“WRITING” FOR NONPROFITS
Monica Maldonado WilliamsGivingCity Austin
originally prepared April 2011
PEOPLE DON’T READ
Tom Ahern, (aherncomm.com) nonprofit writing expert:
1. Nonprofit writing is marketing.
2. Boring and risk-free do not work in marketing. Ever.
3. Your boss, client will love boring.
Two options:
1. Be boring. (Perfectly fine option $$$$)
2. Ignore your boss. Do your own thing.
Show me, don’t tell me.
Take reader on a journey.
Engage the heart first.
If you hear other people telling the story, you know it’s a good story.
Words are only a part of “writing.”
MAKE THE ASK.
Gloria Estefan is right: “The words get in the way.”
Monica Maldonado Williams
5 Secret Tricks!!!
(Some of which work sometimes because I heard them somewhere and
they resonated with me. Others are kind of guesses.)
Secret Trick #1
Steal other people’s ideas.
Secret Trick #2
Tell the story aloud first.
Secret Trick #3
Find a great designer and photographer. Pay them lots
of money. Whatever they ask, seriously.
Secret Trick #4
Write with a goal in mind, but that goal should be to
make people cry.
Secret Trick #5
If your stories are emotional, don’t invite edits (other than
proofing).
BONUS Secret Trick #6
Tell readers what they can do to help. Like, be explicit.
Think Sally Struthers.
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