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...
Let them unsubscribe
When you buy groceries, you give money and get your milk. When you donate, you give money and get to see your impact. Donations are a transaction. People give because they want something in return – to feel good about themselves, to make a difference, to be involved in something beautiful. If you accept donations but don’t hand over their “purchase” by updating them on their impact, it’s almost like stealing. That’s why you should send more non-ask emails. Nurture emails. Just to say hi, say...
You email everyone (and that’s the problem)
This is a longer email, but it’s worth the read because you know your donors. You know who gave today. And you definitely remember the one who dropped $10,000 out of the blue. But do you know which of your donors are the “strongest?” Which show the most potential for even greater gifts? Or which are starting to get annoyed at all the requests you send? That’s the gap an RFM analysis closes. Recency Frequency Monetary value (or “mitzvah value”) RFM sounds fancy, but it’s really a simple...
Nurture vs. donation request
Sending out regular emails to (potential) donors is a good idea – but what are you writing in those emails? With each email you sit down to write, choose between the two: nurture vs. donate emails. Nurture emails are stories, updates and behind-the-scenes moments. Nurture emails CAN have a donate request, but that’s not the point. Lyrical, storytelling energy. CTA is there, but not made front and center. Main “takeaway” is how inspiring the work is – and how much donors are the ones making...
try it this week
It’s only been a month since the new calendar year began – which means it’s not too late to take stock of the year gone by. It’s something we did for all our clients over the last few weeks. (Read to the end for a bonus. If you follow these steps, we’ll review your plan to give some additional feedback.) Sit down. Open a clean document (or new paper, if that’s your style). Write down everything you did this past year to market or fundraise. “Chanukah appeal” “Parlor meeting in Feb” “Table at...
No tears? No problem
Someone emailed with a question. It’s a great question. Many nonprofits have marketing that’s easier to navigate – because the cause pulls at our heartstrings. But what if your cause doesn’t? What if the mission is critical and the work is meaningful, but there are no heart-wrenching stories or eye-popping statistics to lean on? If that sounds like you, there are two pillars you can lean on instead: SHOW RESULTS. Use visuals, infographics, or before-and-after shots that make the impact...
Tell me a story, please
We served 10,000 meals last month!!! Which is nice, of course. But 10,000 portions of chicken and rice can sometimes feel like…just a lot of chicken and rice. Meet Sara, a single mom of three. She works every day to give her children a better life – and our free meals are a big part of her efforts. Suddenly. It’s personal. Why are stories the superpower of nonprofit marketing? When we hear stories, our brain releases oxytocin (the same chemical that bonds mothers to babies and friends to...
Dollar-per-donor
Quick math. Check how many email subscribers you currently have. Multiply that by $1. That’s how much your email list could be bringing in PER MONTH. (And this is NOT counting big campaigns like your year-end appeal, high holidays fundraisers, or other major asks. We’re talking just your regular, ongoing emails.) So, yes, if you have a list of 2,500 contacts, that’s ~$2,500 more you can be bringing in a month. Just with emails. (And, this isn’t even touching on the other benefits of regular...
This line loses donations
A while back, we launched a new template for nonprofits – and added a line that I KNOW killed sales. But there was no way we could launch without it. Right below a strong testimonial, we added: “Feedback on previous packages.” This product is new, so we don’t have testimonials yet – and we wanted people to know that. We could’ve left it unsaid. Let people assume the feedback was for this (even though it wasn’t). But even if a sleight of hand helps you in the short-run, IMHO, transparency is...
BTS of this campaign
When you see those glossy campaign ads with that perfect message, there’s something that’s never visible: the sheer amount of thought required when you take a complex cause and try to distill it into one line. On theme. One message that will immediately resonate. Hit home. When working on a campaign, how do you create a concept that captures it all – well? (Spoiler alert: we give you a step-by-step and sample below.) That’s what we had to do with Yaldei, an organization that supports families...
“Penny” in the “Pushka”
When Pushka Hub reached out to us, they had a clear concept to give over: copy we wrote for the site They needed a site that would explain why organizations should set up the app. They had the concept. The project was fairly straightforward. That’s why it was perfect for our copy sprint service. (For projects that are fast, focused, without complex strategy or research.) In a short span of time, we wrote the Pushka Hub site. “I had high expectations and all those expectations were not only...