Writing Fundraising Letters

The Best, Most Effective Way to Break into – and Succeed –
in Direct Marketing's Most Rewarding Sector

What if your sales copy did
more than just earn you
a six-figure income?

What if it also helped 3 million people in 29 countries get
access to clean drinking water…provided safe, secure
housing for 5,400 families in the U.S.… protected
160,000 acres of timberland in Tennessee and Oregon…
put 23 new computers in the elementary
school down the street…

Dear Reader,

At first, the replies just trickled in – a $10 check in this one…$25 in that one…a generous $100.

But then, one day, the mail carrier pulled his truck right up to the front door and carried in one, two, three, four white plastic bins overflowing with envelopes. And in each one was a check or a credit-card number.

He pulled the truck up like that for two weeks. In all, thousands and thousands of dollars came through that door in those bins…

And that meant that the tidy wall of shelves in the back room of the soup kitchen on the corner of Cathedral and Mulberry would remain fully stocked.

There had been talk of cutting back services to weekend meals only. But one out of every four people who stand in line there every night is a child. And thanks to those envelopes, those kids could now count on having at least that one good meal a day, every day.

You'd be doing your part if you helped serve the food. And you'd be doing your part if you wiped down the tables and mopped the floors.

But just imagine if you'd written the letter that brought in those checks.

You can, you know. And get paid for it, too.

Carve a Profitable Niche and Make a Difference

That's why I'm writing to you today. Because I'd like to show you exactly how you can reap all the benefits direct-mail copywriting offers – the six-figure income potential, the freedom to live where you want, the independence of working for yourself – and alsowake up every day knowing that you're doing your part to make the world a better place.

You do it by writing for a good cause – one you believe in. By writing fundraising letters.

Whether you dedicate yourself to writing for nonprofits full-time or this is something you do to complement your work in other sectors, you'll find writing in the interest of helping a cause to be one of the most rewarding kinds of writing there is.

As seasoned fundraising writer Marie Robinson puts it, "Through doing what I love to do, I actually get to make a real difference in the lives of many people. I sleep well at night knowing that."

1.6 Million Potential Clients

The good news is that there's plenty of room for you to successfully carve out a profitable niche in this field. Not only is writing fundraising copy a rewarding endeavor, but the sector is enormous…and good copywriters are in great demand.

A staggering 1.6 million charities raise funds in the U.S. each year. That's 1.6 million potential clients for you. And their ranks are growing.

They range in size and scope – from a neighborhood group looking to raise a few hundred dollars to shelter stray dogs…to organizations with a global reach like Habitat for Humanity or the International Rescue Committee, which send as many as 100 million direct-mail letters a year.

More and more, these nonprofits are appealing to individual donors for funds. They've got to, just to stay afloat. State coffers are empty – there's no money for the grants on which many charities have traditionally relied.

The federal government, too, is slashing its funding levels. The deficit is at an all-time high. Senator Edward Kennedy called the White House's proposed 2005 budget "the most anti-family, anti-worker, anti-health care, anti-education budget in modern times."

But non-profits haven't thrown up their hands in despair. Instead, they're doing the one thing they can do: turning in greater and greater numbers to individual donors, asking them for funds to fill the gaps.

The Number – and Quality –
of Potential Donors Is Growing

As it happens, this pressure to tap individual supporters comes at a good time. Because the base of potential donors is growing bigger every day.

The average charitable giver is 55 or older. And, demographically speaking, that's good news.

Baby boomers – 76.1 million of them – are turning 50 at the rate of 3 to 4 million a year. That means the pool of potential donors is about to explode.

Not only do people in that age-bracket give the most, but studies reveal that this new generation of donors may be even more generous than their folks were. That's because baby boomers are twice as likely as their parents to be college-educated. The better-educated they are, the more discretionary income they have. Both are key characteristics of responsive direct-mail donors.

In addition, baby boomers are inheriting significant sums from their parents – parents who earned high wages, enjoyed the real-estate boom, and saw significant appreciation in the stock market during their lifetimes. They will pass on to baby boomers upward of $6.8 trillion, according to estimates.

While government coffers may lie empty, this mountain of cash will be prime ground for nonprofit appeals. But the 1.6 million non-profits in search of funds will need to rely on qualified copywriters if they're to tap into it successfully.

Internet Fundraising Successes
Signal Even Greater Opportunity for You

This sector is growing in another way, too.

Internet fundraising is on the rise. And that opens a whole new and potentially extremely profitable market – both for nonprofits and for the fundraising copywriters working on their behalf.

Right now, Internet appeals generate only 14 cents of every $100 dollars given. But a recent study revealed that nonprofits that raise money via email generate exponentially more in both online and offline contributions than those who do not use the Internet. Word is getting out.

From 2002 to 2003, the Humane Society of the United States doubled the amount it gets in monthly contributions and attributes the 100% increase to its online efforts.

The Red Cross has grossed about $128,000 online in the last two years. The Cancer Society estimates its online income over the last 12 months at $144,000.

The online success of activist groups like MoveOn.org, which boasts a membership base of more than 2 million, and political campaigns like Howard Dean's and John Kerry's, which together raised more than $50 million online have also helped to make Internet fundraising more mainstream.

What's more, Internet donors tend to be younger than those who traditionally respond to fundraising efforts. That means nonprofits now have a way to expand their contributor base beyond the baby-boomer generation. You can help them do it.   

Cash In on the Absolutely Crucial Demand
for Letters That Really Work

Maybe you've always assumed that, for copywriters, the big money is in selling things. It can be, no denying it. But keep in mind, too, that nonprofits allocate millions of dollars a year to fundraising. They'll pay well for letters that really work – and they're more inclined to do so now than ever before.

Remember the spate of nonprofit administrative scandals – embezzlement at the United Way, investment fraud at the Foundation for New Era Philanthropy, theft at the Episcopal and Baptist Churches? Well, those scandals served to make donors skeptical.

As a result, contributors now pay more attention to how organizations spend. They want to make sure as small a percentage as possible of their money goes to fundraising and administration costs.

Nonprofit administrators know this, and they know the power – the critical importance, these days – of having a truly effective letter in the mail. Because when they've got one, it allows them to raise bigger dollars at lower costs. And that means they can rest easier when their finances are under scrutiny – as they increasingly are.

I'll be frank: Smaller non-profits don't have the kind of budgets for direct mail that large corporations do. For a two-page fundraising letter, you might earn $1,000 or $2,000, for instance. But the top writers in this sector, the ones writing fundraising controls for national organizations – they are very well paid.

If you can write the powerful letters nonprofits are after, you'll be in demand…simple as that. Word spreads fast in this industry. 

Just imagine…you could be working at what you love, know you're doing some good in the world, and still be well on your way to racking up a six-figure income.

Your Timing Is Perfect: 2005 Is a Critical Year

The timing is right for getting into this expanding and rewarding sector. Right now charities are putting their acquisition efforts into overdrive. They need more – and more effective – copy today than ever before.

The truth is: Donor files have shrunk over the past two years. The economy was sluggish and, as I mentioned, tales of scandal soured goodwill. Response was down across the board, and charities mailed less to new potential donors. Instead, they went to their tried-and-true members again and again. But you can only go to the well so many times before it runs dry. This is a year for attracting new givers.

"With the improving economy and consumer confidence, I expect to see total giving increase 2% to 3% in 2004 and 5% to 6% in 2005," Chip Grizzard, CEO of a leading marketing agency for nonprofits told DM News recently. "[2004] is the time for [charities] to be more aggressive in acquisition in order to rebuild their files."

That's good news for fundraising copywriters. Not only is the sector growing and in need of more copy – it's in need of it right now.

Breaking In Is Easy

There's something else that makes fundraising copy attractive – particularly for copywriters just breaking into the business: It's easier to get a foot in the door here than in many direct-mail sectors.

Easier and less intimidating.

That's because organizations all around you need help raising funds – from your local church or homeless shelter to your city's food bank or zoo.

And because these nonprofits often tend to be smaller and less savvy than any number of for-profit businesses that hire direct-mail copywriters, you can feel comfortable approaching them.

They're eager – even desperate – for help from a qualified copywriter who can produce real results. Simply put: This environment makes selling yourself that much easier.

What's more, and I've said this before, writing fundraising copy is truly rewarding – in a way that writing for other sectors is not. You can feel good about the work you're doing. You feel like you're having a significant positive impact on the lives of people in need. Plus, it's a way for you to give within your own community.

And it provides extraordinary networking opportunities, too. You'll be surprised at how many doors – in other sectors – fundraising writing can open. It's an ideal way to build your portfolio at the same time as you're doing your part to improve the world.

Projects Are Less Intimidating and More Motivating

There's something else, too. Another way that this kind of writing can make breaking into the copywriting business easier: The letters are often shorter.

If you're like most copywriters – even the most seasoned – you find the prospect of creating an 8-page or 16-page (or even longer) promotion for a product to be at least a little bit intimidating. Sometimes, it feels like you've climbed a mountain before you get to writing the P.S.

But fundraising letters tend to be shorter.

They don't take as many days to complete. The work is less, well, less dense. And especially when you're first starting out, that can mean the difference between staying motivated and productive…and letting your dream of the writer's life languish.

The Perks of the Writer's Life…
Plus the Satisfaction of Giving

Fundraising copywriters say, again and again, that this sort of writing carries with it not just monetary…but also intangible rewards.

"I was eager to break into copywriting in the fundraising market because I knew I would love working on those kinds of projects," says Mary Guinane Smith, copywriter and owner of The Write Answer. "But it was still a shock to find out how much a client would pay me to write a 2-page letter -- nearly 10 times what I could make for the same project in my market! For me, though, the best part didn't turn out to be the financial reward but the personal one. It felt so great to know that my work would be helping one of my favorite charities."

Copywriter and AWAI graduate Emily Newban agrees:

"I tried different genres. At the end, I am really drawn to fundraising. And when you enjoy something,
you put more passion into it.  It's also gratifying to write for different causes – you learn so much.

"Once you write a successful piece for a group, they often ask you to do other stuff like their website,
newsletter, articles, proposals …

"The first letter I wrote for Friends of Orphans (they have homes all around Central America)
brought a 12.2% increase in donations.  Ever since then, I have been writing all of their appeal letters."

Now there's a way for you to jump into this flourishing – and rewarding – sector, armed with all the tools and techniques you need to not just make a go of it…but to really excel.

Learn the Insider's Secrets From the
Best Fundraising Copywriters in the Business

Over the past year, we've tapped the best minds in the fundraising business – legends in the nonprofit world – and gathered from each of them their hard-won secrets, proven techniques, and the tricks of the trade that they rely on to write winning packages every time.

I'm talking about the copywriter who wrote the single most successful political fundraising letter in history…the hot-shots who have written controls for The Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, Habitat for Humanity, The Humane Society of the United States, the National Wildlife Federation, Amnesty International, the American Red Cross, and dozens of others.

We've bundled all of the incredible intelligence and insights these legendary copywriters had to share into AWAI's Secrets of Writing for the Fundraising Market, a brand-new, comprehensive program that reveals everything you need to know to write control after control for this burgeoning and beneficial sector.

You'll learn –

How, in just 60 seconds, you can put together a client list that will provide you with the strongest starting position as you break into this sector…and the secrets to expanding beyond that list to tap potential clients who won't be able to say "no."

The hot buttons to push when you're writing fundraising letters. Some of them overlap with what you might already know about writing sales copy. But not all of them. You could spend years figuring it out by trial-and-error. But in Secrets of Writing for the Fundraising Market, we'll save you the time and frustration so you can be writing the most effective letters – and earning pay checks – faster.

The differences between acquisition letters and renewal letters – the two primary types of mailings non-profits do – and the strikingly different techniques the experts use to approach each one so they're guaranteed the maximum possible returns.

The four different kinds of donors – and what you need to know about each to make sure you're properly targeting your prospective contributor. Get this wrong (most novices do) and you'll be looking at a long learning curve. In Secrets of Writing for the Fundraising Market, however, you'll find out what the masters already know… and position yourself for success from the get-go.

Studies reveal that more than 90% of direct-mail readers turn to the P.S. in a letter first  – before anything else. So we asked legendary fundraising copywriter Jerry Huntsinger to reveal the methods he relies on to make those few lines really work wonders. He shares his 15 top strategies for turning a fundraising P.S. into a quick donation.

The eight steps you need to take to write control-beating fundraising letters every time. This tried-and-true strategy was developed by powerhouse copywriter Mal Warwick. It's the one he relies on to write winning fundraising letters for clients like Bread for the World, the Feingold Senate Committee, the Global Fund for Women, and others. It walks you, step by step, through the best way to design a fundraising appeal. You'll know which tasks to tackle first and what to put where – a secret architecture revealed. It'll shave years off your learning curve.

And that's just the beginning…

Receive a Whole Reference Library of Sample Controls
That Will Have You Writing Better, Faster

AWAI teamed with the industry leader in direct-mail research – the Who's Mailing What! Archive, a division of Target Marketing – to create a very unique collection of 10 winning controls you can learn from.

If you were to purchase this treasure trove on your own, it would cost you more than $400. But it's just one of the many resources we've collected as part of our comprehensive program: Secrets of Writing for the Fundraising Market.

Until now, only the folks on the inside got their hands on this kind of information. But we've tracked it down, making careful selections on your behalf.

You'll find samples of what's working in the mail right now for groups like Doctors Without Borders, Ronald McDonald House of NY, the Republican National Committee, the National Air and Space Museum, and others.

Plus You'll Get a List of 677 Potential Clients

In addition, we've also included in Secrets of Writing for the Fundraising Market a database of 677 nonprofit mailers – organizations that use direct mail to generate funds and are on the lookout for copywriters who can deliver.

On the list is an extremely diverse range of potential clients for you. Whether you're interested in raising funds for organizations concerned with healthcare issues…education…politics…animals…the environment…women's rights…children's welfare…or something else…you'll find excellent contacts here.

Please understand, this is no ordinary client list. We’ve compiled it in cooperation with Target Marketing'sDirectory of Major Mailers. It's a detailed database that highlights 677 potential clients for you, describes the kinds of direct-mail packages they mail, and gives you the name, phone number, and email address for the person to contact about writing for them.

In other words, it delivers the invaluable industry contacts you really need to launch a highly successful career as a fundraising copywriter today.

The full Directory of Major Mailers sells for $399 – and is worth every penny. Yet this specially targeted potential client list taken from it is yours, with our compliments, as part of Secrets of Writing for the Fundraising Market.

Pull Up a Chair and Have Coffee With the Pros

And that's not all. As part of Secrets of Writing for the Fundraising Market, we'll also send you a collection of eight interviews with the experts – conversations with industry legends and the most sought-after fundraising copywriters working today.

For example, you'll hear from –

Madeline Stanionis, Vice President at Donordigital.com, who has more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, management, and communications. At Donordigital.com, she develops and implements fundraising strategies for clients including NARAL Pro-Choice America,  Human Rights Campaign, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Earthjustice, and Bluewater Network.

Jerry Huntsinger, Senior Creative Consultant for Craver, Matthews, Smith & Company, has been an advertising professional since 1962 and is a recipient of the Professional Achievement Award from the Nonprofit Council of the Direct Marketing Association. His clients have included The Nature Conservancy, American Express, Habitat for Humanity, The Humane Society of the United States, Amnesty International, Father Flanagan's Boy's Town, the American Red Cross, and dozens of others.

Kate Petranech, President of Kate Petranech Advertising, is a 31-year direct-marketing veteran, specializing in campaign strategy, offer development, and copywriting. Among her clients are ASAE, the National Geographic Society, and IBM. Her work is published in Hershell Gordon Lewis's The World's Greatest Direct Mail Sales Letters – and she was recently named DMA Marketer of the Year.

Mal Warwick, Founder and Chairman of Mal Warwick & Associates, has been creating direct-mail campaigns since 1979.  He is the author of 10 books, including Raising Money by Mail, How to Write Successful Fundraising Letters, and The Five Strategies for Fundraising Success.

And that's just half the list …

It would be impossible to put a price on the invaluable on-the-ground insights you'll glean from these Conversations with the Masters. It's the next-best thing to actually sitting down with each one over coffee. To the last, these experts are not only thoughtful and engaging – they're incredibly generous with their advice and insights.

This is access you simply could not get on your own. Yet, as part of AWAI's Secrets of Writing for the Fundraising Market, these Conversations with the Masters are yours on audio CD, free.

In all honesty, the collection of controls working in the mail now, the client directory, and the CDs of the interviews alone would more than justify the price of this course. But with AWAI's Secrets of Writing for the Fundraising Market you get much, much more.

A Special, In-Depth Report About Raising Money Online

We'll also send you a comprehensive, 95-page handbook on Internet fundraising, produced by the master fundraisers at Groundspring.org.

In it, you'll find out what's working online right now…complete with case studies about how various nonprofit organizations are handling their email promotions, their website appeals, and more.

Learn the smartest ways to acquire and cultivate online donors…how best to take advantage of holiday and special-event appeals…and more… 

A Second Bonus Report Created by the
"Dean of Direct-Mail Fundraising"

What's more, we'll also send you a second bonus report, 21 Key Tutorials on Creating Fundraising Letters and Packages. Authored by Jerry Huntsinger, the "Dean of Direct-Mail Fundraising," this is an extraordinary collection of the top 21 things Jerry says every writer of fundraising letters should know.

It's akin to an "if-you-remember-nothing-else" list of lessons learned over a lifetime of writing outrageously successful fundraising packages. You'll find out, for instance, why readers rip open some appeals and ignore others…23 ideas for keeping your reader moving forward…how to slash your letter-writing time in half…and much, much more…

Hands-On Resources and In-the-Trenches
Marketing Advice

And that's not all. Included in the Secrets of Writing for the Fundraising Market course book itself, you'll find not only the critical fundamentals you need, but also the kinds of hands-on resources that will prove to be invaluable tools as you break into (and succeed) in this rewarding sector, resources like – 

An extensive glossary that provides you with fingertip access to all the fundraising terms you'll need to know. Some of the "lingo" is a bit different from what you might be used to on the for-profit side of the fence. But with this list, you'll sound professional, well-versed, and in-the-know from the start.

A collection of51 key websites, which you'll return to again and again – no matter what the focus of your fundraising projects. These sites give you access to information and ideas that will cut days off your research time and let you put your hands on exactly  the elements you need to write the high-powered letters non-profits are desperate to mail.

An entire chapter devoted to marketing yourself in the nonprofit arena. You'll learn the four most critical things you can do to guarantee your success as a freelance fundraising writer …the best (and quickest) ways to land your first clients…how to position yourself so you can jump – fast – from writing for small non-profits to landing the bigger-money work at national organizations…and more…

You won't find anything else like this program. Secrets of Writing for the Fundraising Market delivers the insiders' techniques that really work and gives you access to the nation's top fundraising experts.

You could spend three or four months in school in hopes of gathering this sort of intelligence (and you'd likely pay three or four times as much for the privilege). But to be honest, what you'd come away with would likely be, at best, a watered-down "academic" version – with none of the access to the experts and the "in-the-trenches" advice that's such a critical part of our program.

As an AWAI student, you already understand the fundamentals of writing great copy. Secrets of Writing for the Fundraising Market is designed to hone your skills further and prepare you for success in this rewarding sector.   

Get Your First Assignment Before
You Even Finish the Course

And that's not all, either.

Here at AWAI, we really believe that if you're going to excel you've got to roll up your sleeves and get your hands into the meat of a thing. That's the only way to learn how to do it right.

And that's why we've included something else with the course that will prove critical to your success – a live "spec" assignment.

It's a real assignment from a real organization that's looking for fundraising letters to mail. If they like yours and decide to test it, you'll get paid.

And I guarantee – if your assignment does go into the mail, your earnings will more than cover the cost of this course.

What's more, our expert copywriters will give your assignment an in-depth critique. That alone would cost you $250 - $500 if you were to hire a professional on your own to do a review of this caliber. Yet, as a student of Secrets of Writing for the Fundraising Market, this valuable service is included, free.

Just imagine, two weeks from now you could be actively working as a fundraising copywriter. Talk about jump-starting your new career!

This is an ideal way to open up new income potential – and give you a distinct sense of satisfaction at the same time.

You Really Can Make a Difference

Writing fundraising letters really does offer you an ideal opportunity to take advantage of the many benefits copywriting provides – the profit potential, the freedom, the independence.

Plus, beyond that, you have the genuine satisfaction that goes hand-in-hand with knowing that you're doing your part to make the world a better place.

Writing fundraising letters truly is one of the most rewarding kinds of writing there is. As Kay Partney Lautman puts it:

"Fundraisers have watched a sick child regain his health…a poor family have a real Christmas…a juvenile delinquent return from summer camp with a new attitude…a controversial environmental law passed to protect the health of people. We are not just fundraisers. We are an important part of the American process that improves the quality of life."

Jump-Start Your Career as a
Fundraising Copywriter Today

When you consider the true value of each component included in AWAI's Secrets of Writing for the Fundraising Market, the total comes to well over $1,000. We've pulled together all the critical information you need to break into – and truly excel in – this flourishing and satisfying sector.

But the good news is that for a limited time, we're offering this course for just $399. You could make more than that from your spec assignment.

And if you land just one of the clients you'll learn about in the materials you'll receive, you're likely to cover this cost many times over.

Sign on today, and we'll send you –

The comprehensive course book for Secrets of Writing for the Fundraising Market, which includes not only all the fundamentals, techniques, and secrets you need to jump-start your success in this opportunity-filled market…but also invaluable extras like the glossary of terms every nonprofit fundraiser should know…the listing of 51 key websites …and a special section devoted to the insiders' tried-and-true methods for marketing yourself as a fundraising copywriter so you're landing more and better assignments from the get-go …

A library of 10 winning controls you can learn from – a treasure trove of home-run fundraising samples that will have you writing better, faster.

677 potential clients – a database of organizations that use direct mail to generate funds and are on the lookout for copywriters who can deliver. In this comprehensive listing, you'll find the invaluable industry contacts you need to launch a highly successful career as a fundraising copywriter – now.

Eight Conversations With the Masters, an audio CD collection simply not available anywhere else. It's like sitting down to coffee with the fundraising industry's legends. You'll be amazed at the insights, strategies, and advice you come away with after hearing from wizards like Mal Warwick and Jerry Huntsinger. Even their off-hand remarks are rich with gems you'll find remarkably helpful.

A special, in-depth report on the most effective ways to raise money online. In this 95-page handbook, you'll learn what's working online right now… the smartest ways to acquire and cultivate online donors…how best to take advantage of holiday and special-event appeals…and more …

21 Key Tutorials on Creating Fundraising Letters and Packages, a revealing special report authored by Jerry Huntsinger, the "Dean of Direct-Mail Fundraising." In it, Jerry reveals the top lessons he's learned over a lifetime of writing control-beating copy.

Your live "spec" assignment – a real-life assignment from an organization that's looking for fundraising letters to mail. To give you a foot in the door in this expanding industry, we'll make sure your letter is first critiqued by one of our professional copywriters – so you'll get some valuable feedback. Then, if the organization decides to mail your letter, you'll get paid. In other words, you could be working within a couple of weeks of receiving the course materials.

You can see why this comprehensive program is valued at well over $1,000. But, as I've said, it's available to you today for just $399. Please keep in mind, however, that this is a limited-time initial offer that we won't extend indefinitely.

Rock-Solid, 30-Day Guarantee

So don't wait. Have Secrets of Writing for the Fundraising Market sent to you now.

Try it for 30 days. And if you don't agree it's worth many times what you paid for it, simply return your unmarked course materials, special reports, and CD-Rom Audio Conversations with the Masters, and we'll refund your money, no questions asked.

There's absolutely no risk to you. And so much for you to gain. I invite you to join the ranks of the most successful fundraiser copywriters today – there's no more efficient way to do it.

In less than a month, this program could have you earning money for highly effective fundraising letters…and feeling satisfied in the knowledge that you're doing something to improve the world.

Sincerely,

Katie Yeakle
Executive Director
 

VIA OUR SECURE SERVER!

P.S. Two things really distinguish this program from anything else out there – the insider access it provides you with and the incredible collection of hands-on resources it delivers. Nowhere else will you find so much insightful, actionable advice from top-tier experts in direct-mail fundraising. And no other program delivers the individualized critique of your work, the potential clients, and the tried-and-true techniques for marketing yourself to them. To get started now, click below now. 

P.P.S. Remember, there's absolutely no risk. Try Secrets of Writing for the Fundraising Market for 30 days. If you don't think it's everything we've promised here – and more – simply return it, and we'll refund your money. No questions asked. Click below to get started today.