The Association Blog

…it’s how you say it. Put your marketing copy to the test—a readability test, that is—to ensure your messaging is clear and easy to understand

According to nonprofit comms expert Lisa Sargent in 21 and ½ tips for writing better fundraising materials, “Studies show that even highly educated people read – and recall – more at about a 7^th grade reading level.”

For this reason, she recommends turning on the Flesch-Kincaid Readability tool to assess your fundraising copy (and we would add, all marketing copy) to ensure it’s optimized for clarity and retention. These qualities are all-important in helping your reader to grok your message instantly and take action—whether that’s making a donation or volunteering to become a foster. To turn on this tool in Microsoft World, go to Tools, where you’ll find “Show readability statistics” as an option under Spelling and Grammar.

As an alternative, Sargent recommends the Hemingway app, which allows you to paste in any text and get suggestions for simplifying complex sentences and constructions, and using words that are more concise and impactful.

How else are you ensuring that your communications are as effective as possible?