So many otherwise-excellent fundraising efforts fall flat for missing the basics of readability. Here are ten things to watch, from Clairification at Can’t Scan it? Ban it! 10 Reasons Nonprofit Appeals Tank:
Let it Breathe (break up your text with white space)
Indent Paragraphs
Break up Content with Compelling Subheads
Use Bullets or Numbered Lists
Use Appropriate Fonts (that is, serif fonts for text in print; sans-serif online)
Use Large Enough Type (12 pt is the bare minimum; 13 or 14 better)
Use Story Photos
Use Photo Captions
Add Relevant Links
Bold face or Underline Important Concepts
This is the easy part of writing fundraising. If you’re writing stunningly excellent fundraising copy but not doing these things, you’re wasting your time. It’s not getting read.
Jeff Brooks has been serving the nonprofit community for more than 35 years and blogging about it since 2005. He considers fundraising the most noble of pursuits and hopes you’ll join him in that opinion. You can reach him at jeff [at] jeff-brooks [dot] com.
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