People with scientific or academic backgrounds are often shocked by the writing in fundraising materials.
It seems so casual, so simple, so conversational. And they’re right. It’s all those things, because that’s what donors respond to best.
Here are five ways that fundraising and formal writing differ:
Fundraising writing is one to one — formal writing is one to many. A good fundraising letter is like a letter to a friend, meant for that one person. But formal writing is intended for a wide audience.
Fundraising writing is personal — formal writing is professional. Because fundraising is personal, it evokes emotion. It uses visceral words, underlining, italics, and bold face. It’s emphatic. Formal writing, however, is about conveying information, not tugging at heartstrings.
Fundraising writing is stories — formal writing is facts. Fundraising uses lots of stories to engage the reader. That’s completely different than formal writing, which is mostly facts, figures, data, and conclusions.
Fundraising writing is simple — formal writing is complex. Good fundraising copy is written at the 6th-grade level. That means short sentences, short paragraphs, and simple words — not because donors aren’t intelligent, but because people respond best to clear, direct prose. Formal writing, on the other hand, is far more cerebral. It has long, complicated sentences filled with 50-cent words.
Fundraising writing is urgent — formal writing is timeless. In fundraising, we want donors to act now. So the writing creates a heightened sense of urgency, and part of that is repeatedly asking for the donation. But formal writing doesn’t give readers a deadline, nor does it use repetition. Its purpose isn’t to spur action, but to inform and educate.