By Alan Sharpe, CFRE
In New York City, publishing capital of the world, lives an unorthodox book editor. He does not read manuscripts from aspiring authors. Instead, he asks the author to summarize the plot in five words. If the author can capture the book editor’s attention with the five-word plot synopsis, the editor reads the manuscript. Otherwise the aspiring author walks home with the manuscript.
You need to do the same with your direct mail fundraising letters. You need to be able to state in five words why a donor should support your cause with a donation, now.
Don’t think it can’t be done. A frustrated potential-bestselling-novelist challenged our unorthodox book editor. “No author can possibly summarize the plot of a 400-page manuscript in five words,” he argued. “I challenge you to summarize Homer’s Odyssey in five words. “OK, replied the book editor. ‘Man returns home from work.’”
Every appeal letter you write has to have a case for support. And that case for support must be clear, compelling, and concise. Clear, not vague or confusing. Compelling, not cliché or predictable. Concise, not wordy. When you can state your case for support in five words (in other words, when you can describe why your cause deserves a donation now), you are ready to write your fundraising package.
Essentially, you are crafting a one-sentence fundraising letter. One that describes your challenge and the reason the donor’s gift is needed right now to solve it. Here are some examples:
- Stand Up for a Child — CASA of Southwest Missouri
- Preserve the Places You Cherish — LandChoices
- Transform Lives Today for Eternity — The Gideons
