HEART OF TEXAS COPYWRITER
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About
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Using inspired fundraising techniques, I can produce direct mail/email campaigns that will increase the number of donors and volunteers for your nonprofit.  

PictureMy favorite hangout– Taos Mesa Brewery
 From Small Business Owner, Back to  English Teacher    
    I  have felt  a little bit out of place since returning to Austin from Taos, New Mexico. I had to adapt my aspirations to my changing situation.    From 2001 – 2009, my wife and I spent  our time in Taos owning and managing an art gallery, and selling real estate on the side.   It was the greatest adventure of  our lives.
​    Family, however, has a way  of calling you back.  We returned. Relying on my degree, a BS in English and Spanish Education from UT Austin, I fell into teaching English ninth graders.  Nine years prior, before leaving Austin, my job had been teaching eighth graders language arts and reading. While I had  only moved up  one grade, the level of maturity  in the students was  immensely noticeable.  I went from  being a language arts  teacher to being an English teacher.​

PictureLeft or Right?
Living Off the Grid    
​    In Taos, we had been living off the grid (solar and water collection) in  a 30 foot trailer while building an adobe house in the small village of Tres Piedras.  Stone by stone and brick by brick.  
​    My wife and I had become accustomed to the expansive mesa views of the high desert, as well as significant drops in temperature during the fall, winter, and spring months. The sunshine always prevailed, though. This experience gave me a unique insight into survival and how much we really need to get by.
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Overcoming Stroke Through  Writing
     Five years ago, I became a stroke survivor. Much to my dismay, I am still trying to recover from its effects. As part of my recovery,  and as a way to get back in the workforce, I  responded to an ad  posted by American Writers and Artists, Inc. (AWAI) on Pinterest.  For the last 12 months I have become distracted, to say the least, with The Accelerated Program for Six Figure Copywriting. In addition to  The Accelerated Program, I   had already started  promoting my own stroke recovery blog, handysports.org, back in November 2014. I have  always wanted to  put my writing skills  back to work, and now with people wanting to show me how to make money at it, I feel there's no more excuses for not promoting awareness for nonprofits. Even after a stroke.
​     On that note, I felt it necessary to enroll in another course called  Copywriting for Nonprofits: How to Write Inspiring Copy for the Fundraising Market​,
  so I can learn how to better ply my skills.  I will be able to learn from masters.​

PictureDragon in Action!
Dragon Naturally Speaking is Putting Me Back to Work
​      My speech is slower than it used to be.  I stutter, and find myself  unable to find the  right word  some of the time.  There are  incidences when people share the "uncomfortable" pause with me  while I search my  mind for the correct words. Ironically, I must  rely on  Dragon Naturally Speaking because I cannot type effectively  due to the  semi-paralysis on my right side.   Dragon  is a voice recognition program ​that transcribes my words as I dictate, enabling me to create text.

Picture2016 Annual VSA Texas' Board Dinner at Gustos Italian Kitchen
My First Nonprofit Experience
​       Three years ago, because of  my gallery experience, I was asked to sit on the board of directors of VSA Texas which is a  nonprofit organization for arts and  disabilities.   From my experience helping oversee the organization, I became fascinated with the marketing  and fundraising aspects.  From a writer's point of view, I began to see the possibilities of raising money  and increasing support for nonprofits, and how there might possibly  be a career in that. Through AWAI, I learned this was the case. With that in mind, I have been writing on behalf of organizations  to promote   events every chance I get. During Amplify Austin, I also wrote  copy  for Easter Seals of Central Texas. I have included those pieces in my sample section.
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 For Profit vs. Nonprofit
      There is a dilemma when trying to decide whether to write for either nonprofit versus the for profit. As a  one time small business owner I can see  how if I had known about the value of  copywriting, it would've helped me  be successful even during the recession during 2008 – 2012. But I have settled  on writing for nonprofits as my niche because of the good they can do for society as a whole.
​     Take for instance
Easter Seals and the ways in which they help the disabled, as well as children.  Known originally as the National Society for Crippled Children, they have been around since 1919. Boys & Girls Clubs of America is another well established  organization. ​  It is a  safe place were kids can go after school with caring mentors who help them find success. Public Broadcasting, or PBS, is  a news organization that serves all Americans with content and services that inform, educate, and inspire.
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1.5 Million Nonprofits with More Money to Go Around
​      The majority of nonprofits are community-based,  meaning you  most likely can find an affiliate within your community.  One example is the Salvation Army, ​which provides disaster relief locally and nationwide.  They also  assist  those suffering  from drug addiction.  Then there's  the ubiquitous  nonprofit called Goodwill Industries, who offer job training and placement for the disabled, as well as GED opportunities  for the general public.
​      In all, there are more than 1.5 million nonprofits, according to the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS). Of the record $373.25 billion raised in 2015 (
www.charitynavigator.org), nearly $26.5 billion was raised online. Incredible!
​     That tells  me that though Internet transactions are growing, people still prefer to donate by check or cash.  Nonprofits  could use a copywriter like myself to enhance their  community image, either online or in print, to help raise money for programs and other expenses.

PictureVic on the Riverwalk in San Antonio
                                                                                            What I Can Do For You!
       This is a little bit of who I am and what I aspire to be.  Every organization could benefit from someone who produces good copy in the way of content, case studies, blogs, SEO, direct response,  and especially fundraising. I would like to think that writing for nonprofit organizations can be more rewarding, in terms of karma,  than the  for profit alternative.   There is so much to be done to help nonprofits grow and maintain their fundraising at a level where they can  continue to get things done.
​      I can discover and then express the concerns of your supporters; work with board members and staff to highlight your strengths and the amplify the promise of your
nonprofit.   I will  use  my persuasive style in ways that frame the research effectively. 
​       Being donor centered is crucial to any  nonprofit campaign or message.   I will get to know your clients and supporters as well as I can and convey those stories to potential donors and volunteers.
​     By pursuing all these strategies, I feel I can motivate  more people to  support your cause.

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