Writing Tips For Nonprofits

By writing for humans – instead of for donors – you can move people to action by connecting with them on an emotional level.

Don’t be afraid to start with the negative.

Nonprofits are often afraid to align themselves with a problem. That’s, well, a problem. The key is to identify an issue external to the organization – an alarming reality that is impacting your organization – not the problems within your organization. Remember, you are not the cause of the problem; you are the root of the solution.

Help the reader with hierarchy and plenty of white space.

It’s your job to make it easy for the reader to engage with your material. And no, you don’t need a design degree to do it. There are two simple things that anyone can do to a big impact. Vary font style, size, and color to add hierarchy to your copy and use plenty of white space to give the reader room to breathe.

Use “the power of threes” to create rhythm, cadence, and balance.

The human brain has evolved to be proficient in pattern recognition, and three is the smallest number with which to make a pattern. For this reason, threes are powerful in visual design, storytelling, and even comedy. They are powerful in writing as well: use threes to structure your paragraphs and sentences; use them to create repetition; use them to add dynamic, discerning, and descriptive words. Bonus points for alliteration.

Is it necessary?

Be ruthless in your editing. Weigh each word and consider every sentence as you ask yourself: is this word (or sentence) absolutely and positively necessary to make the point I am trying to make? If the answer is yes, then ask yourself: is the very point itself necessary? If the answer to either question is no, or even not really, delete it. This ruthless editing is like trimming the fat off your piece. It’s surprising how much can be deleted without actually compromising meaning or diminishing impact.

Forget what you learned in English class.

Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, tell them what you told them may be sage advice for academic writing, but it has no place in action-oriented communications. Cut to the chase, and don’t be afraid to “break” rules to create dynamic copy. (Of course, this is not an excuse for typos or poor grammar.)

Read what you write aloud. Then, ask someone else to read it aloud to you. (Yes, really.)

It’s amazing what you hear when you hear your writing instead of reading it. Even more enlightening is listening to how someone else reads what you’ve written: where did they stumble over a sentence? Where did they pause? Where did they furrow their brow? Use this to validate, edit, and strengthen your copy.

When in doubt, tell a story.

Recently, a client was struggling to depict what made their school so unique. Finally, the admissions director said, “I mean, look, it’s like when I was leading an admissions tour, and when we entered the preschool, I tried hopelessly to explain what they were doing. Without hesitation, one of the preschoolers piped up and corrected me. She then proceeded to lead the group through the rest of the room, literally taking over the admissions tour. And we let her.” Thanks to her simple story, we all understood the agency, autonomy, and assertiveness they instill in their students. (For fun, we boiled it down to a Hemingway Statement: Three-year old leads admissions tour.)

Brevity is key.

Remember, less is more.