| Are you raising money for you kid's school trip? Are | | | | herself, but to benefit someone else, usually a total |
| you heavily involved in sustaining your local animal | | | | stranger. Often a pretty tough sell, you are thinking. |
| shelter? Do you run a large nonprofit organization | | | | This is where you discover the immense power of |
| devoted to finding a cure for cancer, saving | | | | the word, "you". Because, your selling job is the |
| endangered sea turtles or fighting climate change. | | | | same. You have to convince the prospective donor |
| No matter how small or how large your fundraising | | | | to give because of what's in it for them, whether it |
| endeavor, you're going to need words to do it. | | | | is a solution to a social problem plaguing their |
| But have you ever thought about what is the most | | | | community or the warm feeling inside of knowing a |
| powerful fundraising word of all? Is it "help"? No it | | | | hungry child far away has been fed. Use the word |
| isn't. Is it "give"? No. Is it "please"? No, it's not. | | | | "you" frequently in your appeal to sell the benefits of |
| It is, "you"! | | | | giving. |
| Well, maybe you just whacked yourself on the | | | | "By giving to the Maple Street Park Fund, you and |
| forehead and said, "I already knew that". But you | | | | your family will have a beautiful park to relax in |
| just needed a reminder. Or, if you are new in the | | | | instead of the current bit of industrial wasteland that |
| nonprofit field, you really didn't know or are so busy | | | | is such an eyesore." |
| firing out reasons your cause needs money, that you | | | | "You can feel a deep satisfaction in knowing that |
| completely overlooked this utterly vital component of | | | | your donation helped build a school where children |
| any campaign's success. | | | | never had a chance at education before." |
| Just as in advertising, or any other part of human | | | | "This terrible disease has likely touched someone in |
| relations, the pivotal question at the back of all minds, | | | | your own family or community. Now you can feel |
| consciously or unconsciously, is, "What's in it for me?" | | | | that you're fighting back by supporting the effort to |
| Of course, it might not be stated so baldly. It might | | | | relieve suffering and find a cure." |
| not be stated at all, but it's there. | | | | By invoking the power of "you", you have tapped |
| In advertising, the answer to that question is clear. | | | | directly into the donor's self interest. Addressed |
| The customer receives a number of benefits from a | | | | directly and offered personal benefits, they are much |
| product and it is the job of advertising to drive those | | | | more likely to give than if you just, impersonally, |
| benefits home so that the customer will buy. In | | | | enumerated the urgent needs of your cause. |
| fundraising, the spin is much trickier. The prospective | | | | Good luck and good fundraising! |
| donor is being asked to give, not to benefit him or | | | | |