“One of the things she just harped on all the time were what she called cage-rattling questions, questions that kept a conversation with a prospect going and alive and productive for both sides. So instead of going in and talking, you were doing a lot of listening with the occasional prompt.”

Tom Ahern

This edition of The Beacon Podcast is a little different. We interviewed copywriting guru Tom Ahern, but we didn’t talk about Tom’s decades of experience. Instead, we asked Tom to talk about the inimitable Simone Joyaux, his wife of 37 years who passed away in 2021. 

Simone’s birthday was in July, so we thought we would honor her memory with a discussion about some of her sage advice and, of course, some of the stories that made her a respected and beloved powerhouse in the fundraising sector in the United States.

In addition to Tom’s insights about Simone, he discusses:

• Why your $20 donors deserve your attention
• Why research is crucial in fund development
• Important questions to help donors feel heard

About our Guest

In 2016, The New York Times called Tom Ahern “one of America’s most sought-after creators of fundraising messages.” In 2021, author and respected legacy expert Richard Radcliffe said, “Tom Ahern is possibly the greatest non-profit copywriter on the planet.”

Tom’s recent case work ranges from massive campaigns (for Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford University, which made its $1 billion goal) to the local (to build the fourth edition of the Indigenous-led Tomaquag Museum in Rhode Island). He has authored seven highly rated how-to books on donor communications and speaks internationally.

Learn more about Tom at Tom Ahern Communications and follow him on LinkedIn.

Check out Simone’s Learning Center.