What’s a Community Foundation?
by David Tandet Community foundations are tax-exempt public charities. As the name implies, their goal is to benefit specific regions, and the way they work is that individuals, families, and organizations establish permanent funds. These funds form the economic structure of the foundation. Money is distributed by the foundations through various means, one of which
The Donut Rule
by David Tandet The most profound grant writing rule I ever learned is “the donut rule.” A long time ago, an interviewer asked William Rosenberg, founder of Dunkin’ Donuts, the secret of his success. Rosenberg answered, “Give customers what they want, not what you want.” Actually, that’s similar to an idea echoed by grant guru
The Greatest Sales Letter Ever
by David Tandet The greatest sales letter is “I”- from a “you” perspective. Thinking about a product’s benefits to consumers is a start. It simply doesn’t go far enough. Say the corner bakery wants to compete in the convenience breakfast market selling donuts and coffee curbside. You’ve been hired to write the first ad. What
Grammar As It Should Be
by David Tandet Good grammar rocks. Though not a grammarian, I would like to think I know when to at least look up the proper way to write something. It’s not an exercise that has no use beyond itself, either. Is there any subject of which it can be said with greater truth: know the
10 Reasons To Use Lists In Healthcare Writing
by David Tandet Did you see US News and World Report‘s list of Best Hospitals? How about the Wall Street Journal‘s list of the Best Health Books? Lists are always an efficient marketing tool to position your company in front of the rest. When it comes to healthcare, pharmacology and bioscience, the following reasons demand
6 Keys to Marketing Hi-Tech Products
by David Tandet The 6 keys to marketing hi-tech products: 1. Emphasize benefits over features. So you’ve heard this before? It’s a basic marketing principle, but one that’s easy to forget with hi-tech products. The technology of the latest handheld device may be something for a manufacturer to fall in love with. But that high
Know Your Job
by David Tandet Know your job. Sounds obvious, right? But apparently it’s not so clear to some people. A friend of mine told me about a new writer her firm had hired. The writer had boundless energy when criticizing the current structure of my friend’s office. More significantly, the new person asked for a couple
“G” is for Grafton’s Methodology
by David Tandet If you’re a fan of detective novels – or just love terrific stories – you know who the late great Sue Grafton — “A” is for Alibi . . . Ms. Grafton told more than one interviewer how valuable for her writing it was for her to take classes to learn about
Specialize and Energize
by David Tandet When you specialize in a particular type of writing, you’re saying to people, “This is my turf. Hire me for a white paper, a marketing piece, or blog in this particular field and, (1) I won’t have to get up to speed about the basics, (2) I may be able to add
Keeper Quotes From Clients
by David Tandet • “Bullets are nice.” Got that from a client before he clicked off the phone after delivering marching orders for his next newsletter. Very key. Whether it’s bullets or numbers, more paragraphs or subheadings, organization makes the copy readable. It also keeps you on track. Make the points you want to make.