Service 05
The piece most fundraising consultants leave out - and the one that ties everything else together.
What It Is
Most fundraising consultants focus on strategy and leave the writing to someone else. The result is a development plan that sounds good in a board meeting but collapses when it meets real donors - because nobody knows how to turn the strategy into language that moves people.
I build fundraising strategy and communications together, so they speak the same language from day one. The case for support informs the appeal letter. The appeal letter connects to the newsletter. The newsletter deepens the relationship that makes the major gift possible. When the communications are built into the strategy rather than bolted on afterward, everything works better.
What I Write
Cases for Support: The foundational document that answers the question every donor is really asking: why should I give to you, and why now? I write cases that tell stories, not just state facts - because donors give to vision, not to programs.
Donor Newsletters: Newsletters that people actually read. Not a roundup of organizational news, but a window into the lives being changed by your work - written in a voice that sounds like a human being, not a press release.
Appeal Letters: Direct mail and email appeals that are honest, personal, and specific. The kind that make donors feel seen rather than targeted.
Annual Reports: Reports that donors want to read - that tell the story of the year in a way that makes them proud to have been part of it.
Digital Strategy: How your email, social media, and website work together to cultivate relationships between campaigns and convert interest into gifts.
My Approach
I came to fundraising through philosophy, teaching, and twenty years of thinking seriously about how stories move people. I write cases for support that donors can't put down. I write newsletters that get forwarded. I write appeal letters that get handwritten notes back.
When I build your donor communications, they sound like a human being wrote them. Because one did. And because I understand your mission - not just your programs - they carry the kind of conviction that generic communications never can.
"I'm a story-teller before I'm a consultant. My work begins with listening and finding the stories that connect your supporters with what you do, at the deepest level."- John Jalsevac
Common Questions
A strong case for support answers the question every donor is really asking: why should I give to you, and why now? It needs a compelling articulation of the problem you exist to solve, evidence of your effectiveness, a vision of what becomes possible with donor support, and a specific ask. The best cases tell stories first and state facts second - because donors give to vision, not to programs.
Two to four times per year is usually right. The goal is to keep donors meaningfully connected to the impact of their gifts between solicitations - not to update them on organizational news. One compelling story, written in a human voice, outperforms a roundup of program updates every time.
An effective appeal is specific, personal, and honest. It tells one story rather than describing many programs. It addresses the donor by name and acknowledges their history with you. It makes a clear ask tied to a concrete need. And it uses plain language that sounds like a human being wrote it - not institutional boilerplate.
A digital communications strategy defines how your email, social media, and website work together to cultivate donor relationships between campaigns and convert interest into gifts. It includes an editorial calendar, content pillars, email cadence, and a clear understanding of how each channel serves a different role in the donor journey.
Every engagement begins the same way: with an honest discussion about your organization, your mission, and where you want to go. No pitch. No obligation.
Phone
Location
Kawartha Lakes, Ontario - Serving non-profits across Canada and the United States