In March 2014 – almost nine years ago – my colleague Andrea Kihlstedt and I shared our first blog post on Train Your Board. 

Today’s post is number 200. Wow! How did that happen?

This project began as a book of fundraising exercises, then expanded to include a website, blog, and video training series. After a few years, Andrea stepped away; Bob Osborne and Laurel McCombs of The Osborne Group recently joined the team.

Throughout the process, we’ve continued to generate new content – about two posts per month, year after year – to share with the world. That’s 150,000 words: the equivalent of two medium-length books. They’re all available on the website.

Along the way, I’ve learned a few things about writing. 

How about you? Do you write anything – newsletter articles, fundraising appeals, social media posts, e-blasts, news releases, video scripts – for public consumption? If so, you might appreciate these five tips.

1. Get an editor

One advantage of having teammates: you can pass things back and forth. My work is always better when someone reviews it to check the grammar, find typos, and (most importantly) point out any faulty assumptions, unclear arguments, or self-indulgences. 

You don’t need to hire an editor. Ask a co-worker, trusted peer, or thoughtful friend. I’m lucky; my spouse is a careful reader and gives practical feedback.

If you’re facing a deadline, please leave enough time for someone to review your work before publishing.

2. What’s in it for the reader?

When I sit down to write for the blog, I might start with a rant: something that annoys me. This can be fun and therapeutic, but it becomes pretty clear – pretty quickly – that my complaining doesn’t benefit the reader.

The purpose of Train Your Board is to support the nonprofit community with useful ideas and tools. If my rant ends with, “Here’s how you fix this,” that’s a helpful result. Otherwise, it’s just selfish. 

Whatever you write – for whatever medium – keep your readers in mind. Who are they? What do they care about? What can you offer them? 

3. Find your voice

Good writing has a voice. This can be defined as some combination of:

• Formal vs. informal
• Tone: compassionate, snarky, earnest, supportive, curious, playful, authoritative … whatever
• Ease (or not) of reading, which is signaled through word choice, length of sentences and paragraphs, and complexity of the content
• Use of stories and anecdotes

I tend to write the way I speak. For me, this is the easiest and most authentic way to write, and it literally reflects my voice. Indeed, if writing is challenging for you, try speaking your words. Use voice recognition software and see what happens.

We recruit a lot of guest authors for Train Your Board. My job, as the primary editor, is to maintain a more-or-less consistent voice throughout. This can be tricky. As an editor, I want to honor the author’s voice, while reworking material that’s too technical, academic, or unclear.

The solution: I edit, then the authors approve any edits. To date, everyone has signed off and most are grateful to have an editor! (It probably helps that we pay guest writers.)

4. Balance the professional and the personal

At Train Your Board, we operate at the intersection of four topics:

• Increasing the capacity of nonprofit boards
• Raising more money
• Improving your skills as a trainer and facilitator
• Building a successful consulting, facilitation, and training business

Therefore, our relentless focus is how-to: tips, tools, strategies, problem-solving.

Nonetheless, when we mix personal and professional – for example, my efforts (and struggles) to integrate an anti-racism lens into my work with clients – it increases reader response. 

People love stories and appreciate vulnerability. As a writer, you must decide: How far do you want to go – and how far is too far?

5. Try not to repeat yourself

Here’s an uncomfortable secret. I’ve unsubscribed from several worthy e-newsletters, blogs, and podcasts, hosted by industry leaders I admire, because they cover the same territory again and again.

I want to be generous. It takes a lot of effort to create high-quality, engaging material. Original ideas are few and far between. There is always another deadline. 

What I’m asking you to do is difficult but essential. It’s way too easy for readers, listeners, and viewers to tire of your schtick and move on. 

The solution: make it as fresh and entertaining as you possibly can.

If this means posting or publishing less often – and saving your voice for your best, most original takes – that might be a good solution.

Take your time

Good writing requires time: for your ideas to percolate, to write and revise, and to gather feedback.

Your readers deserve your best work.

Take the time to get it right.