The October year-end appeal season is one of the busiest times of the year for fundraising professionals. But it all comes down to writing effective copy that achieves results. On October 17^th, Impact’s own Kathy Swayze, CFRE and copywriter Barry Cox were the lead copy doctors who shared their expertise on effective fundraising copy during a half-day Copy Clinic workshop hosted by DMAW.

These copy doctors were joined by a team of some of the best pros in fundraising direct marketing. Nearly 50 fundraising professionals were on hand for this interactive and hands-on training. The copy doctors addressed some of the most common fundraising pitfalls that lead to poor results from mailings. During the first half, attendees were given a walk-through of best practices and expert tips on delivering strong copy, treating sick copy and producing healthy results. The second half of the session included group exercises and a one-on-one consultation with a copy doctor for a checkup on samples of their own copy.

Attendees were highly engaged, and the workshop design made for great peer networking.  They took away valuable techniques for crafting an effective case for giving and concrete steps for a successful campaign.

-Cicely Sharpe