10 storytelling hints for fundraising writers

These are the things I tell fellow fundraising copywriters.

1. Keep reading ease level low. Avoid a Flesch-Kincaid level that’s much above sixth grade. Aim for lower if you can. This can be a challenge if your cause is medical or scientific (lots of longer words), but it will improve response if you do it.
2. Make sentences readable. That means vary sentence length. Seldom go over 30 words. One-word sentences are good. And starting with conjunctions is good.
3. Make paragraphs readable. Vary paragraph length. Almost never more than seven lines long. One sentence (and one-word) paragraphs are good.
4. Use a selling style. Make it conversational. Not academic, not formal, and please don’t sound like a writer. (I think you know what I mean.
5. Have a high ratio of “You” to “I.” (Talk to the reader and about the reader.)
6. Please avoid the editorial “we.” Only use “we” when it obviously includes the reader. (And that is often ambiguous, so maybe don’t use it at all!)
7. Be specific. Avoid generalizations and abstractions. Focus on real things.
8. Find details to make it “real.” Sensory details that bring everything to life. Strong emotion flows from specificity.
9. Think about imagery. Use similes clarify, enlarge, or dramatize the situation. It really is okay to use a “cliché image. They’re over-used because everyone understands them. Be plain-spoken, not poetic. If an image is forced, silly, or off-point, cut it. But at least try it.
10. Keep your eye out for the details. Look for small ways to add “sell” to your story. Can you alter the letterhead, the salutation, the sign-off to make them connect more to the donor are dramatize the story? Can you revise the back of the reply device? Can you put handwritten comments in the margins? Squeeze in selling everywhere you can.

More on Storytelling for Fundraisers.