Why text expertise remains indispensable in fundraising, especially in times of AI
Fundraising thrives on language, emotion and the ability to persuade and engage people. Even and especially in the digital age with its diverse communication channels and technologies, professional expertise in writing appeals for donations is indispensable for fundraisers: automated tools can provide support, but they are no substitute for empathy, human creativity or the necessary knowledge of the characteristics, success factors, language peculiarities, rhetoric and text elements of successful appeals for donations. Prof. Norbert Winistörfer, university lecturer for communication and fundraising, explains which text skills are crucial today and tomorrow.
Norbert Winistörfer, what is the fundamental challenge when writing appeals for donations in the digital age?
Texts designed to motivate people to donate must capture the attention of today's media consumers, which is often lacking. These are people who are increasingly multitasking, overstimulated, unable to concentrate and annoyed by constant advertising. Many of them find reading a laborious task. A long text puts them off - especially if the sender wants to get their wallet at the end. The starting position for fundraisers is very challenging. They have to reach their target donation groups with emotionalizing headlines, short, concise and substantial texts as well as with all subtle rhetorical stylistic devices in their bubbles and win their hearts. This requires above-average copywriting skills.
What opportunities and shortcomings do you see when using AI tools for copywriting in fundraising?
Donation texts need to stand out through their presentation, language and newsworthy and unique content. They need to be eye-catching and clearly stand out from worn-out, stale and therefore ineffective phrases and identical donation stories that have been told thousands of times. This is exactly what texts generated by AI tools do not offer. The greatest weakness of AI tools is their inability to produce new and innovative language. However, AI tools are certainly useful for writers. For example, to generate initial ideas, structure complex content logically, overcome paralyzing writer's block and write error-free texts. However, the writing efficiency supposedly gained with AI tools must be put into perspective: the necessary text editing and content review requires time and solid specialist knowledge of the topic.
Why does sound text expertise remain a decisive success factor for fundraisers, even in times of automated text generation?
AI writing tools use probability calculations to produce linguistically polished and grammatically correct texts based on vast quantities of analyzed texts that have been published. This mainstream database therefore mostly delivers stereotypical, meaningless, interchangeable texts. These usually lack a keen sense of context, knowledge of the target audience, linguistic finesse, original formulations and empathy. But a text needs all of this to catch the eye of a permanently overstimulated person and motivate them to engage with it. After all, they have to sacrifice precious time for it.
Where do you currently see a particular need for qualification among fundraising professionals in copywriting - both in offline and online fundraising?
In order for texts in print and online media to be read by the desired target audience, they must be written in a way that is appropriate for the target group and media, as well as comprehensible. They should be as short as possible, precisely formulated, logical and comprehensible. They are easy to read at a glance. And they must be written in an attractive language style and from a perspective that stimulates the reader. All of this is extremely demanding. In particular, writers need a broad repertoire of text types, knowledge of the reception of print and online texts, stylistic confidence, the courage to use tabloid style, authentic storytelling and cross-media thinking. Only in this way is it possible in fundraising to disseminate text content with an immediately recognizable core message across various media channels and platforms in a way that is tailored to the target audience and achieves the desired impact.
The interview was conducted by Dr. Sonja Schüler, head of the CAS Fundraising Management at the FHNW School of Business.