Three things charities and non-profits want from their writers...

Non-profit writers must be able to share their passion for the cause, be able to write persuasively, and not be afraid to "make the ask". The Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) recently asked me to share tips for writers who would like to try their hand at serving non-profits.  You can see my full post, with tips and suggestions for getting started, at the NetWords blog.

I wanted to share a small part of that post here. In particular, I’d like to share the three main things that I believe non-profit clients want from freelancers, in addition to great writing skills of course.

1. Passion for the cause.
2. Knowledge about the communities that the organization serves.
3. Sensitivity to the special challenges faced by those communities.

Unlike objective news reporting, for many advocacy and fundraising projects, it’s essential that our passion for the cause and our belief in the project come across in our writing. Often we are going beyond informing and reporting. We have to be authentic and persuasive, and we can’t be afraid to ask for the support our organizations need.

What do you look for in a writer for your charity or non-profit? Please share your thoughts in the comments here, or at the NetWords blog.