We’re constantly scrambling to come up with fresh, compelling stories to illustrate our nonprofit missions, but are we being mindful? On this episode of What the Fundraising we’re pausing to take a hard look at content – and the harms our words can inadvertently cause. My guest Natalia Sanyal is applying a humanity-centered, anti-oppressive lens to the art and craft of copywriting. Having seen first-hand in her commercial career how even the most mindful of us can perpetuate hurtful language, she’s bringing tools to help raise our consciousness. 

When she performs her copy audits on the average business, she uncovers terms that are exclusive, demeaning, or that undermine the organization’s core values. In this episode, we are untangling all of this, without judgment or shame. Natalia believes we’re all figuring it out together and the first step is just to get honest. Among the topics we discuss:


Manipulative writing tactics that don’t yield the results nonprofits desire.

Positive ways to use psychological insight to secure donor participation and retention.

How to avoid words and stories that can trigger negative responses.

Why informed decision-making (or conscious choice) is important.

What it means to build long-term trust with donors through honesty (not scare tactics). 

Steps you can take to generate copy without generating harm.

What it means to be an ethical, trauma-informed storyteller. 


You’ll come away from this episode with thoughts and ideas to ensure your messaging is really capturing – rather than undermining – your organization’s ethos and achievements. “It’s all about not being fake and being transparent,” says Natalia, and it starts with intentional conversations like this one! Learn more about Natalia at https://www.nataliasanyal.com/.

Check out my Power Partners Formula and register for a masterclass here. You might also be interested in taking my Fundraising Superpower Quiz.