— The Archive
Words That Work
Before Your Move, there was Words That Work, a weekly note on the craft of fundraising copy. The whole run lives here.
September 29, 2025
How to Write Fundraising Copy Hooks That Work
September 22, 2025
‘AI in Question, Part 3’: What About Discernment?
September 8, 2025
‘AI in Question, Part 2’: Can Data Replace Experience?
September 2, 2025
‘AI in Question, Part 1’: Can Donor Relationships Be Automated?
August 25, 2025
Why You Should Kill Prepositional Phrases in Your Copy
August 18, 2025
‘Get Involved’: A Weak CTA—and Even Weaker Theology
August 11, 2025
Overdesign Kills Your Urgent Appeals
July 21, 2025
Why ‘the Road to Hell Is Paved with Adverbs’
July 14, 2025
How Fear Warps Your Fundraising—and What Faith Does Instead
July 7, 2025
When Words Fail, the Word Never Will
June 30, 2025
Your Brain Loves Bullet Points—Here’s Why Your Fundraising Copy Should Too
June 23, 2025
What If Your Direct Mail Felt More Like a Relationship?
June 16, 2025
Why Asking for a Monthly Gift Too Soon Is Like Proposing on the First Date
June 8, 2025
Using AI, a Year Later
June 2, 2025
How to Respond When People ‘Critique Your Baby’
May 27, 2025
Addressed to Success: Why Direct Mail Still Packs a (Major Donor) Punch
May 18, 2025
Wonder Before Words: The Discipline That Fuels Better Fundraising Copy
May 12, 2025
Thanks for the Brand Strategy. Now What?
May 5, 2025
What the Apostle Paul Can Teach Us About Ethical Persuasion
April 28, 2025
The Power of the (Zoom) Interview: Why It’s One of Your Most Valuable Copywriting Tools
April 21, 2025
Why “Join Us” Is the Worst Call-to-Action in Fundraising (and Why “Help Us” Is a Close Second)
April 14, 2025
From Friday to Sunday: The Arc of a Great Appeal
April 7, 2025
Exclamation Points Won’t Move Donors, but Genuine Emotion Will
March 25, 2025
Why My Elementary School Dating Strategy Is Terrible Fundraising Advice
March 20, 2025
Skip the Semicolon: Why Your Copy Is Better Off Without It
March 17, 2025
Why Your First Line of Copy Matters More Than You Think
March 10, 2025
How Empathy Fuels Fundraising Success
March 3, 2025
Precision in Fundraising Copywriting: The Art of Getting to the Point
February 23, 2025
Why Brand Essence Is Key to Writing Powerful Fundraising Copy
February 17, 2025
The Three Worst Words in Fundraising (and What to Say Instead)
February 13, 2025
Essential Tips for Conversational Copywriting: Write Like You Talk to Boost Donor Engagement
February 11, 2025
Empower Your Fundraising with Aristotle’s Model of Communication