| Are the gurus correct? Is the postscript one of | | | | motivates yourdonor to read the letter (if she hasn't |
| thefirst things donors read when they look at | | | | already doneso) or reach for her cheque book |
| yourfundraising letter? Then you must make your PS | | | | (assuming she hasjust completed your letter). |
| aspowerful as your envelope teaser copy and the | | | | Here's an example: |
| firstsentence in your letter. | | | | P.S. You may be surprised to discover that I, the |
| The easiest way to pack some gunpowder into your | | | | Capital Campaign Chair, was a cardiac patient at |
| PS is to spring a surprise on your reader, one | | | | Brookstone General Hospital three months ago. |
| thatrequires them to read your letter to understand | | | | Iknow I was! They saved my life. I think the |
| whatyou are saying. | | | | bestcommendation I can give the staff is to increase |
| The goal of your PS, after all, is to move your | | | | mycontribution, and my commitment. I invite you to |
| readerto action, usually by mailing you a donation. | | | | dothe same, right now, using the enclosed reply |
| Thebest way to move your donor to action is to | | | | deviceand postage-paid envelope. |
| reiteratein your PS the most compelling reason the | | | | In every postscript you craft, present |
| donorshould give right now. | | | | somethingnew, something compelling, something |
| Don't simply copy a phrase from your letter andpaste | | | | startling. Aimfor surprise. Aim for freshness |
| it after the signature and call it a postscript. | | | | Oh yeah, one last thought. Be honest with |
| That won't be a postscript, just a repetition of | | | | yourreader by writing your postscript last. That way |
| theobvious. Instead, present a brand new | | | | itreally is a postscript. |
| thought,startling quote, fact or statistic that | | | | |