Earlier this month in the Fundraising Letters Q&A Audio Seminar I discussed one of the most frequently asked questions, “What makes a fundraising letter effective?” primarily by referring to leading expert Mal Warwick.

Yesterday I was pleased to discover an article that he penned titled What Makes a Fundraising Letter Effective. Here’s a short excerpt:

An effective fundraising letter possesses three attributes:

1. An effective fundraising letter is an appeal from one person to another.

2. An effective fundraising letter describes an opportunity for the recipient to meet personal needs by supporting a worthy charitable aim.

3. An effective fundraising letter invites the recipient to take specific and immediate action.

This article goes on to explain the importance of the marketing concept, that is knowing precisely the who, what, why, when, and how of the letter. Building this concept in advance before you even start writing is important in planning an effective letter campaign.

The article concludes with an expansion on the six qualities that are shared by the most productive fundraising appeals. Take some time out to read this article which could quite possibly save you much more time, effort and money in the long run: What Makes a Fundraising Letter Effective