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📍What we're talking about this issue: 
Why real is rare, and ways to build human connection in your writing 

The (actual) bluebird in our yard. Unedited photo by Sophia Sargent ❤️

Dear defender of good,

That flash of blue was all I needed. 

In my stocking feet I sprinted to the big front window in our tiny little house, shout-whispering, "Bluebird-Bluebird-BLUUUUEBIRD!"  

And just like that we have a nesting pair of bluebirds in our front yard. They've got me thinking about why real is rare, and how to help you bring authentic, effective, human connection into your fundraising writing. 

Even when what you have to work with is less than perfect...

How to Build Authenticity and Human Connection in Your Writing 
(Even when things aren't perfect)

✍️ By Lisa Sargent
Fundraising copywriter

June 2024

Have you ever read a fundraising letter (or any kind of writing, really) that grabs you by the heartstrings and won't let go?

Now how about the other kind... the appeal or story that feels... canned. Same-same. Technically, the pieces are there.

But something doesn't connect. Something's missing.

What's missing, I'm willing to wager, is Authenticity. 

 

In other words: Those fleshy bits that bring your nonprofit stories and fundraising appeals to life -- and make them remarkably effective at sparking generosity and nurturing real human connection.  

So because I spend a lot of time writing to forge real human connection with content that's often less than perfect, today we're going to explore some ways you can do the same.
 

Ready? 

Being authentic means you can tap your own human emotions and experience...

We've lived through a lot in our lives, you and me. 

You know anguish and jubilation and bone-deep fatigue, and the soar of awe when two, sky-blue birds choose to make your home their home.

Which means even when you're given an interview transcript that falls flat, or background content that's one-dimensional as cardboard, you can still bring your words to life.

You can:

• Ask for original audio and/or video recordings of interviews to accompany any transcripts you use (or do this yourself, if you're interviewing -- in fact, I ask clients to send me 'everything they've got' just saying :-))
• Listen to the intonations, the rise and fall of people's voices, even the pauses, and capture that in your writing 
• Study still photos you might be using in your fundraising appeal pack, newsletter, or your emails. Are you witnessing a tender moment? Is a father wrapping a protective arm around his child? What season is it? How does the light fall on their faces? Does courage shine through?
• In those photos, look deeper: do you see scars, smiles, love, fatigue, fear?  

Put yourself in the scene. Use your own experiences, emotions, and all your senses, to build a world for your reader. 

Real-world, real-is-rare example: (deals with hunger, could be triggering so please be advised)

Not long ago I worked on an appeal to help people facing starvation due to conflict in their country. I had transcripts (no audio or video). The facts showed how hunger is hardest on women and children. Babies, the report said, have fewer reserves. 

But the women got me thinking. If you're a mom or dad, or caregiver, or friend, and you're tapping human experiences and emotions, you'll know why: to save your beloved, you'd put yourself last. 

Here's how I handled that:

Mothers are first to skip meals, so their little ones can eat. First to pretend they're full, and break their precious bread into halves -- or quarters -- so every mouth gets another bite. Another chance at life.

See how it puts you there, brave and true, in that mom's shoes? "Oh gosh, I couldn't eat another bite. Here, sweetie, you go ahead. No, no, I'm fine." 

Tapping into your emotions and experiences takes more time, when you write. That added detail is always worth it.

Being authentic means you can do extra research... 

Background briefs, creative briefs, content outlines... whew. These documents don't always give you what you need for authentic, real-is-rare writing.

That's why I almost always do extra research. You can too.

For an appeal on kids with cancer, I wanted to know what makes childhood cancer so different. 

 

This research made all the difference in bringing the reader in:

 

Childhood cancer is much different to adult cancer, and it's often more aggressive. So the way cancer is 'staged' is crucial. That's how doctors determine how much cancer there is, where it's located, if it has spread to other parts of the body, and the best treatment for a still-growing patient.

What the reader knew then, without a doubt, is that every second mattered. The cancer was more aggressive, virtually every time.

Tip: Keep an "Outside Sources" document with links to your research. You want to be able to back up anything you use.  

Being authentic means you can look for little loves...

In any background I receive, I'm always on the lookout for "little loves." You'll know little loves when you see them... those details that make you instantly view a story in a whole new light.

A little girl who made her own doll out of sticks and found scraps of cloth, to replace the one she lost with her home. 

 

A dog who'd been left to the streets and was too weak to stand, but summoned his last drop of energy to thump his tail for rescuers. 

 

A world-class surgeon who visits the floor where patients take their first steps in recovery, every evening before going home.   

To find little loves, you can also ask fleshier questions:

• Ask about companion animals, dogs, cats, breeds, and names
• Ask about favorite colors, hopes and dreams, best days, hardest moments, memorable times
• Ask if there's one thing your interviewee could tell supporters, what would it be?
• Ask about personality traits, heroes and mentors, favorite quotes

The point is, even when you don't have a ton of detail to work with, you want to look for even the tiniest gem to help you bring out as much of that humanity in your stories and appeals as you possibly can. 

Being authentic means you can be flawed...

The CEO who knows their nonprofit isn't the biggest, or the one with the deepest reserves -- but who knows their staff will go the extra mile every time -- can say so.

The frontline worker who watches another team member break down and weep at the scene of a disaster, can say so.

The executive director who knows they can't save every animal (but will never stop trying even so), can say so.

Real is rare, and getting rarer. Because for all the technology we build, humans still crave authentic, human connection.

And the more authenticity and humanity you build into your fundraising writing and nonprofit stories, the more effective your writing will be. (If you want more, this post on 6 ways to use stylistic and literary devices will also help your words connect.)

Thanks for the good you do in the world. Thank you for carrying the torch of humanity and authenticity. 

And thanks, as always, for being a Loyalty Letter subscriber. 
 

Write with great heart -- I'll see you in July,  

Lisa ✍️

PS. Thank you to everyone who found their way here through my LinkedIn post, Write Like You Talk. << that's the link if you want to read the post, folks seemed to find a lot of value in it (and Oxford comma affirmation! ;)). 

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