Great email copy criteria

Herschell Gordon Lewis nails it, as he so often does, in the Nov. 15 issue of NonProfit Times. He lists ten criteria for online fundraising, pointing out that if political candidates are raising tons of money online, why can't the rest of us? His answer: out copy stinks.

1. Establish rapport
2. Explain rationale for contacting
3. Offer heroism
4. Provide logic
5. Create urgency
6. don't accept pledges
7. offer recognition
8. create guilt
9. provide satisfaction
10. maintain verisimilitude

If you can get these points right in your next email, you'll raise more money.

Paul Clolery is officially a "Point of Light"

Paul Clolery is Editor in Chief of NonProfit Times Publishing, which produces the what's-happening and how-to news of fundraising, including 24 print issues and hundreds of online issues per year. (NPA's Rick Christ is a Contributing Editor of the NPT Direct Marketing Edition.)

Paul is a tell-it-like-it-is journalist who models himself after the cigar-smoking curmudgeons of the 1950's newspaper business, before they were replaced by the blow-dried teleprompter-readers of today. He'll just as soon tear your non-profit apart in his paper (if you deserve it) as praise you.

He also walks the walk, inside and outside his official duties. He doesn't just report on conferences; he usually arranges many of the big-name speakers. Not only is he a long-time volunteer rescue squad leader in his community, he's become a well-respected instructor of Emergency Medical Technicians in New Jersey. He trained some of the responders to the terror attacks of the 11th.

So now he's officially been recognized by the Points of Light Foundation. Way cool, friend. You deserve it.