Storytelling is one of the most important tools in an individual giving fundraiser’s toolkit. However, for as much time as fundraisers spend thinking about what stories to tell their donor community, they often don’t pay the same attention to how they’re telling it.

Yet focusing on the details of writing—tone, vocabulary, and narrative structure—is enormously important, for even the best, most inspiring stories can get lost in a poorly written piece. Furthermore, best practices in writing for development vary by channel and intent. There are nuances to writing a piece that arrives via snail mail versus email, as well as differences in how to approach a cultivation piece versus a solicitation.

Learning to write for individual giving takes intention and practice. In this hands-on virtual workshop, you’ll learn how to take your storytelling skills to the next level by thinking like a true copywriter.

In the first half of this workshop, you’ll be introduced to the latest insights from the field of philanthropic psychology, which argues that fundraising copywriting is a unique mix of storytelling and writing directly to the donor’s values and identity. You’ll also learn how to strategically edit your writing and formatting based on the channel and intent of your content. In the second half, you will have the opportunity to rethink, revise, and peer review a piece of writing based on your new skills.

Preparation: We encourage each participant to prepare for class by selecting an existing or draft direct mail letter, solicitation email, or stewardship communication for revision. The workshop will include opportunities to work on the draft and share with peers for feedback.

About the Presenters:  Thread Strategies

The Thread team consists of experts in various fields of fundraising who have worked in development departments both large and small. We’ve raised revenue in well-resourced environments where everything executes according to industry best practices, as well as shops that had to be scrappy and inventive to secure every dollar. We love our work because it affords us the opportunity to share our knowledge and know-how with organizations that are directly making our communities stronger and more equitable places to live.