Five surefire tips for your Christmas Appeal

The science of storytelling.
Source: onespot.com

 

 

 1. Find a great story

You help people (or animals, or the environment) every day, and you’ve got some great stories to share. Your Christmas appeal is the time to bring out your most heartwarming story of need. Children and families work well at this time of year, as do genuine stories that relate to Christmastime – for example, a child who will spend the day in hospital this year; a puppy who was abandoned but found his forever family on Christmas Day.

2. Keep it personal

Ideally, your signatory will have met the subject of your letter, or at least spoken to them. If not, try to arrange at least a thank you call so they can say they’ve spoken to them directly. Then use this in your letter to add the personal touch and the authenticity that will help your donors connect with the cause they are helping.

3. Avoid jargon and internal language

Your donors don’t need to know the gory detail of how you go about your work – just the bare bones. Avoid language which you’d use in a government grant application and cut right to the heart of the matter: ‘we keep families together at Christmas’ rather than ‘our complex programs work to ensure that families have the support they need to stay together’.

4. Get out of the way

As fundraisers, we need to get out of the way and let our donors feel like they are directly helping the beneficiary. So your donors are funding research, not helping you to fund research. They are saving lives, not helping you to run a program to provide medical care to save lives.

5. Start a conversation 

Source: royalmarsden.org

 

Donors love to have a direct connection with your cause, and letting them send a message of hope or encouragement at Christmastime is a great way to do this. Give them the opportunity to write directly to the people they are helping through a bauble or card they can return along with their donation.



We hope these tips help you with planning your Christmas Appeal. Contact us for information about working with The Copy Collective on your Christmas campaign.

Attitude Foundation launches with Graeme Innes as chair

Today marks the launch of Attitude Foundation Limited a pioneering storytelling initiative, which will change attitudes towards the 4 million + Australians with disability

 

“Disability is viewed by many in Australia in a limiting and negative way. What this foundation seeks to do is change this attitude. Changing attitudes will change lives.”
Graeme Innes, chair, Attitude Foundation Limited

Attitude Foundation logo

 “I think documentaries are the greatest way to educate an entire generation.”
Steven Spielberg, filmmaker

Sydney, Australia: As its first step in changing attitudes, Attitude Foundation is partnering with award-winning production company Attitude Pictures to deliver powerful documentaries about people with disability for ABC television.

“As a person with a disability and having been the Disability Discrimination Commissioner for eight and a half years, I know the power of telling compelling stories about disability,” Mr Innes said.

Attitude is calling on the corporate sector, disability organisations and supporters from within the Australian community to join with us to remove the barriers around disability.

Attitude will raise $200,000 by September to fund the first of these television productions. The documentaries are compelling stories told with insight and understanding.

“When the Human Rights Commission produced the video series 20 Years 20 Stories it was very apparent that they had a profound impact on people’s lives – we heard that all around the country.

Graeme Innes

“One young woman with an intellectual disability turned to her mother after having attended the launch in the ACT and said: ‘I’m moving out’. Nothing conveys a message like video, and I can’t wait to see these Attitude-sponsored films screened on ABC TV,” Mr Innes said.

These stories show the benefits gained by full inclusion of people with disabilities into every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.

"We will not portray people with disabilities as victims or heroes but as agents of our own destiny," Mr Innes said.

Attitude Pictures CEO Robyn Scott-Vincent said: “I am so proud to be part of this wonderful organisation. Attitude Foundation is launching in Australia for all the right reasons and has an amazingly talented board.

Members of Attitude Foundation Limited board are:

• Graeme Innes AM, chair, Attitude Foundation Limited
• Dominique Antarakis, CEO, The Copy Collective
• Cain Beckett, Director, PwC
• Lesley Branagan, Film maker and digital producer
• Jane Seeber, Chartered accountant
•  Robyn Scott-Vincent, CEO Attitude Group NZ
• Tanya Black, Producer, Attitude Pictures NZ

Please contact Graeme Innes on +61 412 369 963 for more information and interview opportunities.

Pictures and biographies of the board members can be sourced from dantarakis@thecopycollective.com

Attitude Foundation Limited is proudly sponsored by Gilbert + Tobin, Attitude Group Ltd New Zealand, Graeme Innes AM and The Copy Collective.