Introduction: The story of my meeting with Mrs. Martha Randolph is one that left a lasting impression on me, not just for its unique circumstances but for the lessons it offers in the art of donor communication.
In last week’s Fundraising Tip, we discussed the importance of engaging writing styles that connect personally with your audience, much like how Queen Victoria preferred the conversational style of Benjamin Disraeli over the formal speeches of William Gladstone. Many readers expressed a desire for more examples of this approach in action, which led me to share the story of Mrs. Randolph.
The Meeting: When I met Mrs. Randolph, all I knew about her was that she lived in a well-heeled retirement community and had been a regular, modest donor to the Mercatus Center. I had no idea what to expect when I arrived at her residence.
Upon arrival, the staff at the reception desk exchanged glances when I mentioned her name, which only heightened my anxiety. But when I met her, I found Mrs. Randolph to be a charming and gracious Southern lady who immediately asked, “Tell me about Mr. McTigue. The sheep farmer from New Zealand.”
This question caught me off guard. Not only did Mrs. Randolph know about Maurice McTigue, a key figure in our fundraising communications, but she also remembered him well enough to ask about him specifically. This set the tone for one of the most memorable and inspiring donor meetings I’ve ever had.
The Letters: The letters that Mrs. Randolph was referring to were crafted in a conversational style, designed to resonate personally with the reader. Here are some excerpts from one of the letters signed by Maurice McTigue:
“Imagine a country where government programs were eliminated if they failed to achieve their goals… Imagine an over-regulated country that privatized billions of dollars of government assets, and moved two-thirds of its bureaucrats into the private sector…
Is this hard to believe?
Well, it’s true. It happened in New Zealand over the past several years…”
The letter continues in a personal tone, introducing Maurice McTigue as a former sheep farmer from New Zealand who now works at the Mercatus Center. The informal, engaging style invites the reader to join in the vision of making the government more accountable and effective.
Similarly, another letter signed by Dr. Wendy Lee Gramm also adopted a conversational tone:
“But before getting down to business, let me tell you about myself. You may be familiar with me from my days in the administrations of Presidents Reagan and Bush, when I served in the Office of Management and Budget…”
The Impact: What was particularly fascinating about Mrs. Randolph’s engagement with these letters was that she was blind. She couldn’t read the letters herself, but had a friend read them aloud to her. This fact underscored the power of conversational, personal writing—it connected with her even when delivered through someone else’s voice.
This meeting reinforced for me the importance of writing to one person, imagining how your words would sound if read aloud to someone like Mrs. Randolph. Would your letter feel like a personal conversation or a formal speech?
Conclusion: The story of Mrs. Randolph highlights the power of engaging, conversational communication in fundraising. It’s a reminder that our words must resonate personally, even when we can’t anticipate how they will be received. As you craft your next donor communication, consider the Martha Randolph test—how would your letter sound if read aloud to someone who can’t see the words but can feel the sincerity behind them?
