The most perfect solicitation ever
Instant donate
This week..
we shared Caroline’s slightly shouty assessment of a charity mailing she recently received.
Of course there were some practical suggestions at the end, but we wanted to offer even more positivity.
So here it is - the opposite of a clumsy, over-stuffed charity mailing, courtesy of the Resurgence Trust and with their full permission to share.
Read it and be completely, perfectly inspired.
Tony and Caroline
The most perfect solicitation ever
by Caroline Danks
Picture description: a perfect sunset over a mountain range
I received charity email a couple of weeks ago and instantly donated.
Earlier this summer, I became a member of The Resurgence Trust.
It’s a charity which connects people on the topics of nature, spirituality, climate and social justice. Their content is uplifting and beautiful. Every picture in their magazine could be framed and put on a wall.
Their founder is Satish Kumar, activist, monk and a pilgrim of peace who walked the globe with no money and gifted his message of peace to the leaders of the world’s great nuclear powers.
With their permission, they’ve allowed me to share their email with you today.
It read:
Dear Caroline,
I am writing to thank you for being part of the Resurgence community and to appeal for your help in further advancing the vital mission of The Resurgence Trust. As we endeavour to enhance personal wellbeing and protect our natural environment, the role of the Trust has never been more crucial in addressing the crisis of disconnection.
The Resurgence Trust is an educational charity that aims to forge reconnection, empathy and ecoliteracy through Resurgence & Ecologist magazine and the Ecologist website, as well as through our events, many of which are free for you to attend. The charity also supports my ambassadorial work, enabling me to share the message of love and ecological reconnection with a global community. Much of this important work is made possible through generous donations to The Resurgence Trust by individuals, trusts and foundations.
I would be delighted if you could make a donation to The Resurgence Trust and would be very grateful for your support. With your help, we can further broaden our message of love and connection with the rest of Nature and forge a kinder, more compassionate world.
I thank you deeply for your commitment, which makes our work possible and fosters a vibrant, hopeful community that is essential in these challenging times.
With very best wishes and much love,
Satish Kumar
Donate to the Resurgence Trust
Your donation will be used to support the educational work of The Resurgence Trust. Any amount you can donate will be of the utmost value and deeply appreciated.
Thank you
There is so much to love about this email!
1. It’s short and to the point
It’s just an email. Black writing on a white background.
It arrived in my inbox without the fanfare of a coloured envelope and there were no freebies (or cliches for that matter) inside.
Just a reminder of why they exist, why it’s important and how I can help,in very few words.
Impressive.
2. It’s relevant and authentic
Firstly, I am actually a part of the Resurgence Community. I recently became a member and attended one of their events this month.
Very different to the ‘thank you for your continued support’ which so enraged me in Tuesday’s article.
Furthermore, it’s impossible not to feel the love and wisdom which emanates from Satish when you’re in his presence (he’s interviewed on loads of podcasts - and has been on Desert Island Discs – go listen!). The tone of this email and the language used really reflected the personality and the vibe of the sender.
I truly believe it could be him writing to me, and, although its probably not, it doesn’t look like the soulless, groupthink engineered communication you occasionally see in some charity mass mailings.
3. It’s accessible
This solicitation serves as a perfect reminder that even the smallest of charities can create simple, heartfelt appeals which move people to donate.
Writing a short email and sending it to your subscribers, no matter how many you have, is something every charity can do.
I’m reminded of how often so many of us overthink our fundraising (myself included 100%) and how it needn’t be this way.
Just brilliant.
I hope you love this email as much as I did.
Caroline has made another donation to the Resurgence Trust for giving her permission to share their work with all of you today.
If you love this approach and are inspired to try something similar, please also make a small donation to the Resurgence Trust in gratitude of their openness and collaborative spirit.