by Mordecai Holtz

Misspelling a word in digital content is regrettable, yet understandable. Emails, blog posts, tweets and get sent by the boatload. They’re a casual means of communication. Mistakes happen.

Sending fundraising materials with typos well, that will cost you!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been invited to several fundraising dinners for causes that I’m relatively connected to. Unfortunately, these invitations contained blatantly obvious mistakes that could directly impact on the financial success of the dinners.

Here are two:

1. The link included on the printed invitation was misspelled. If you’re going through all the trouble of putting in a long winded web address, a personal pet peeve of mine, make sure it actually works and is typed correctly. Unlike me, most people will not take the time to research the correct web address.

Pretty simple equation, bad web address = less money.

2. The invitation misspelled the honoree’s name in the bio! Sorry but that’s just careless.

Needless to say I wouldn’t want to be on the other side of the phone when the honoree calls after seeing his last name is missing a letter.

These mistakes may seem trivial, but I believe they are absolutely crucial. The goal is to captivate the audience with every appeal. Engaging them with every fundraising proposition means allowing them to read the letter, connect to the cause and seriously contemplate how much they will give. This can only happen if they’re not distracted by poor punctuation, grammar or spelling mistakes. Beyond that, it’s about how the organization portrays itself to its constituents. Important details, such as the honoree’s name and long web addresses annoy people, especially people unfamiliar to the organization.

They say, ‘G-d is in the details’, and putting a successful fundraising appeal together is all about getting as many specifics right as realistically possible – because they all add up to better results.

Whether you are a small nonprofit organization or a fairly big one, a major source of funding is from the donations that you receive. Maintaining a healthy relationship with your regular and prospective donors is critical. Proper communication is the only way of doing this.

Mordecai Holtz is an experienced nonprofit professional in the fields of community organization, program development, administration and management for almost 8 years. Mordecai is well versed in social media and enjoys consulting with small businesses and nonprofit organizations to reach their fullest online potential. Follow Mordecai by reading his blog noholtzbarred.com or on twitter @mordecaiholtz