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I’m guessing we all agree that citing experts such as scientists, academics, or community leaders strengthens our proposals to donors. I also believe that including the voices of others such as patients, parents, and students improves donor understanding of and confidence in what you do and why it’s important.

Here’s an example. Early in my career I was a social work intern at a community program in a public housing development. The teens who lived in the neighborhood wanted to create a teen center, and my job was to help them.

It quickly became clear that the real experts in how to engage teens in the project were the teens themselves. Carmen and Jacquie emerged as leaders with a vision for the center, connections to their peers, and the talent to maintain their trust and engagement during the long development and approval process. When management expressed concerns, they delivered a responsive plan.

Other experts emerged. A mother who lived in the community contributed insider knowledge and was a driving force in keeping the project on track; and the tenants’ association director worked with the development manager to secure space, obtain necessary materials, and navigate the Boston Housing Authority for required approvals.

Three more examples

• At Brigham and Women’s Hospital, I helped start Passageway, the institution’s domestic violence program. We learned that patient input as well as caregiver expertise was essential to meeting urgent needs. One expert, a cancer patient with multiple readmissions, explained that after each discharge her husband flushed her medications down the toilet. She and her caregivers, also experts, together created a plan that improved her health and safety while reducing her readmissions.
• In a project to improve student learning, we realized that to fully understand the barriers to academic success we needed to involve the experts, in this case 200 public school students in grades two through 12. In multiple focus groups, we asked them what helps and what gets in the way of doing well in school. Their insightful responses informed and guided new thinking about what works.
• I met a surgeon who described a patient’s valiant journey to health following a horrific accident that required reconstructive facial surgery. His expertise, and obvious compassion for his patient enabled me to tell a compelling story to the donor.

What I’ve learned

• Be inclusive. Seek input from both those who deliver and especially those who receive your services in your proposals to increase donor confidence in your model.
• Be alert. You might find experts in unexpected places, for example a board member who works on a hotline or a fundraiser who once taught in an urban school.
• Be brief. In the old days funders might allow a whole page for a client story. That’s not necessary. Just a few lines are enough to describe how real experts help assure the success of your programs.

Many fundraising documents require strict attention to guidelines, word limits, and, of course, deadlines. It can be hard to be creative.

Nevertheless, I believe creativity in writing gets donor attention. Encourage closer reading by including something different. An unexpected surprise might boost the reader’s appreciation for what you propose to do.

Here are some ideas.

Provide context. Build enthusiasm by describing the big ideas that drive your work. For example, funds to rehabilitate a neighborhood park can contribute to the health and safety of the entire city; and support to mitigate climate change locally can help build evidence for sustainable practices nationwide.

Engage constituents. Ask staff, participants in your programs, leadership, donors, and people in the community for feedback. In a campaign for a library expansion, on the street interviews elicited thought-provoking comments, including: “The word ‘serenity’ comes to me, because when you walk into the library, it’s an exhale.” Another comment was simple, but profound: “The library got me through hard times.”

Provide evidence, but keep it focused. The board committee of a hospital community health program chose a single statistic for its case for support – the 12-year gap in life expectancy among residents living in Roxbury and Back Bay – in order to capture the attention of interested donors.

Invite the reader to join the action. For example: “Walk into the Kids Club on any afternoon and find eager ten-year-olds conducting science experiments or enthusiastic five-year-olds writing stories using stickers, glitter, and markers of every imaginable color.” Or, “Follow the unmistakable sound of a bouncing basketball to the gym down the hall and see first-hand the value of exercise, teamwork, camaraderie, and fun on health and well-being.”

Prioritize, keep it short, and eliminate clutter. Brevity can magnify impact by limiting distractions and focusing busy readers on what’s most important, while demonstrating your respect for their time constraints. Cut anything that’s not necessary.

Finish strong. Remind the reader that the stakes are high and you are prepared. In one proposal conclusion I wrote: “Today, [the University] is on the move. We are building on the vibrancy of our students, the expertise of our faculty, our exceptional diversity, and our commitment to excellence to strengthen leadership across our entire campus. The complexities of our world depend on it.”

Recently I picked up a book of poetry I’ve been meaning to read. I flipped through the pages and then back to the introduction. There I found, to my horror, that the entire four-page, single-spaced introduction was printed in italics! Huge groan.

The poet is well known and highly regarded. However, in this edition, I’m guessing that at least some readers may not read, or read all of what they might otherwise find enlightening.

About italics
So when should we use italics? I found uses ranging from titles of books, magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, plays, poems, and movies; to works of art and comic strips. According to Grammarly, italics are used for names of websites, podcasts, radio shows, music albums, apps, video games, and vehicles including aircraft, spacecraft, and ships, (e.g. the Titanic).

Italics can:

• Set a word or phrase apart.
• Add emphasis.
• Contrast one idea with another.
• Alert the reader to your message.

The downside

• Italics can be hard to read, especially (for me) when I don’t have my glasses handy. This could annoy the reader, or even lose her altogether.
• They can slow down your reading. In one study, responses to plain text were faster than italicized text.
• Italics may distract the reader from an otherwise compelling story or important message.

For me, italics, especially too many italics, can muddy the message and make it hard to know what’s most important. If this frustrates the reader, it could be problematic, (especially if the reader is a donor).

You decide
The decision to italicize can be personal. For example, in a recent email I decided not to italicize the names of individual essays, although I would italicize the name of a collection of essays.

Summing up
By now my bias is probably clear. Use italics in moderation. I believe most readers appreciate a spare, clean look that facilitates quick and accurate understanding of your proposal, report, or personal story.

When used to get attention, however, I think italics can do their job very well!

Summer is the perfect time of year for daydreaming. Warm weather, time off, a change in routine,
or even making coffee on a summer day can be conducive to contemplation. It’s an opportunity I
relish.

Learn from the experts
First, to clarify. I’m not just talking about those precious moments of doing nothing that we enjoy
on a summer day. I’m also referring to casual reflections or, as Merriam Webster defines it, “a
pleasant, visionary, usually wishful creation of the imagination.”

I wondered if there was any science to support the contributions of daydreaming. The authors of an
article in Forbes write that daydreaming at work can boost innovation and creative problem solving.
In the New York Times, expert Jonathan Schooler suggests that “mind wondering”, as he calls it,
may be an opportunity to “come up with novel…approaches that you hadn’t thought of before”.
Research, according to this article, shows that “letting our minds wander…can give us joy, serenity,
and even make us more creative.”

More benefits
I find that daydreaming can:

• Help get me out of a rut.
• Spark out of the box thinking.
• Set me up for a new project.
• Create a pleasant pause for thought in an otherwise hectic day.

Daydreaming and Short Takes
Many of my ideas for Short Takes articles have come to me while I’m daydreaming. Most often they
just pop into my head and I jot them down to help jump start my first draft. For me, daydreaming
draws on various influences, even, for example, the backyard breezes I’m feeling right now as I
contemplate this article.

Here’s my thinking
When it comes to daydreaming, be flexible. You might have a fantastic idea for a proposal or a
conversation with a donor while you’re listening to music, walking your dog, or standing in line for
ice cream. Make a note of your daydream-inspired idea, and revisit it over the coming days. If it
sticks, go with it.

So don’t get annoyed with yourself when your mind wanders. Enjoy this quiet, perhaps unexpected
moment in your day, and see what happens.

In my first job I ran a program for teens at an organization with a broader agenda. I knew how to promote my program, but not how to present, or actually pitch, the entire organization to the community partners I worked with. Looking back, there were missed opportunities.

I believe that many employees and volunteers would like to, or already do, talk about their organizations with their colleagues, friends, and family. You can help them describe your work by:

• Creating an elevator pitch for staff and volunteers (promoters) for use in chance encounters, along with suggestions for how to deliver it.
• Providing tools that help, such as two talking points with a clear, concise, and compelling message.
• Encouraging promoters to personalize the message by sharing what they find most compelling about the organization and/or why they enjoy working there. 
• Sharing guidance about how to connect people who express interest with the Development team. 

Benefits
Including staff and volunteers in the future of the organization can build their enthusiasm, spark new ideas, motivate engagement, and renew their passion for the mission. Staff and volunteer involvement leverages existing relationships to expand interest among the public and provide a connection for those who would like to become involved. 

A short story
I began to think about this idea after hearing a story told by a development staff member. She was in the check-out line at the local grocery store when she noticed a donor just ahead of her in line. They said hello and went their separate ways. The staff member saw this moment as a missed opportunity and expressed interest in how she might use a chance meeting to briefly engage friends and acquaintances.

Simple scripts
For example, during an unexpected encounter the employee might say: “It’s wonderful to see you, and I can let you know that we have just received a longshot grant from the XX Foundation. We’re excited!” Or, “Keep an eye on your mail. We just sent our latest newsletter with an update about impressive gains among kids in our Learn to Swim program.” 

Or, for those not yet connected to the organization, “Thanks for your interest. I’d be happy to add you to our mailing list so you can learn more.”