before. We pushed them to try. It netted a LOT more than they thought it would, and the next year, we repeated something similar again. But for the same client… We strategized a specific digital campaign, and it did barely okay-ish. It covered the “costs” of running it, but we realized that the specific format didn’t work well for this audience. We now knew that we could confidently shelve the idea and not try it again. Both scenarios involved...