If you are raising support and writing regular support letters (which you should be doing!) here’s a brief reminder of two of the most important (and powerful) things you can do…
A member of our support-raising training program, Partners for LIFE, sent us a copy of his latest partner newsletter, so we took a moment to read it and respond with a few suggestions. The most significant was to be sure to include your reader/partner in the copy you write! One way is to address the partner by name in a greeting: ”Dear John and Mary…” Whether you’re sending an e-newsletter from ConstantContact or MailChimp, or you’re sending hard copies, personalization is simply a must.
Addressing me by name means I know you know who I am…that I’m important to you.
But that wasn’t the most important advice we gave… In fact the most important reminder we can offer is to be sure you are liberally using the most powerful word in support-raising: ”YOU.”
Including copy that addresses the reader directly helps pull them into the work you are doing. That’s why partners are signing on — because God has prompted THEM to help impact people’s lives THROUGH their partnership with you.
“Thank you for the special role you play in impacting lives in Guatemala…” “Without your help the work here would be impossible…” “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your partnership…” “Your partnership is making a huge difference in the lives of students on campus…” Get the picture?
If you want to make a powerful — and LASTING — connection with your support partners, do NOT neglect using the most powerful word in support raising.
