≡ Menu

The Gift Of Clean Water And Boost Your Copywriting Skills

For years I’ve been disgusted by the horrific problems created by “dirty water” around the world but particularly prevalent in Africa.

I’ve meant to made a donation to a clean water charity. As I explain below, I love Africa.

As Americans say “Shoulda, coulda, woulda”.

I’m ashamed to say I did nothing.

That changed last night when I received an email from Brian Kurtz (of Bottom Line / Boardroom fame). I watched a video from Charity:Water that was incredibly inspiring and a made a commitment. A commitment I’ve honoured this morning by setting up a monthly donation.

I urge you to watch the video. When I was doing my exercises this morning in front of the TV, I saw a Water Aid advertisement (a different charity) which said  “in the next two minutes, another child will die from dirty water.” Two minutes later, another and then another.

Here is the link to the webpage with the video.

Charity:Water The Spring Monthly Donation

Then, if you’re moved as tenth as much I was, please make a donation. Anything will help.

Brian’s Ethical Bribe

Brian sent out an email about the importance of ethical bribes and makes an offer to encourage anyone interested in copywriting and direct marketing to make a monthly donation to Charity:Water.

I hope he doesn’t mind if I cut and paste the important elements.

P.S. I want to appeal to your greed right now…and use that greed to encourage you do something that will make you feel so great as you share the love on Valentine’s Day.

There are ethical bribes involved (i.e. more gifts for you) so please read on and participate.

I mentioned that one of the incentives to repeat this concept about ethical bribes today was my call with Scott Harrison, the innovator and world changer behind charity:water.

Scott is the hero who started this noble mission which is an organization dedicated to bringing clean water to everyone on the planet.

Like you, I give to many charities…many of which focus on a single disease that has hit someone in our families or circle of friends…and often just something that moves us in bigger ways.

When you think about how many diseases or causes of death can be eliminated by simply making sure everyone has clean water to drink, an organization like charity:water is one of those missions that is so easy to get behind…it’s kind of an “Uber Charity.”

I also love charity:water because 100% of the money donated is used to bring clean water to people around the world. That is, they have a completely separate fundraising division that finances the overhead of the organization.

I’ve decided to only support charities using this model going forward.

And if you join me today, I have five (5) ethical bribes for you, which as you learned earlier, would be more than if I offered you only two. 🙂

I met some of the amazing people who fund the overhead for charity:water (this special group is called “The Well”)…and they are some of the most heart centered entrepreneurs and business people you will ever meet…many of whom are quite famous, names you would know (but I don’t think they want their names mentioned–they are not about the publicity).

But to repeat: Every dollar donated by folks like us builds wells and/or brings clean water to places where people are constantly sick (and dying) because all they have access to is contaminated water.

Scott set up a page just for me (and you), my fellow Titans, to give you more details on this one-of-a-kind organization…and the video on this page tells such a compelling story.

And the page also makes it easy for you personally to bring clean water to places around the world that need it most.

Please watch the video here and I encourage you to set up a monthly donation.

I hope you will join me in donating any amount you can on a monthly basis.

Many of you have already donated to this monthly giving program in the past which they call “The Spring” (thank you!) and today I would like to encourage many more of you to contribute for Valentine’s Day…and for the 5 ethical bribes too.

For a monthly donation of any amount, I will send you the following:

1) The best summary of Breakthrough Advertising ever written by marketing genius Rich Schefren: While I want you all to buy the book, Rich has written what I believe is the best summary on the most important book on copy, marketing and human behavior ever written. It’s way more than Rich letting us know that “Greed is good.”

2) Titans and Tweets: This is a 136 page priceless document which was put together by direct response marketing pioneer (and Titan himself), Ken McCarthy.

During the landmark Titans of Direct Response event in 2014, Ken wrote (and then tweeted) as many of the gems as he could–during the event– from the most amazing lineup of speakers ever assembled in one place.

There are hundreds of rules of thumb in this document.

3) “Titans Collection” from Jay Abraham: This is a 100+ page document that another Titan (and one of my mentors) put together–which came as a surprise to me.

Jay took 22 of my past blog posts (his personal favorites) on a variety of subjects and put them into one document…and since he thought it was worthwhile to gift this document to his tribe, who am I to argue that it might be worthwhile reading for you too?

Hope you can get some useful tidbits from my writing, especially if you are new to my online family.

And I know not all of you open my emails every Sunday (sigh)…

[Piece taken out as he refers to another promotion in the main email]

4) 5,500 of the greatest headlines ever: This is something else Jay put together–a personal collection/compilation of the best headlines he could find…anywhere and everywhere.

These headlines are applicable to any medium.

It’s also a swipe file that will prevent you from ever having writer’s block as you think of your next great headline, subject line or lead for a sales letter.

5) Dick Benson’s 31 Rules of Thumb…don’t you need the other 29? I’ve got them for you in one nifty Word Document.

To receive all of these gifts, go to this special page and watch the video…and once you donate, just email me back here and put “ethical bribe” in the subject line.

I will send the 5 bonuses above (immediately) to you.

I am looking forward to sending out these ethical bribes to everyone who donates.

Please donate here.

What I Did – The UK Version

You will see the page refers to making a USD donation since the main charity is in America. However, if you are British, there is a big reason why you shouldn’t use this but, instead, go to the bottom of the page and look in the right hand corner. There you will see the ability to switch from the US charity to the UK registered charity for Charity:water.

This opens up GiftAid for UK tax payers, where the charity can reclaim from the UK government, the basic rate of tax you’ve paid on the donation.

This turns a £100 donation by you into a £125 donation to the charity.

If you’re a higher rate tax payer, you get the extra tax back through your self assessment form. For more details, see the HMRC Gift Aid page.

I’m hoping Brian won’t mind because every dollar, every pound, every euro etc donated to help rid the world of dirty water, is a small step to making it happen sooner.

Brian confirmed that what I did was picked up by the charity:water website and confirmed back to him.

Why I Love Africa

In my forties (and before my health took a major turn for the worst), we had six holidays in Southern Africa, mainly to South Africa but also we spent time in Botswana twice and Zambia.

Being 6′ 4″ tall and weighing back then about 17 1/2 stones, the 10 or 11 hour flight was horrendous but it was so worth it when we got there.

The big attraction for us was the chance to get out into the game reserves and remote African bush to see the animals. We also spent time in Cape Town regularly and toured along the Garden Route so we had a chance to experience the culture. In Zambia, we did what tourists do, and that’s go and get absolutely soaked walking down to admire the “Smoke That Thunders” (also known as Victoria Falls). At the time, the Zambezi was at record flood levels and a huge amount of water was flowing over the falls each minute.

These trips also revealed a level of poverty we didn’t know existed in the world outside of famine torn crisis areas and war zones.It’s a level of poverty way below levels that exist in the UK.

It was devastating to see and, in African terms, the countries we visited are relatively rich countries, especially Botswana and South Africa.

How Poor and Vulnerable Are The Countries In Africa?

According to Wikipedia, the GDP per capita in 2017 of the three countries have visitedwas:

  • Botswana – ranked 71st in the world – $18,146
  • South Africa – ranked 89 – $13,403
  • Zambia – ranked 142 – $3,997

Other well known countries further down the list are:

  • Kenya – rank 149 – $3,496
  • Uganda – rank 160 – $2,352
  • Ethopia – rank 166 – $2,113

Down at the bottom of the list:

  • Democratic Republic of the Congo – rank 186 – $785
  • Central African Republic – rank 187 – $681

Turning dirty, diseased water into clean water is not a problem these African countries can solve on their own. It need people in the West, just like you and me, to help.

Please watch the video here and I encourage you to set up a monthly donation.

Get To Know Me

[sos]

[6Steps]

Similar Posts:

 Name: Email: We respect your email privacy 
{ 0 comments… add one }

Leave a Comment