— 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.

New here? Start with the guide: Fundraising Copywriting: How to Write Words That Move Donors to Give.

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