How Many Words Do You Need For A Fall Annual Appeal Letter?

Basic RGBOne of our clients showed me an infographic that they were considering using as a part of their fall annual appeal campaign.  In less than a minute, a reader of this fold-over card could see the impact of the nonprofit as well as the value of their gift.  Since we know that few people read every finely honed word in an appeal letter, is this the future?

It should be, at least as one in a series of appeals.

Creating a piece like this can be used in so many ways:

  • A follow-up to a letter
  • Your organization’s favorite social media outlets (did you know that tweets with visuals are 150% more likely to be retweeted?*)
  • On your website (research found that multi-colored visuals increase people’s willingness to read a piece of content by 80%*)
  • Offering an additional or alternate method of giving like monthly giving (people following directions with text and illustrations do 323% better than people following directions without illustrations*)

Be clear and concise and make sure the facts are relevant to the donor, not just boasting about the nonprofit.  Consider whether you would rather give to an organization’s fall annual appeal because you know that they added 3 additional staff members or because they were able to engage 23% more youth this year?

The best part is that you don’t have to start from scratch.  Visit stock photo sites like Fotolia or Shutterstock and search for infographics. You will find thousands to choose from. Keep it simple and easy for your first go at it.

I think the results will be so positive, that you will use infographics beyond your annual appeal. And, if you create something you are proud of – please email me.

* These facts and many more can be found at 37 Visual Content Marketing Statistics You Should Know in 2016

 

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