By Alan Sharpe, CFRE
A good photograph in a donor newsletter arouses curiosity. If you have a photo of your Executive Director receiving an oversized check from the local Rotary President, that photo will not arouse curiosity. It will stimulate a yawn in many of your readers.
The same goes for the shot of your Campaign Chair cutting the inaugural ribbon outside the new building. Donors have seen that, they’ve done that, they’ve worn the flip-flops.
You need to give your donors something interesting to look at followed by something compelling to read. And when you do that, they will give you their donations. You have to arouse their curiosity.
In the photo above, you’re looking at an example of an ideal photo. This man is Mike Weaver. First of all, who is Mike Weaver? We don’t know. You have to read the article to find out. And I’m curious about Mike Weaver.
The article says “Big Man, Big Heart.” I can see that he’s a big man, but in what way does he have a big heart? I don’t know. My curiosity is aroused. The subhead says “Mike Weaver Proves God is Taking Résumés.” What does that mean: God is taking résumés? That’s an interesting way to put that.
Mike is high-fiving some children, and one of the boys on the left hand side is wearing a kind of cap, the kind of hat that they wear in Peru. There’s also a man in the background, on the left hand side, wearing one of those hats too and one of the ponchos they wear in Peru. So I’m thinking “Oh, this photo looks like it was
taken in Peru.
These children are all happy. Mike is from North America and he’s visiting. But why are they smiling? Why are they giving him high-fives?” It arouses my curiosity in a really positive way.
Arouse curiosity with your donor newsletter photos and your donors will read your articles, be inspired by your mission, and continue supporting your cause.
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