Comments on: Why I Don’t Write Grant Applications or Direct Appeals http://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/blog/2007/09/13/why-i-dont-write-grant-applications-or-direct-appeals/ Written for do-it-yourself nonprofit marketers and one-person nonprofit communications departments. Fri, 8 Aug 2008 21:13:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Rena Jordan http://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/blog/2007/09/13/why-i-dont-write-grant-applications-or-direct-appeals/#comment-22275 Rena Jordan Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:53:51 +0000 http://www.writing911.com/blog/2007/09/13/why-i-dont-write-grant-applications-or-direct-appeals/#comment-22275 In response to the first direct mail appeal I wrote, I recieved a letter from a donor who said, "Your story made me cry! I'm enclosing a $100 check." Wow. For me, direct mail fundraising is the perfect blend of science and art. I love crafting stories that can evoke emotions so strong that a person you've never met writes a check for an intangible "product". Plus, there is an exact way to measure its effectiveness. I've written for a variety of audiences including radio and academia, but nothing comes close to the three-fold satisfaction of enjoying crafting the appeal, engaging the donor in the story to the point where they are moved to send in a check, and the good work that is made possible by that donation. Now government grants...that's another story... In response to the first direct mail appeal I wrote, I recieved a letter from a donor who said, “Your story made me cry! I’m enclosing a $100 check.” Wow.

For me, direct mail fundraising is the perfect blend of science and art. I love crafting stories that can evoke emotions so strong that a person you’ve never met writes a check for an intangible “product”. Plus, there is an exact way to measure its effectiveness.

I’ve written for a variety of audiences including radio and academia, but nothing comes close to the three-fold satisfaction of enjoying crafting the appeal, engaging the donor in the story to the point where they are moved to send in a check, and the good work that is made possible by that donation.

Now government grants…that’s another story…

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