Interactive Workshop! Words Matter: How to Write Irresistible Appeals Using the Psychology of Language

Workshop Date & Time: 

Tuesday, June 17, 2025 at 1:00 - 3:30 PM ET

This Workshop is Perfect for you if:

This workshop is great for you if you're a nonprofit professional eager to breathe new life into your fundraising appeals. Whether you're an experienced fundraiser seeking fresh strategies or a newcomer looking to fast-track your understanding of how language influences donor decisions, this interactive session will equip you with the psychological insights and practical tools you need to craft compelling messages that resonate. Discover how the right words can turn potential donors into passionate supporters and elevate your fundraising efforts to new heights.

You will come away with the skills to craft persuasive, psychologically driven appeals that effectively motivate donors to give.

In this workshop, you'll learn how promotion-oriented language (highlighting opportunities and positive outcomes) and prevention-oriented language (focusing on risks and avoiding loss) can impact donor decisions. By effectively using both, you’ll create fundraising appeals that resonate with different donors, motivating them to take action and support your cause.

During This Nonprofit Workshop, You Will Create:

• A revised fundraising appeal: Using your own recent messaging, you will apply what you have learned and rewrite an appeal, either focusing on promotion-oriented or prevention-oriented language to see which better aligns with your goals.
• A language categorization guide: You will develop a personalized guide that categorizes common fundraising phrases into promotion-oriented and prevention-oriented language, serving as a quick reference for future appeal writing.
• A dual-approach appeal template: Attendees will design a template incorporating both promotion and prevention language, allowing them to tailor their messaging to different donor segments or campaign objectives.

During This Nonprofit Workshop, You Will Learn:

• How to understand the impact of language on decision-making in charitable giving.
• How to distinguish between promotion-oriented and prevention-oriented language from a psychological perspective.
• How to identify and categorize words and phrases as promotion-oriented or prevention-oriented.
• How to assess the effectiveness of different language approaches in fundraising appeals and the ways we distribute our asks.
• How to analyze and revise your current fundraising messages through the lens of promotion and prevention.
• How to strategically select between promotion and prevention language based on your audience and campaign goals, even when you know very little about them!
• How to create a language guide unique to your nonprofit’s mission for your future fundraising efforts.
• How to develop a dual-approach appeal template incorporating promotion and prevention strategies for maximum impact.

During This Nonprofit Workshop, You Will Be Encouraged To:

• Bring recent examples of your fundraising appeals: Participants should have copies of a couple of recent appeal letters or campaign messages ready for review and revision during the workshop.
• Actively engage in exercises and discussions: During the workshop, participants should be prepared to categorize language, share insights, and apply new strategies to their messaging in real time.
• Keep an open mind!

You’ll Get These BONUS Materials:

1. A one-page reference sheet to commonly used fundraising words & phrases.
2. A step-by-step appeal analysis guide that walks you through the process of analyzing future appeals.
3. A quick personal reflection guide to understand your psychology regarding promotion and prevention orientation.
4. The Workshop Slides 
5. The Workshop Recording 

About Your Topic Expert:

Emilie Socash is specifically qualified to teach this webinar because:

1. She has over 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, with a deep understanding of the fundraising landscape and donor psychology.
2. Expertise in organizational and leadership psychology, giving you unique insights into how language influences decision-making in charitable giving from a research-backed perspective.
3. She has a proven track record of creating successful fundraising campaigns and appeals that have driven significant donor engagement and contributions within established and start-up nonprofits as well as community foundations.
4. Emilee is an author and educator with a strong background in nonprofit management, having trained countless professionals on effective stakeholder engagement strategies tailored to the sector.

Emilie is the founder and CEO of the Nonprofit Help Center, which she founded in 2018 after working in the nonprofit sector for over 20 years. She holds a masters in nonprofit management and a doctoral degree in organizational and leadership psychology, and her doctoral dissertation focused on psychological factors related to donor behavior. 

As a self-proclaimed “word nerd,” she unites the power of the pen with her work in support of nonprofits nationwide, emphasizing the role of the written word in winning hearts, minds, and donations. She has published two books on personal mission statement development. Emilie is an avid traveler, reader, and believer in the power of people to make great things happen. 

What Attendees Said about This Nonprofit Webinar:

“Extremely hands-on on which is more beneficial than a pure lecture.”

Lynn Gerber, Writer Coach Connection

“This was one of the most thought-provoking and useful training classes I have attended in a long time.”

Jessica Hitchen, New York Council, Navy League of the United States, Inc

“This webinar broadened my perspective on writing fundraising appeals in the future. The knowledge I've gained was well worth the price of the workshop.”

Jamie Heminway, The Water Project