Every time you email your supporter, you’re doing much more than delivering a message. You’re cultivating a relationship. If your organization relies on—or hopes to rely on—a digital audience to sustain its work,...

For several years, I drove a strategy at Animals Australia to send ‘thank-you’ emails to action takers that were jam-packed with followup asks. This is not an uncommon approach. And on the surface, it’s easy to...

Call it what you will. It’s the idea that when we work together, we’re part of something bigger than ourselves. If achieving your vision is dependent on the funds and actions of your supporters, you need...

Knowing how much or how little to say starts with being clear about your objective. Rarely is it our job to turn readers into subject-matter experts. Mostly, we’re in the business of motivating people to action. If...

The curse of knowledge is a cognitive bias that leads us to overestimate the knowledge of our audience. If you allow this curse to infect your writing, you may unwittingly leave supporters feeling confused an alienated. To...

The needs of supporters at opposite ends of the engagement spectrum are very different. So are the opportunities. If you are tracking your email broadcasts, you should have an idea who’s opening your emails, who’s clicking, who’s...