This ED's e-news helped boost donations 500%
File under: A welcoming home page
There's a formula for keeping readers hooked
AIDA, not the opera
4 steps get you to the winner's circle
For years I've admired the astonishing "donor comms" artistry of Beth Beall, Ph.D. in Religion & Society, now executive director at the Vida Joven Foundation, a faith-based nonprofit in San Diego, est. 1996. Beth a writing ninja certified in Phil Psych, the witchcraft of fundraising appeals. She can cast a spell. I'd rank her among the three most genuinely, enjoyably enthusiastic people I've ever met.
Vida Joven's U.S. donors support a group of 7 bustling orphanages in Tijuana, Mexico. I think the first thing that wowed me was learning that most VJ kids go on to college. And yet they came as orphans young as 5, abandoned, unwanted, alone in one of the most dangerous places on earth. It's quite a before/after story.
Beth is great at relationship comms. Here's a recent example of her emailed newsletter, with comments:
Beth's letter to her Vida Joven tribe of supporters follows a classic advertising formula:
AIDA
That acronym stands for Attention (as in get my, which Beth does with an intro, a photo, and a burst of her signature enthusiasm) ... Interest (as in build my) ... Desire (readers will want this story of a hidden smile to turn out a certain way, people want a happy ending; they may even identify personally with embarrassing teeth) ... and Action (as in call to / Beth's unpushy P.S., wrapped in appreciation).
The story pivots on a big photo of Chava grinning, showing off a full set of metal-mouth braces. Count the # of "you"s. Every "you" is a dash of dopamine for the reader. Note the trust-building dose of reality in the sentence "I won't pretend...."
[Below, from a 2026 training]
One of the key principles Vida Joven follows:
Dear Reader: This is an excerpt from Tom Ahern’s e-newsletter. Did you miss crucial back issues of this how-to e-news? Immediately available! Just GO here. (And scroll down just a bit to sign up for Tom’s revenue-boosting tips and insights. In your inbox regularly. It’s free.)