- Thou shalt not write theological or socio-economical essays but warm and personal letters.
- Thou shalt not use a boring formal style but a friendly, easy to follow conversational style.
- Thou shalt not forget to ask for a specific amount, for a clearly definied purpose, given in a specific way by a certain date.
- Thou shalt not send out ‘Dear Friends’ letters but aim to include a personalised salutation and a date in the letters.
- Thou shalt not write short letters with long sentences but ensure that sentences are short, paragraphs are short and the language is plain English.
- Thou shalt not let the overzealous graphic designer spoil the readibility of the fundraising appeal by using the wrong fonts or reverse copy.
- Thou shalt not be ungrateful but at all times remember that every donor is an extraordinary person who wants to make the world a better place.
- Thou shalt not take the credit for all the great things that the donor’s gifts have made possible.
- Thou shalt fight the affliction of the ‘curse of knowledge’ and work hard to inspire and motivate donors to support the charity.
- Thou
shalt stay visionary, focused and simple – using fewer words and better
pictures.
Please feel free to add any others commandments you are applying to your charity's communications.
