Is there ever a reason to utilize “utilize” in writing?
I’m gonna say No.
Utilize is an almost-exact synonym of use.
So use use instead.
There are a couple subtle shadings of utilize that are slightly different. But you’re not likely to need those in fundraising. And most readers are not aware of those things.
The long word is just a needless long word.
It doesn’t make you look smarter or more sophisticated.
It makes you look stuffy and self-important. And in slows down readers.
It costs you eyeballs.
And revenue.
There are a handful of similar words that get used far too often. Like contribute, individual, assistance, facilitate.
These are mostly bad-habit words. They should rarely be used.
When you see these words in your writing, take them out!
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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