I self publish Pride and Prejudice fan fiction a living, and at the back of my books I always include a request to people that they donate to charity. I decided to experiment and ask the forum to find out if anyone can tell me a way what I've written way better/ more powerful/ effective.
The modal member of my audience is a retired woman who likes historical romances, so my goal is to write something that might get your mother or grandmother to take action.
I have always told the readers to donate to Doctors Without Borders -- I pick that organization because while it is not on the frontier of cost effectiveness (and the work it does is probably more replaceable than that done by, for example Give Directly), it is an effective and transparent organization which also has a huge amount of brand recognition already, and it is not very weird. I am very open to figuring out ways to also / instead mention speficially EA organizations, if that feels to me like it would be likely to be effective.
Anyways, this is what I currently have in the back of the next novel I'm going to publish:
I also want to remind everyone that we can make the world a better place by helping those who are in desperate need get medicine, food, and medical attention. There are of course lots of other important ways to help, but donating to Doctors Without Borders every month is one of the ways I’ve chosen to help create a world that is just a little more like the one I would like to see.
Doctors Without Borders is literally stopping people from dying, and it makes me very happy to know that part of my money (which started as your money, my dear readers, thank you!) helps make the surgeries, examinations, immunizations, and provision of antibiotics happen. And it makes me very happy when I receive emails from my readers who want to tell me that they are also choosing to be part of making this world a better, safer and healthier place for everyone.
So join me, pick some amount of money that you feel comfortable giving up, whether it is five or ten dollars a month, one hundred dollars a month, or one percent of your income, or two percent, or whatever you can afford joyfully, and help others.
Hi Tim,
I think your note is well written already but if you wanted to take the effectiveness angle, you could write something like the below (and included a shameless plug for GWWC below but OFTW, TLYCS or GiveWell would be equally good). Not sure if it's better than what you have now, but another option at least.
“I want to remind you that each of us have the power to make the world a better place by helping those who need it most.
Did you know that a donation of $4500 to the Against Malaria Foundation, who provide insecticide treated bednets for malaria prevention, is enough to save a child’s life?
And although you may not be able to donate that amount right now, over your lifetime, it’s likely you could donate this much or even much more, and save someone’s life. There will be one more person out there, able to live a full life because of you.
I have received many heartwarming emails from my readers who tell me they are also choosing to be part of making this world a better, safer and healthier place for everyone.
So join me in giving whatever amount you are comfortable with, and together we can create a brighter future for the world.
To donate to and learn more about highly effective charities like Against Malaria Foundation, visit GivingWhatWeCan.org
"I have received many heartwarming emails from my readers who tell me they are also choosing to be part of making this world a better, safer and healthier place for everyone. "
Thanks, I particularly like this line