The Fundraising Letter PS: 25 Powerful Things To Say There (Includes Examples & Samples)

Donors read postscripts. This is a sad but important reality in fundraising. Sad because the PS is stupid and belongs in another millennium. In this age of word processors, no one needs to add a PS anymore. But important because a donor reading a PS is a donor looking for information. And that's your opportunity.

According to direct mail consultant Allyn Kramer, there are five "hot spots" in your direct mail packages where readers look first. Here they are, in order:

1. Outside envelope

2. Brochure headline

3. Inside address (who the letter is going to)

4. Signature line (who the letter is from)

5. Postscript

Since the PS is one part of your letter that you can be confident your donors will read, you need to write something there that will motivate your donor to send you a gift or take your desired action. Here are some ideas.

Re-phrase your ask in a new way Reiterate the deadline for the member's gift, if there is one Point the donor to your website to make an online donation Invite donors to refer you to a friend who may support your organization Invite the donor to complete the enclosed reply card and envelope Remind donors that their gifts are tax deductible Invite the donor to join your monthly giving program Repeat your case for support in a fresh way Include a brief and uplifting story that demonstrates that your supporter's gift will make an immediate difference Invite donors to upgrade their gift Offer a free guide on writing a will or making a bequest to your organization, sent to all who send a gift Draw your reader's attention to a section in your enclosed brochure that illustrates your current need and encourages a gift Break down the ask into daily amounts ("Your gift of £15 works out to just 50 pence a day") Invite readers to visit your website to complete a survey (and ask for the gift again there) Give your phone number or email address and invite the donor to contact you with any questions Explain what will happen if you do not receive sufficient funding (without spreading fear and without making your donor feel guilty) Thank your members for their ongoing support Add a personal note about why you are so passionate about this particular ask--and why you need the donor to send a gift today Remind the member about the freemium you've enclosed (mailing labels, for example) Re-state the size of gift you are requesting Explain that supporters can make a donation using their credit cards Remind donors of your goal for this campaign If you are well into your campaign, tell donors how close you are to reaching your goal--their gift right now will get you even closer Tell the donor how much their continued support means to you personally Name one of the people your donor's gift will help ("Children like Samantha need your help. And so do we.")

There Is a Hybrid Among Them

If you are into blood, guts, and gore and want to show support for your favorite vampire character then peace it will be and not war. You will need to get in on the ground floor with this new series hitting the stores. "Red Serpent: The Falsifier" and yes, we can co-exist with each other and in a good way. Humans are not always the main food item on the menu. For once, we have an author who is able to put vampires and humans together to fight for the common good. Will there always be peace and how long before the war starts? This is your typical Sci-Fi Friday night ride - how great is that!

One nice feature about the book is having only a few characters to build on in the main scheme of things so when the next book comes out you will have that common factor with the character you have chosen to support. It is easy to say that it would be for any age. We all follow a couple of the series already out on the market now. In this book you have a hybrid, a neat twist, one that can feel and wants to be a part of something bigger and this is Alex. The rebels protect him and also tell him the things he needs to know of his history and his family.

As a young adult and just out of college, his uncle informs him of the truth, something that he should have known years ago. He finds out that he is the Falsifier. Of course every story has a bad guy and in this story it happens to be Anaxagoras and related to Alex. When Alex finds out he is torn and with good reason. If you are into Sci-Fi reading and like vampires and fighting for a good cause then this is a new series for you. The first book is called the "Red Serpent" by Delson Armstrong and you will easily get hooked as you read the first chapter. He immediately defines the characters for you to relate to.

Lung Clearing Methods You Should Know

Can you imagine living in a pollution-free environment where you can breathe only fresh air? Allowing yourself to breathe and inhale clean air improves your health and your lung condition. Having clear lungs makes you feel better and breathe effectively. It is important that we take good care of our health and maintain a healthy lifestyle to enjoy other things that life has to offer. Here is a list of lung clearing methods you need to practice to improve your lungs conditions!

Quit smoking. If you are a smoker, it would be best to stop smoking. Smoking does not give you benefits. It only pollutes your lungs and when your system gets used to it, you become addicted. Quitting smoking is hard especially if it has become a part of your daily routine. However, experiencing the ill effects of smoking is worse than you can imagine. Lung exercises. Lung exercises are simple ways to strengthen your lungs and aids in the expulsion of tar in your system. Doing deep breathing exercises is not only good for smokers but also for healthy individuals who wish to have healthy lungs which expand properly. Cardio exercises. These types of exercises improve your breathing pattern which also aid in the expulsion of tar in your body as well as improve your lung capacity. Avoid dairy products. Dairy products increase the production of mucus. Mucus is a substance which mixes with smoke, ash and toxins from cigarettes that build tar in your lungs which eventually blocks your bronchial tubes. Limiting your intake of these products will help thin out tar and poisons in the lungs. Vitamins. There are several vitamins that you can take to improve your lung condition. One of which is vitamin C. Drink water. Drinking enough water aids in the expulsion of mucus in your lungs which makes you breathe effectively. Coughing. This is considered to be the best airway clearance technique. Coughing allows you to expel excessive mucus in your lungs which makes breathing difficult. Chest physiotherapy. This technique is only done if you have a lot of secretions because this helps in loosening thick secretions. Postural drainage. This procedure is done for those who also have a lot of secretions in their lungs. This technique uses gravity to assist in the removal of tenacious secretions from the airways. Expectorants. If you find it difficult to expel mucus in your airways, you can ask for a prescription from your physician to let you take in some expectorants. This medication helps loosen the secretions making your cough more productive. Mucolytics. This medication helps thin out tenacious secretions making it easier to cough up. These medications are available over-the-counter or with prescription.

Discover How Crockpot Cooking Saves You Time

I'm one of those folks who bought a crockpot, thinking it was the answer to my dinnertime chaos, put it in my pantry and promptly forgot about it. Until my grocery budget and work schedule got stretched to the limit. Now, my crockpot is front and center on my kitchen counter top and instrumental several times a week in feeding my family a good, home-cooked meal. Where is your crockpot?

Before you put your crockpot to work, take a good look at it. Does it have a pattern or color that's reminiscent of the 70's, 80's, or 90's? If looking at your crockpot makes you all nostalgic, it's best to buy a new one. You will be glad to spend the $30 to $50 when you see all the new energy efficient models available. There are also some really great, new features like temperature settings, warming cycles, and secure leak-proof lids. Although, when it comes to features, the best one is how much time you'll save! That's great to know, but how exactly will a crockpot save you time? Let's take a look:

Walk Away From The Pot

If you are watching pots on the stove top boil, you are wasting time. Even stirring soups and sauces take time, especially if you're making something that could stick to the bottom of the pot if left unattended. When you make a meal in one pot it truly does save time, but not if you have to watch it! Make that spaghetti sauce or chili in a crockpot and walk away. Now you can do something other than stir that pot.

Delegate Cooking Chores

Getting my family to help with meal preparations is a big time saver in my book. If I can walk away for a few minutes while my children are scrubbing potatoes and plunking them in the crockpot, I've got those precious minutes to attend to another task. Getting kids involved putting a crockpot meal together is possible because there's less danger of having someone get burned; you don't turn on a crockpot until all the ingredients are in and you're ready. There are many crockpot recipes available that have only a few basic ingredients, so even a cooking novice like my husband can jump right in there and cook a meal, too.

Planning Ahead

If you've been running to the grocery store several times a week to hurry up and get something for dinner, you've been wasting a lot of your very precious time. Wouldn't it be nice to pick up the kids from swim lessons and be able to go right home without that frantic stop for food? I keep several of my favorite crockpot recipes in my purse, so all I have to do is make one planned stop at the grocery store, buy the ingredients I need for a couple meals, and my shopping is done for the week. I even have time now to clean all my vegetables when I get home so they're all ready when I put my planned crockpot dinners together. Now, we're really saving time!

Cook Once Eat Twice

I'm a big believer in cooking larger portions so that we're cooking once and eating twice. My crockpot is a 6 quart size oval, which is big enough to have leftovers for lunches, so we don't have to spend time shopping for lunches or, worse yet, going out to lunch. When you cook double and put half in the freezer you can cut your cooking down to only two or three times a week. Pulling a meal out from the freezer is a real time saver.

Look at your poor crockpot just waiting for you to come to your senses again. I know you can do it, once you look at all the time you'll save. Get your kitchen counter cleared off, set up your crockpot, and make out your grocery list. Now, won't you enjoy saving all that time so you can spend it on something you like to do?

Mpeg Encoding - Compression for DVD

A normal 625 line frame (we will use the PAL standard in this example)takes 1.2 Megabytes of data if no compression is used. As there are 25 frames per second, this will give us: 1.2 x 25 = 30 Megabytes per second

So a DVD with 4.7 Gigabyte of storage will give us: 4700 / 30 = 156.6 seconds or 2.6 minutes of video playback.

Obviously some way of reducing the amount of data that needs to be stored on the disk is needed.

One way to compress the data stream is to analyse each frame and remove information that is repeated within the frame. This frame by frame compression is called JPEG. This might be ideal for individual frames but is not sufficient for movies. Jpeg looks best with compressions of 5:1 or less, even this will only give 13 minutes of video on a DVD.

A better method is to use MPEG compression. This works by taking the first frame and compressing it as above. This frame is still quite large as it contains most of the information about the frame, this is called the I frame. The next frame of picture information is compared to this I frame and only the difference is stored. There are two types of difference frames, B and P frames, B frames are bi-directional, and P frames are predictive. The fact is that B and P frames can be quitr small depending on the amount of movement within the picture information. Typically with MPEG we can realise cpmpression factors of upto 30:1.

The grouping of I, B and P frames is called a GOP structure (group of pictures) the default structure of a GOP within a DVD is usually IBBPBBPBBPBBPBBI, 4 P frames within each I frame sequence, and 2 B frames between each P frame sequence. A GOP sequence of 16 will give a very good compression ratio and take up less disc space but may present problems as below.

In the DVD authoring process certain functions have to happen on an I frame and as each GOP can only have one I frame then for some videos a smaller GOP structure is more flexible but take up more space. Foe example a chapter point has to happen on an I frame, if the GOP structure was 16 frames you might find the nearest I frame upto 8 frames away which might result in an inaccurate position to begin a new chapter.

Toyota Fortuner - Excellent Gift for the Fun Loving People

If you want to drive with style, Toyota's latest SUV 'Fortuner' is prepared especially for you. The 7-seater vehicle considered as Japanese beauty and excellent gift for the fun loving people. It is just like a treat for the eyes of the travelers enjoying the delight of driving a grand SUV. It is perfect combination of style, enigma and classiness. The powerful engine gives it power, style, grace and sumptuousness.

Engine: Have a look on the engine of Fortuner, you will say awesome. It has superior engine performance assure the most relaxed ride in even absolute tough conditions. Toyota Fortuner is powered by D-4D Diesel with Intercooler Turbocharger 4 cylinder engine and 5-speed manual transmission. The engine generates a maximum output of 126 kW @ 3600 rpm, with an utmost torque of 343 Nm @ 1400-3400 rpm. 2982 cc is the average displacement.

Dimensions: As Fortuner has 4695 mm Length, 1840 mm Width and 1850 mm Height, seven to eight people can easily enjoy the journey. It is quite spacious car and good luggage can kept in the vehicle. If you want to go for a long journey, you can take this car to make your journey more comfortable and convenient.

Available Colors: Some car lovers are really concerned about colors and Toyota understands such demands. You have option of super white, silver mica, grey mica metallic, black mica and light blue metallic.

Additional Features: Optitron meter, multi-information display, audio 6D changer, power window, assist grip, anti-lock braking system (ABS), back sonar, seatbelts and immobilizer are some of the excellent features available for the owners.

Scott Ski Goggles - High Quality Goggles for Snow Sports

Scott ski goggles come in a number of different models and designs that are one of the best choices for both skiers and snowboarders because they simply have all the bases covered. Scott has come to be a leader in the goggles industry in both snow sports and motor sports, and the goggles have been designed to fit anyone from children to adults. With the majority of the snow sports companies offering protective eyewear, Scott ski goggles maintain the professional quality and continue to innovate their design and are a competitive force in not only the ski and snowboard industry, but the now offer goggles in motocross and cycling.

There are a few different categories that all of the Scott ski goggles fall into. For those seeking a quality goggle for the winter sports, you can find a model type to fit your needs whether you are a skier, snowboarder, or snowmobiler.

There are 5 major categories in the series of Scott Ski Goggles, and each is designed for a certain rider type. Ranging from pro models to junior models, we will take a look at each type in more detail.

The first line of Scott ski goggles offers a high quality design for both male and female riders of all levels. Known as the Unisex Series, they offer different lens shapes including a traditional flat lens to a more dramatic, bubble-like lens that covers a wider span of vision. Many of the pro designs of Scott goggles contain either a mirror lens or shades of orange or grey that can be used for different snow conditions.

The Womens Series is the second line of Scott ski goggles, and as the name suggests, they are fit for female riders who typically have a smaller face, so the strap and plastic molding that holds the lens is better fit for those riders. Similar to the Unisex Series, these goggles come in a variety of color schemes and lens colors to accommodate different riding conditions. Both the Womens and Unisex series contain what Scott calls "Precision Optics Lenses" which gives riders the freedom of clarity and breathability.

Two more types of Scott ski goggles are the Junior Series and Race Series. The Junior designs fit smaller faces while the Race models of goggles are made to fit racing helmets. For those riders wearing other eyewear such as prescription eyeglasses, the OTG Series fits well over your existing prescription eyewear.

The Scott company has a foundation of engineering and innovation in snow sports, and the Scott ski goggles have proven superiority over others in the field.

Questions to Ask Your Realtor

When searching for a Realtor, particularly an agent that will be representing you in a purchase as a first-time homebuyer, it is important that you feel comfortable with them, and be able to communicate well. But don't make a decision necessarily on how much you like or "feel" good about the agent...that can be a costly mistake. Remember, this is the professional who you are trusting to locate homes meeting your desires and needs, and more importantly, who will be presenting offers and assisting you in negotiating for the largest investment you may ever make.

Questions you should ask an agent who you are considering working with:

How much experience do you have? - Keep in mind when listening to their answer that experience doesn't necessarily equate with years in the business, although most of the time, it will. Just because an agent has been "in the business" for 5 years doesn't mean they sell a lot of homes. If an agent is newly licensed, there is a possibility that their inexperience could cost you in terms of lack of expertise.

How many Buyers have you worked with in the last year? - Knowing the answer to this question will give you a good idea of how efficient the agent is at finding and negotiating for buyers. What kind of advanced education do you have? - The best Realtors are constantly seeking education and obtaining various designations for their achievements. What makes you better than your competitors? - Realtors who give positive answers about their abilities and strengths are what you are seeking. Look for favorable answers relating to:

Honesty/Integrity

Friendliness

Availability

Negotiation Skills

Local market knowledge

What advice do you have for me? - As a first-time homebuyer, it is important to work with an agent who will take time to explain the process as you go through it. You should feel that this Realtor has your best interests in mind, and will be patient with your lack of experience and knowledge as a first-timer.

While it is very important that you feel comfortable with the Realtor® you choose to work with to find your first home, it is also important to make sure that person is competent and professional. These questions will help determine their level of expertise.