Issue #41 – Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Posted by Denny Hatch
Two of
the Greatest
Fundraising Letters Ever Written
Fr.
Bruce Ritter, Founder, Covenant House
The "Dirty Lady" and "Paint Can" Letters
The "Dirty Lady" and "Paint Can" Letters
This is the absolutely true story of how a huge
direct marketing organization—built on powerful, evocative copy— came within a
whisker of losing its credibility and its revenue, and how it clawed its way
back to viability and gained the trust it had lost.
In 1990, Covenant House, a
shelter for homeless children, was a vast enterprise made up 17 centers in the
United States, Canada and Latin America with a file of 1.2 million donors and
an annual budget of $87 million. The New York Times pointed out that this was
three times what the federal government was spending on similar programs.
The secret of the amazing
success of Covenant House was entirely due to the genius of 62-year-old
Franciscan Father Bruce Ritter, a highly compassionate—yet, at the same time a
very dangerous—human being.
Arguably, Bruce Ritter was
one of three or four greatest direct mail copywriters of the late twentieth
century.
What
follows is one of Ritter’s early letters—the “Dirty Lady” letter that was mailed repeatedly for years and
turned Covenant House into a fundraising behemoth. It arrived in this plain white #10 window envelope—no
teaser, no fanfare—with a nonprofit-metered indicia.
The
Power of a Good Story
Freelance direct mail writer Harry B. Walsh suggested
this double prescription for a successful letter:
"The tone of a good
direct mail letter is as direct and personal as the writer’s skill can make it.
"Even though it may go
to millions of people, it never orates to a crowd but rather murmurs into a
single ear. It’s a message from one letter writer to one letter reader.
"Tell a story if
possible. Everybody loves a good story, be it about Peter Rabbit or King Lear.
And the direct mail letter with its unique person-to-person format is the
perfect vehicle for a story. Stories get read. The letter I wrote to launch the
Cousteau Society 20-some years ago has survived hundreds of tests against it...
The original of this direct mail Methuselah started out with the lead: 'A
friend once told me a curious story I would like to share with you....'"
Most consultants and writers
teach that a letter should begin with offer and benefits that should be
restated at least three times in the course of the letter along with several
calls to action.
However, in the fund-raising
arena, all bets are off.
Interrupt!
Direct mail is also an interruptive medium. To be
successful, a letter must interrupt and keep on interrupting until some action
is taken. Chances are, if an interruption to the interruption occurs—for
example the reader lays aside the letter for any reason—the sale will be lost.
Unlike a novel, it’s hard to pick up a direct mail letter and have the
emotional fire rekindled. More likely, it will disappear under the sports pages
and the whole thing will end up in the recycling bin.
As the late Elsworth Howell,
founder of Grolier Enterprises, pointed out: “Direct mail is basically an
impulse sale.”
In order to be interruptive,
direct mail letters purposely break the rules of English we learned in school.
You will see short paragraphs—never more than seven lines long—the use of
ellipses, underlined subheads, indented paragraphs, bullets, check marks and
even handwritten notes in the margins.
All of these tricks are
designed to avoid the gray walls of type that you find in a book. newspaper or
magazine and, instead, keep the reader’s eye moving.
Bruce Ritter invented some
techniques of his own. For example, look at his lead sentence:
A lady should never get this
dirty, she said.
Where are the quotation
marks? Doesn’t this violate the grammar we were taught in grade
school? Ah... but wouldn’t little black flecks dotted around the words
mar this hard diamond of prose reminiscent of the early Hemingway?
And what of of big words
like “incomparably” and “surreptitious!” Shouldn’t direct mail be written
at a fifth grade level, like TIME and Newsweek?
You cannot quarrel with any
facet of this letter; it brought in too much money over too long a time.
We can’t judge good direct
mail; it judges us.
The
Seeds of Scandal
So much for Ritter’s copywriting technique.
Hemingway once said the
greatest asset a writer could have was a shockproof, built-in shit detector.
When I first read the “dirty lady” letter, the red flag of my detector gave a
feeble wave, as though a faint, cold breeze blew on the back of my neck that
should have been a premonition of the whirlwind to follow.
No one word or phrase jumped
out. But the letter has an undercurrent of sensuality. Isn’t he really ogling
these children? For example, he refers to the children as “beautiful”—not
once, not twice, but three times and talks of hugs twice including a
“surreptitious” hug. Why surreptitious? If you hug a kid, you hug a kid.
The first definition of surreptitious in Webster’s Third is “marked or
accomplished by fraud or suppression of truth.” Here’s how the word might be
used in fiction:
After the prom, they stood in the doorway of her
house and she tilted her face up for a good-night kiss. Theirs lips met and he
surreptitiously brushed her tongue with his.
Calamity!
On December 12, 1989, The New York Post—a
tabloid that feeds on the sensational—broke the story of Kevin Lee Kite,
described as a 25-year-old drifter and former male prostitute, who alleged that
Fr. Ritter brought him to New York the previous February. Shortly thereafter,
Kite alleged they began a sexual relationship. Ritter claimed he was Kite’s
“mentor,” and nothing more.
At the same time New York
State Attorney General Robert Abrams began an investigation into financial
improprieties at the shelter. In addition, Manhattan District Attorney Robert
M. Morgenthau was looking into allegations that Fr. Ritter had spent Covenant
House funds on Kite for his personal benefit and, more sensationally, that
someone at Covenant House obtained a false ID for Kite in the name of a
Jamestown, N.Y., boy who had died in 1980.
The story took over the New
York media. Nightly, it was the lead story on the local TV news and got
continuing front-page coverage in all the papers. National media picked it up
and sensationalized it.
Covenant
House Revenues Took a Dive.
Mailers canceled orders for the rental of Covenant
House names, which put another dent in the organization’s income. Other mailers
refused Covenant House access to their lists, which meant no prospecting
efforts could go out. Even if mailings went out, they would have lost big money
during this controversy, because regular donors were reserving judgment; they
were holding back to see what how the story played out.
Revenues slowed to a
trickle. It was the holiday season, which would ordinarily account for a
huge proportion of the year’s income. One list broker who handled the account
told a friend, “I wake up every morning with a renewed sense of dread.”
At Covenant House, a siege
mentality set in. Ritter hung tough. He had always run the organization
autocratically as his private fiefdom and this was no different. He was still
in charge. Most important, he controlled the mailing lists. On December
18th—less than a week after the story broke, he attempted damage control with a
letter to his contributors. His salutation was one he frequently used to
contributors:
December 18, 1980
Hello, my friends,
Hello, my friends,
Please, it’s vital
that you read this letter. Vital to me, to our kids, to Covenant House.
“It’s been the worst
week of my life...” That’s how I began the press conference I called to deal
with the swirling controversy that threatens me and Covenant House.
I don’t think anybody
could have missed the sensational coverage in the New York Post, and then in
the newspapers and on all the radio and TV stations for the past week. It’s why
I’m writing to you today.
A young man who
convinced us that he had close ties to organized crime, prostitution and drug
rings came to Covenant House for help. He was scared to death. We
put him in the safe house in New York--an apartment we had available for that
purpose in a building filled with nuns and priests, and owned by Covenant
House. We arranged for a college scholarship and provided all the help we
could.
Because of the need to
protect the young man we provided a new identity and an instant family of
friends to give him the emotional support he needed--most of them drawn from my
personal staff and the staff of our Youth Advocacy Institute that operates the
safe-house program.
The young man has
accused me and Covenant House of financial improprieties in providing that
care, in order to have a sexual relationship with him.
I categorically deny
both allegations.
They are not true. I
will be totally and completely exonerated and vindicated when Manhattan
District Attorney, Robert Morgenthau, completes his investigation. Mr.
Morgenthau has warned the press that serious inaccuracies and misinformation in
the press reports have damaged Covenant House and my reputation.
We pray that the
investigation proceeds swiftly and that the results be published as widely as
the scurrilous attacks on me.
It has been a time of
extraordinary pain and grief for me. I have said many times that I do not
really care what happens to me. I decided that long ago.
What happens to the
kids is important. What happens to Covenant House is important.
Sadly, attacks on me hurt both immeasurably.
As I said to the
dozens of reporters at the press conference where I attempted to answer every
question put to me as completely and honestly as I could: what hurts me
more than anything else is the thought that the millions of people who have
cared about my kids and helped them may have their faith in me, and the Church,
shattered because of these vicious allegations.
The pain is almost
more than I can bear. Were it not for the unwavering support of my
family, Cardinal O'Connor and my fellow Franciscan Friars, the members of my
Board, my incredibly loyal staff, many friends in the media, hundreds of
faithful supporters, and most of all, my kids at Covenant House, I’m not sure I
could have gotten through it once again, I am humbled to know that so many
people love me.
And yet, the cloud of
suspicion will inevitably, in the minds of some, hang over me and Covenant
House until the investigation is completed. Mr. Morgenthau has promised
to proceed as quickly as a complete and diligent examination can permit. I beg
for your faith, and your patience.
Please do not judge
harshly this troubled young man who brought this firestorm of grief and
controversy on me. I would welcome him if he came back. His own
suffering, throughout most of his incredibly exploited life, has been immense,
and I and my staff were unable to reach him.
How I wish I could
have helped him more. I trusted my own ability and experience too
much. I should have taken more exacting care to avoid even the appearance
of impropriety. But, after years of caring about and living with
thousands of kids--cooking their meals, doing their laundry, cleaning the
toilets...
I misread the agony
and pain in his life, and the anger. Please pray for him, as I do.
Pray for me too.
Only my absolute faith that God would not and could not abandon His kids whom
He loves so much, has gotten me through so far--that and the faith and support
and love of my friends.
Peace,
/s/ Fr. Bruce
Fr. Bruce Ritter
P.S. We have made an unedited videotape of the
entire press conference and would like to make it available to you. If
you want a copy, please call 1-800-388-3888. We have a limited number of
copies and would appreciate your sending it back when you are through.
You might also be
interested in what one local columnist had to say about these most difficult
times at Covenant House.
Please do not abandon
our kids--they are good and brave and beautiful young people who need your
prayers and support now more than ever.
A
Tip-off
Like the surreptitious hug in the “dirty lady”
letter, Ritter dropped a clue in this one as to what the final outcome
inexorably would be:
“I should have taken more exacting
care to avoid
even the appearance of
impropriety.”
It was obviously written
hurriedly and hardly vintage Ritter copy. Enclosed with the letter was the
reprint of a Newsday article by columnist Dennis Duggan titled, “A Good Man
Smeared With Rumor’s Mud.” Ritter still had supporters, but, like Covenant
House revenues, they were dwindling down to a precious few.
The controversy raged
on for weeks as the investigations continued. Revenues continued to plummet.
The viability of the entire Covenant House organization was in dire jeopardy.
On January 24th, The
Village Voice reported that a 33-year-old Seattle man and former Covenant
House resident, John P. Melican, had accused Ritter of having a sexual
relationship with him.
On February 6th, The New
York Times reported on allegations made by Darryl J. Bassile, 31, of
Ithaca, New York, who claimed he had been lured into a sexual relationship with
Fr. Ritter when he was at Covenant House in his mid-teens. Kite, Bassile and
Melican did not know each other, yet their descriptions of Ritter’s predatory
practices jibed.
The following day,
February 7, 1990, Ritter was forced out.
Picking
Up the Pieces
This is as much a story about public relations and
crisis management as it is about great direct mail copy. Ritter had founded a
vast organization with an $87 million budget and then used it to cruise for
underage sexual partners who would cater to his pederasty.
Ritter was gone. But,
clearly, decisive action had to be taken immediately, or Covenant House would
be toast and thousands of kids turned out on the mean streets.
As a temporary replacement
for Ritter, New York City Schools Chancellor Frank J. Macchiarola agreed to
step in. The organization struggled to stay in business. Not until six months
later was some modicum of closure achieved.
Again, a plain white #10
envelope was mailed. This time, the Covenant House logo was missing from the
cornercard. Instead, it read simply:
346 West 17th Street
New York, New York 10011
The envelope went out First-Class Presort, which meant the organization did not take advantage of the non-profit mailing rate to which it was entitled. Clearly, the Board of Directors wanted this letter out fast:
RALPH A. PFEIFFER, JR.
COVENANT HOUSE
346 West 17th Street
New York, NY 10011-5002
Chairman of the Board
August 6, 1990
Dear Friend,
Just a few days ago, we
released the findings of the special five-month investigations into Covenant
House, which were initiated at the request of the Board of Directors. You may
have already seen or heard portions of these reports in the media.
In keeping with the promise
I made to you last March, I’m writing to present a detailed synopsis of the
investigations.
Good and bad, I want to
share the findings with you. As someone who’s generously supported
Covenant House, you deserve nothing less.
Let me explain the
investigative process. In March 1990, the Covenant House Board of
Directors authorized the following reviews of our operations:
• We retained a new General Counsel, Cravath,
Swaine & Moore and Robert McGuire, former New York City Police Commissioner
and his firm, Kroll Associates, to investigate any and all allegations of
misconduct or impropriety at Covenant House.
• Richard Shinn, the former Chairman and CEO of
Metropolitan Life, examined the Covenant House compensation program salary
administration and related personnel issues.
• The public accounting firm of Ernst and Young
conducted an independent review of financial controls and procedures at
Covenant House.
• The Child Welfare League was appointed to review
Covenant House’s New York childcare program.
• An Oversight Committee was established to oversee
the investigations, evaluate the results and to make recommendations to the
Board of Directors.
The investigations centered
on two broad areas: First, allegations of misconduct against Father Ritter and
other staff. Second, into Covenant House, itself.
The first allegations
against Father Ritter centered on charges of sexual and financial
improprieties. Let me share with you the exact wording of some of the
conclusions of the investigations.
“The cumulative evidence
discovered by Kroll in the course of its investigation that Father Ritter
engaged in sexual activities with certain residents and made sexual advances
toward certain members of the Faith Community is extensive...Moreover, all of
the allegations taken together show a generally consistent pattern of conduct.”
I can only imagine what
you’re feeling right now. All of us -- the kids, the volunteers, our
counselors and staff -- share those feelings.
The report also discusses
the Franciscan Charitable Trust established by Father Ritter, to which Covenant
House made contributions. While we expect the assets of the Trust will be
donated to Covenant House, the Report finds that the contributions should not
have been made without the Board’s knowledge.
Please know that over the
past several months the Board has adopted a policy, which ensures that this
will never happen again.
You should also know that
since the beginning of the year, the Board has added eight new directors, while
eight other directors have resigned. In addition, the Board has adopted
new by-laws and a number of policy and procedural reforms including a
prohibition on loans to officers and directors and a requirement that the Board
approve any other loans.
A controversy which was
given much prominence in the media, centered on contracts that Father Ritter
awarded to his niece and her husband, for decorating and construction projects
at Covenant House.
Even though the Report
concludes that there was no abuse of funds in this matter, we have taken steps
to ensure that this kind of conflict of interest will never occur again.
Specifically, new provisions have been adopted ensuring that no such
transaction can occur unless approved by the Board of Directors.
Now let me address the
investigations into Covenant House programs and practices.
The Kroll investigation
“uncovered no evidence of any irregularities or operational deficiencies
relating to Covenant House’s collection and safeguarding of donor contributions.”
Moreover, Ernst and Young
found that “there was an adequate level of control consciousness, that
financial accounting and reporting systems were designed to provide management
with sufficient, accurate and timely information to manage the organization and
that further improvements were planned.” Some minor deficiencies in the
petty cash, cash disbursements and payroll systems were also found.
As for the use of salary
compensation, Mr. Richard Shinn concluded that:
“In developing a salary
structure, the management of Covenant House has been very thorough and detailed
in its analysis.” His report concluded by saying “simply stated, the
approach and implementation of management has been professional and reflects
fair compensation.”
The final investigation
centered around the independent review of our programs conducted by the Child
Welfare League. In summary, it was found that “such programs are generally
well-conceived, appropriately structured” and are “an irreplaceable resource to
the City of New York and a sound model for delivering critically needed
services to a population that is otherwise seriously underserved.”
I’ve enclosed a statement
from the Oversight Committee and a summary of the Report. I hope you’ll
read them.
In closing, I just want to
thank you for your prayers and continued support. I know only too well
how difficult this has been over the past several months.
I know we’ve said this to
you many times before, but Covenant House wouldn’t be here without the help of
good people like you.
I hope you will join me in reaffirming our commitment
to the care of street kids who so desperately need our help.
Sincerely,
/s/ Ralph A. Pfeiffer, Jr.
Ralph A. Pfeiffer, Jr.
Chairman of the Board.
Also
included in the mailing:
Textbook
Crisis Management
Once Ritter and his Board of puppets were gone,
Covenant House did everything right, starting with a Blue Ribbon Oversight
Board:
• William
Ellinghaus, President and CEO of AT&T,
EVP Board of Directors, New York Stock Exchange,
Life Trustee of Mt. Sinai Hospital
• Rev.
Theodore Hesburgh, President of the
University of Notre Dame for 35 years,
recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
• Rabbi
Marc Tanenbaum, Social Justice Activist in
Christian-Jewish Relations, VP White House
Conference of Children and Youth, Board Member
American Jewish World Service, International
Rescue Committee
• Cyrus
Vance, Former Secretary of State and
Former Secretary of the Army (shown above with
Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Egyptian President
Anwar Sadat.)
• Paul
Volker, Former Chair of the Federal Reserve
When celebrities of this caliber say: “We believe
that Covenant House, under its new and energetic leadership and with the
changes put in place in recent months, deserves the public’s confidence and
support,” the media and donors have to listen.
Covenant
House Business Management
In the 1980s, Bruce Ritter realized that he could not
run both Covenant House and do all the fund raising, so he contracted with
Epsilon of Burlington, Massachusetts, to handle the direct marketing. Under the
very capable direction of John E. Groman, Epsilon maintained the database,
executed the mailings and even had some of its creative people go up against
Father Ritter.
With Ritter’s
departure, Epsilon—together with Fr. Ritter’s replacement—Sr. Mary Rose
McGeady, herself a brilliantly intuitive direct marketer—picked up the fallen
torch and fanned the flame back to viability.
Sr.
Mary Rose McGeady Tom Gaffney
Replacing Ritter as chief copywriter was Epsilon’s
Tom Gaffney who, in chatting with Sister Mary Rose, jotted down notes about one
of the Covenant House residents. The result was this masterpiece that rivals
Ritter for effect—and effectiveness. It was control for a number of
years. It was printed in black-and-white on Covenant House letterhead:
You’re going to have trouble
believing this letter.
I mean, what I’m about to tell you is so
strange and incredible, you’ll never forget it.
But please understand that
EVERY SINGLE WORD OF THIS STORY IS TRUE!!!
I’m really praying you’ll take
a few minutes to read it.
Thank you.
Dear Friend
She came to our front door Tuesday morning, dressed in dirty rags, holding a
little aluminum paint can in he arms.
From the second she stepped inside our shelter, she mystified us. Whatever she
did, wherever she went, the paint can never left her hands.
When Kathy sat in the crisis shelter, the can sat in her arms. She took
the can with her to the cafeteria that first morning she ate, and to bed with
her that first night she slept.
When she stepped into the shower, the can was only a few feet away. When
the tiny homeless girl dressed, the can rested alongside her feet.
“I’m sorry, this is mine,” she told our counselors, whenever we asked her about
it. “This can belongs to me.”
“Do you want to tell me what’s in it, Kathy?” I’d ask her? “Um, not today,” she
said “not today.”
When Kathy was sad, or angry or hurt -- which happened a lot -- she took her
paint can to a quiet dorm room on the 3rd floor. Many times on Tuesday
and Wednesday and Thursday, I’d pass by her room, and watch her rock gently
back and forth, the can in her arms. Sometimes she’d talk to he paint can
in low whispers.
I’ve been around troubled kids all my life, (over 41,000 homeless kids will
come to our shelters this year!). I’m used to seeing them carry stuffed
animals (some of the roughest, toughest kids at Covenant House have a stuffed
animal). Every kid has something -- needs something -- to hold.
But a paint can? I could feel alarm bells ringing in my head.
Early this morning, I decided to “accidentally” run into her again.
“Would you like to join me for breakfast?” I said. “That would be great,”
she said.
For a few minutes we sat in a corner of our cafeteria, talking quietly over the
din of 150 ravenous homeless kids. Then I took a deep breath, and plunged
into it....
“Kathy, that’s a really nice can. What’s in it?”
For a long time, Kathy didn’t answer. She rocked back and forth, her hair
swaying across her shoulders. Then she looked over at me, tears in her
eyes.
“It’s my mother,” she said.
“Oh,” I said. “What do you mean it’s your mother?” I asked.
“It’s my mother’s ashes,” she said.
“I went and got them from the funeral home. See, I even asked them to put
a label right here on the side. It has her name on it.”
Kathy held the can up before my eyes. A little label on the side
chronicled all that remained of her mother: date of birth, date of death,
name. That was it. Then Kathy pulled the can close, and hugged it.
“I never really knew my mother, Sister,” Kathy told me. “I mean, she
threw me in the garbage two days after I was born.” (We checked Kathy’s story.
Sure enough the year Kathy was born, the New York newspapers ran a story,
saying that the police had found a little infant girl in a dumpster ... and
yes, it was two days after Kathy was born.)
“I ended up living in a lot of foster homes, mad at my mother,” Kathy
said. “But then, I decided I was going to try to find her. I got
lucky -- someone knew where she was living. I went to her house.”
“She wasn’t there, Sister,” she said. “My mother was in the
hospital. She had AIDS. She was dying.”
“I went to the hospital, and I got to meet her the day before she died.
My mother told me she loved me, Sister,” Kathy said crying. “She told me
she loved me.” (We double-checked Kathy's story ... every word of it was
true.
I reached out and hugged Kathy, and she cried in my arms for a long, long
time. It was tough getting my arms around her, because she just wouldn’t
put the paint can down. But she didn’t seem to mind. I know I
didn’t...
I saw Kathy again, a couple hours ago, eating dinner in our cafeteria.
She made a point to come up and say hi. I made a point to give her an extra
hug....
I’ve felt like crying tonight. I can’t seem to stop feeling this
way. I guess this story -- the whole horrible, sad, unreal mess -- has
gotten to me tonight.
I guess that’s why I just had to write you this letter.
Please -- I know you and I have never met before. But I need to ask you
something very important, and I’m praying you’ll consider it, if you can.
Do you think you could help Kathy ... and our other kids at Covenant
House? Please?
There’s one very important thing you need to know about Covenant House and our
kids and it is this -- A DONATION TO COVENANT HOUSE IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST WAY
YOU CAN HELP THE TERRIFIED AND HELPLESS HOMELESS KIDS ON OUR STREETS!
This year more than 41,000 homeless kids ... kids who are 12, 16, 17 years old
... will come to our doors.
We’ll give these kids food, and a safe bed to sleep in (the streets are
incredibly dangerous!) and medicine, and counseling if they need it (most kids
do).
But most of all, we’ll give these kids love. For thousands of these kids,
the love we give them tonight will be the first love they’ve ever known!
We are here for kids like Kathy 24 hours a day, in 9 cities across America, 365
days a year. No kid -- no kid! -- is ever turned away ever!
Thanks to the love and help of thousands of caring people -- people just like
you -- Covenant House spends MORE than the entire federal government to help
these kids. (That’s what I meant when I said that giving to us is THE
best way to help these kids.)
But so much more needs to be done. And we can’t do it alone.
Do you think maybe you could help? Please? Any donation you can
send -- $15, $25, $50 -- any amount, will be a godsend to our kids.
Please do it today if you can.
Please.
I want to assure you of one very important thing. We’re going to do all
we can to help Kathy, to let her know she is loved. And I know, with your
help, we are going to reach Kathy, and help her in a way no one has ever done
before. You have my promise on that....
And when we do reach her, it will be because of you. It will be because
people like you haven’t stopped caring, and haven’t stopped loving. Yes,
it will be possible because of you. It will be possible because of you.
Thanks so much for reading this long letter. And please, pray for us if
you can. Your prayers really help a lot.
In God’s love,
/s/ Sister Mary Rose
President
P.S. Our
financial need is really urgent right now. Please help, if you can.
(Thanks for caring....)
Covenant
House Redux
Covenant House crawled back from near oblivion to
where it started taking in some $60 million a year—$27 million short of the $87
million before Ritter’s crash and burn. The donor base fell to 400,000—a
catastrophic fall-off from the 1.2 million in the halcyon days of Fr. Bruce.
And what of Ritter? He was
ousted from the priesthood, but was never prosecuted and never did jail time.
Sources report he bought a small house somewhere in upstate New York where he
turned one room into a private chapel, grew a beard and became a recluse.
Father Ritter died in obscurity at his farmhouse in Otsego County, New York on
Oct. 7, 1999
Covenant
House Today (as of June 30, 2017)
•
Operates in 31 cities in six countries.
• 1,920 kids on average
sheltered nightly.
• 10,000 youth cared for in
residential programs.
• Total contributors and
other revenue:
$150,664,970.00
• Total assets:
$257,832,479.00.
• Total Donor Base (as of
12/31/2018): 363,092.
Takeaways
to Consider
• Is your message to your prospects, customers or
donors emotional enough?
• Ritter’s letter—and later, Tom Gaffney’s
letter—were not New York Times reports analyzing the statistics of
runaway children on the streets and the cost to society of dealing with them.
Rather, they are highly-charged stories about individual kids that echo three
of Bob Hacker’s copy drivers: guilt, guilt and more guilt.
• Hacker's seven key copy drivers—the emotional hot
buttons that make people act—are: Fear - Greed - Guilt - Anger - Exclusivity -
Salvation - Flattery.
• "If your copy isn't dripping with one or
more of these, tear it up and start over." —Bob Hacker
• Ritter’s prose (and Gaffney’s) paint graphic
pictures in the mind’s eye. Is your descriptive copy visual? Or do you have to
rely on brochures and photos to make your product or service come alive?
• “When emotion and reason come into conflict,
emotion wins every time.” —John J. Flieder.
• Probably well over half of our buying choices are
based on emotion. —Jack Maxson
• You cannot bore people into buying. —David Ogilvy
• Are you prepared to deal with a public relations
disaster? Covenant House was bopping along, doing good works, enjoying a fine
reputation. Suddenly Bruce Ritter was exposed as a pederast. The media had
a field day. Anger and outrage coupled with old-fashioned sex and
embarrassment to the Catholic Church is a reporter’s dream, guaranteed to make
everyone squirm—protagonists, antagonists, readers and viewers. You bet
it sold newspapers and guaranteed high rating for television news.
• What if you find yourself with an executive who is
accused of committing a heinous act and who absolutely maintains innocence?
• In the public relations field, the buzz phrase is
“Reputation Management.” A nasty fight that is allowed to spill out and
fuel a media feeding frenzy can be devastating.
• Once this destructive and reckless priest was gone,
the actions of Covenant House were completely correct in every way.
• Compare the Covenant House approach to making a quick, clean breast of it with how Nixon handled Watergate.
• If disaster strikes and the media are all over you like a cheap suit, call in a reputation management expert such as Bob Dilenschneider, Michael Levine, Edelman or Ruder Finn.
• "Successful public relations is letting people in on what you are doing." —Evelyn Lawson
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Great article, Denny. Never knew that history of Covenant House.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words. These were ugly circumstances that enveloped good people. Worth remembering and taking note. Do keep in touch. Cheers.
DeleteThey said the falling of America was based on sex, drugs and rock and roll. I didn't see anything in this story relating to that fall being caused by drugs and/or rock and roll.
ReplyDeleteI gained so many ideas from this and as always bow to the living genius and master of copywriting and its history. Thank you Denny.
Will, Thanks for writing. The Ritter crash and burn was a terrible experience for a lot of good, caring people. Damn shame. Do keep in touch. Cheers.
DeleteDenny,
ReplyDeleteGreat article and I remember this. But you showed evocative copy along with your own insights for others. Wonderful ... even with a sad situation.
Reggie, Great hearing from you! And thank you for your kind words. Do keep in touch!!!! Cheers.
ReplyDeleteI'd just read about Covenant House and these two remarkable revenue raising letters in your book, Method Marketing.
ReplyDeleteBoth pack such powerful punches that invoked in me feelings of intense sadness for the children in such desperate circumstances and, as you say, guilt for my own comfy existence.
What's not clear to me is whether guilt is inevitable with well told stories of the vulnerable or whether there is something deeper going on.
Was it the choice of these particular stories that turned them into longstanding controls or are there hidden techniques.
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I'm not sure I understand your question about "something deeper going on" and "hidden techniques." Could you elaborate on your concerns. Sorry if I am dense. And thank you for your patience.
ReplyDeleteWhether you’re requesting support for your nonprofit’s capital campaign, seeking sponsors for an upcoming gala dinner, or asking for in-kind sponsorships – an effective fundraising letter can make or break your fundraising efforts.
ReplyDeleteFundraising Letters: Asking for Donations Made Easy (+ Free Template)
https://donorbox.org/nonprofit-blog/fundraising-letters/
Great article thank you. It was shared with me so I can learn about good practice in writing copy for a charity that I'm putting together. Although I would like to point out that pederast reduces Ritter as just a practician of an activity, when actually even if he was not judged for his act he is a sex offender. My generation is very keen on using words that describe exactly what this person was. Also pederast is for romantic relationship with an adult man and a pubescent or adolescent boy (ancient greece) here we're talking criminal behavior...
ReplyDelete