Good fundraising is much more than well-written copy

Copy is never produced by just one person. Forget the image of the lone writer in a garret, pounding out inspired prose in a steady stream. In any project, the written word is just one link in a long chain that includes:

• Content. The writer needs to have something relevant and motivating to write about.
• Strategy. It it doesn’t matter if the copy is brilliant if the fundraising strategy is flawed. The world’s fastest runner will lose the race if he’s running the wrong direction.
• Offer. The call to action needs to be something the people you’re writing to actually want to do.
• Good design. The design should be pulling in the same direction as the copy, with the same emotional message. And it should be readable.
• Error-free production. Fundraising material gets lost in the mail or produces “404” errors when people click it doesn’t do much good.

If you appreciate the power of good copy, you’ll not only hire a good writer — you’ll put a lot of energy and focus on the other stuff too.