How to Compose Readable Emails

Many of us have seen the warm, romantic movie “You’ve Got Mail.” My wife enjoys it so much she watches it a few times a week. Beyond the romance, the film can offer practical advice about how to take advantage of email even in marketing situations. Remember that marketing means that you are reaching out to stakeholders that know you and those that don’t know you. But in both cases you have to explain to them what you’re doing, why it’s beneficial and why you would like their help. According to Laura Noll, who wrote “7 Things 1998 Can Teach You about Email Marketing,” just as Kathleen and Joe did in the movie, take time to tell a story about your NGO – though not one that is too long. “While your content should likely vary a bit from their topics, the idea is the same. Tell a great story. Provide a smidge of entertainment amidst your message to keep your readers interested and engaged,” Noll wrote. And just like the romantic couple, be persistent in a non-obtrusive way in promoting your NGO and return to your points in subsequent emails.

Educational NGOs should take note of this story from today’s Wall Street Journal. Colleges and universities received a record $37.5 billion in donations in 2014, headed by enormous gifts to Harvard University, Stanford University and other already-wealthy schools. The new high, a 10.8% jump from the prior year, was due in part to stock-market increases that boosted capital gifts, as well as a jump in donations of art, according to an annual survey by the nonprofit Council for Aid to Education. Harvard topped the list with $1.16 billion in donations in the fiscal year ended June 30, the report said. That figure doesn’t include a record $350 million gift to the university’s School of Public Health, announced in September. Your NGO’s educational endeavor may not receive millions, but that shouldn’t dissuade your from contacting the widest range of foundations and other institutions for support because in many cases even a few thousand dollars could save your project.

Contact me for more ideas and guidance.