How to Write Successful Fundraising Letters

by Mal Warwick

Book Overview

For busy fundraisers, writing letters of appeal can be confusing and laborious. Now, a guide from the nation's premier letter-writing tutor--direct mail expert Mal Warwick--shows fundraisers what makes the best letters work. Whether its general advice about the most effective mail strategies, or specific advice for those interested in the details of a direct mail campaign, Warwick keeps fundraisers on track when he reminds: "You're writing for results--not...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 078795652X
• ISBN13: 9780787956523
• Release Date: February 2001
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 2.03 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.5" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

Warwick is a skillful writer

Warwick's writing style is extremely straightforward and clear. It was a pleasure to learn these tips on writing equally straightforward solicitation letters. What differentiates this book from other ones is that it is up-to-date and remains relevant.

Every Non-Profit Should Have This Book

Fundraising is a very specialized area of copywriting and marketing. Unlike the more common direct mail letter wherein you are selling a product or service, fundraising often offers nothing more to the receipient than a chance to feel good about doing good.As a consequence, fundraising letters for charities and oher non-profits literally have their own rules that vary from the traditional approach to direct mail. Warwick is the recognized master of this field and is a legend in fundraising circles. Every charitiable organization and non-profit group should have this book on their shelf, or have a copywriter available to them that does. And even if you aren't going to apply the principles in the book to fundraising, its still a great guide to writing effective marketing copy.

The best book of its kind ...

There are many many books and courses on how to write a funding proposal but few out there on how to write and develop your organization's annual campaign. Fortunately Mal Warwick's is the only book you'll ever need. Thorough, loaded with examples, not only of solicitation letters but follow up and thank you letters as well -- if you're a development professional this is one book you must have on your shelf. Using Mal Warwick's books and website, along with a great deal of marketing reading, I successfully redesigned my organization's membership campaign - raising our overall donations by 33% the first year and an additional 25% the second year. While geared to annual campaigns/individual donors, this book will also aid you in writing foundation proposals - particularly to those smaller foundations that may merely require a letter proposal. Mal takes the best of both worlds - marketing and nonprofit management - and gives you a guide that the development professional will refer to daily. With the thousands of foundations in the United States, not every one is a Kellogg or a Kresge or a Pew and this book is an invaluable aid to getting your proposal read. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (as are all Mal Marwick's books).

Never Wrote a Fundraising letter before

This was an excellent book! I was able to put together not just a letter, but a fundraising package. The instructions are complete and the examples are wonderful reference tools. I am new to the Fundraising industry and this is a book that I am now purchasing for my library. It also covers thank you's. I would highly recommend this book to someone who has never wrote a fundraising letter before or even for the experienced letter writer!!

My top recommendation for fundraisers

In my seminar on nonprofit communications I strongly recommend several titles, chosen from the dozens on my shelves. Mal Warwick's How to Write Successful Fundraising Letters tops the list. It is pretty much a model, I think, for good how-to books: it is well organized, comprehensive (in ways you'd never anticipate), filled with case studies and annotated examples, brief, to the point, practical, and extraordinarily reader-friendly. I wrote fund-raising letters before I read Mal's book; some letters worked, some didn't. After I read his book, I never wrote an unprofitable letter again. You will not regret buying this book: it removes the veils from so many mysteries of successful direct mail fundraising.