P.S.

Here’s a copywriter’s tip to boost your fundraising:

Include a P.S. at the end of every appeal.

Research shows, your recipients will read the P.S. before anything else.

Nearly all appeal recipients (90%+, depending on the study) read the P.S. before ever looking at the first paragraph. And it may be all they look at before deciding whether to carry on or hit delete.

Your P.S. is prime real estate. So make it count!

Here’s how:


1) Amplify your call-to-action.

It’s your postscript’s #1 job. Always restate your ask, clearly and simply.

Examples:

P.S. If you believe no family should face crippling debt to get treatment for their child, please consider giving as generously as you’re able.

P.S. Want to send your compassion into the field, with our team in Ukraine’s war zones? You can – just by becoming a monthly donor, keeping this lifesaving work going every day of the year.


2) Reinforce your offer.

Your P.S. can emphasize a specific benefit that will come from the donor’s gift.

Research suggests that the most powerful offer is the prevention of bad things happening to the person (or animal, or place, or thing) the donor wants to help.

Or you could emphasize a benefit such as matching gift or the difference a donation will make to the cause.

You can also use a campaign tagline or a tax deduction – but these are not as emotionally compelling.

Examples:

P.S. Penguins don’t have to go the way of the dodo, if you help. Your love for these iconic birds can save them from extinction.

P.S. Legal representation means the difference between safety and exploitation for a vulnerable child. If you can, please give today and ensure that someone like Robyn isn’t left defenseless.


3) Highlight the right now of it.

Share urgency by emphasizing the potential consequences of not taking action. Or highlight a deadline or limited-time window of opportunity.

There’s a reason you’re writing now: You are asking the donor to help solve an immediate problem or meet an urgent need.

Examples:

P.S. Your match offer ends December 1! Every $1 you give before the deadline becomes $2 to get an unhoused neighbor into safe shelter before winter’s frigid cold arrives.

P.S. We have until June 1 to meet the ambitious $50,000 goal for essential renovations to our beloved theatre. Will you join other patrons to save our local home for the performing arts, before it’s too late?


4) Make a lasting impression.

Bonus points if you use your P.S. to restate something from the appeal in a fresh, unforgettable way.

Try using vivid sensory details, a new twist on a story you’ve told in the appeal, or a memorable bit of info you haven’t yet shared.

Examples:

P.S. I knew I was gay when I was 12 years old. But there was no one like me in rural Arkansas, my childhood home. Adolescence was so lonely. But it can be different. You can offer community and belonging to a young person just like preteen me.  Will you be an ally with your gift?

P.S. There’s no one on Earth stronger than a refugee mother. As long as there’s breath in her body, she’ll never give up the dream of a better life for her children. In the midst of terrifying uncertainty, can you match her courage with your loving care?


Want the perfect P.S. for your next fundraising appeal? I can help!

Reach out for a free clarity call.