Why Choose Me?

Toby is a remarkable talent. Her ability as a writer is only part of it – she can think strategically and critically as well. Time and again, Toby has saved us with her absolute dedication to executing exceptional work.

Mel Rubin, Partner
Rubin Ehrenthal & Associates

For 25 years, I worked as a copywriter and creative director in national consumer advertising, selling everything from the snob appeal of Chivas Regal to the satisfaction of a clean carpet. Then, seven years ago, the day came when I decided to use my talents of persuasion to do good in the world by advancing charitable missions like yours.

Someone gave me a chance – and it soon became evident that the skills I’d honed on Madison Avenue gave me an edge in “selling” the good feeling of giving. Clients in the nonprofit world appreciated my ability to get results.

Selling, I believe, is about striking a balance between appealing to the head and the heart. The rational mind evaluates your appeal, but the emotions sway your prospective donor to write the check. I find that this is true whether you’re selling cars or the gratification of giving to a worthy cause. And that is why I work so hard, every time, to craft a solid, informational appeal that is also vividly human.

As important as your message is, it’s not required reading. The moment the eyes unfocus or the mind wanders, into the trash you go.

When I sit down to write, I picture myself as the recipient, distracted by my own concerns, hurriedly sifting through the day’s mail and coming across the appeal that I’m now writing. That is why I strive for writing that virtually reads itself.

Compelling appeals are rare. Judging by the blizzard of direct mail I receive, most writers do a good job of arranging information into smooth but unsurprising letters. They are professionally written but still read like “the same old thing.” They speak, but they don’t sing. They flap their wings, but they don’t fly.

That’s why I ask myself as I sit down to write, What will jolt readers out of their “box” and transport their imaginations to a child’s hospital bed in Texas, or to a squalid refugee camp in Darfur, or to wherever your story is ready to come to life?

Everyone wants their money. What is that “something” that will compel them to write checks? The answer is in your story, just around the corner from the obvious.

I promise that I won’t stop until I’ve captured that “something” for you, as I have for many others.