It’s about telling your story in an authentic way that fans the flames already burning in people’s hearts. It’s not about convincing people that your mission matters or that your nonprofit is worthwhile. Your request for support should connect with the passion your donor or prospect already has for the work your nonprofit does. The right words are critical, especially when your goal is to motivate someone to take action (like supporting your cause!). Let’s start by looking at the psychology of words. How do you motivate people to take action so you’ll get the results you’re looking for? Your words must cut through the noise and land smack-dab in the middle of your reader’s or listener’s heart, inspiring them to give. You need to slow down, think, and find the right words.
It means you have to PLAN what you’ll say and think about who you’re saying it to, not just hurry through the task of writing so you can mark it off your “to do” list. Having the right message means that your emails, social media posts, and in-person requests must have some thought behind them. Or a Facebook fundraiser that raised so little it was embarrassing. Maybe you’ve experienced this with a fundraising letter that performed so poorly you called it a failure and didn’t want to try it again. This means you can’t just slap any words on a page, send it to a donor, and expect great results. If you bore people or confuse them, you won’t. If you inspire people, you’ll get a gift.
Your words matter when you’re trying to get people to donate.