Word count targets by communication type
Routine update to Zach
50–100 words3–4 sentences. Bottom line first. One ask.
Email to Christy (CEO)
75–150 wordsLead with point. Active voice throughout.
Email with attachment
50–80 wordsOne sentence intro. One ask. Detail lives in the doc.
Donor appeal email
150–300 wordsOpen with $640. Close with one CTA.
Social post (Facebook/LinkedIn)
100–250 wordsOne story. One CTA. No preamble.
Newsletter article
200–400 wordsOne story. One takeaway. End with action.
Press release
300–400 wordsNews hook → quote → boilerplate → contact
Volunteer recruitment post
75–125 wordsSpecific task. Impact. One signup path.
Partner / sponsor outreach
150–200 wordsCredibility + their benefit + one next step.
Resident communication
50–80 wordsWhat, when, where, what to do. Third grade level.
Board communication
100–200 wordsOutcome first. Evidence second. One recommendation.
Work request to Zach (with dashboard)
50–75 wordsDashboard attached. One sentence intro. One ask.
The attachment rule — when you attach, your email gets shorter
Standard email (no attachment): 75–200 wordsThe email IS the communication. All relevant content lives in the body.
Email with attachment: 50–80 words maximumOne sentence introduces the attachment. One sentence states the ask. Everything else is in the document. The email body should never summarize or repeat what is in the attachment.
The testIf you have an attachment AND an email body over 100 words, ask yourself: am I explaining the attachment in the email? If yes — cut the explanation. The attachment speaks for itself. Your job is to say what it is and what you want done with it.
When to attach vs. when to write inline
Attach when: the content is longer than 300 wordsDocuments, reports, proposals, dashboards, forms, press kits — anything with structure and length belongs as an attachment. The email introduces it in one sentence.
Attach when: the recipient will need to refer back to itIf they will save it, print it, share it, or read it more than once — attach it. Email bodies are for reading once and acting.
Attach when: it contains data, tables, or formatted contentThe performance dashboard, the messaging framework, the work request form — these are attachment documents. Never paste their content into an email body.
Write inline when: it is a simple decision, update, or questionIf it can be said in under 200 words and requires no formatting — write it in the email. Do not create a document for something that belongs in the body.
Never do bothDo not write a long email AND attach a document covering the same content. Pick one. Attachment = short email. Inline = no attachment.
How to introduce an attachment — the one-sentence rule
Structure: What it is + What to do with itThat is the complete introduction. Nothing more is needed.
Good: "Attached is the FSF Communications Dashboard — please review the social media section before Thursday's meeting."One sentence. Identifies the document. States the one ask. Done.
Good: "Please find the FY27 Communications Plan draft attached. I'd welcome your feedback on the earned media section before finalizing."Still one sentence effectively. Clear document. Clear ask.
Bad: [200-word email explaining what is in the attached document]If you are explaining the attachment in the email, you are over-communicating. The attachment explains itself. Your job is to introduce and ask — not to summarize.
Bad: "I wanted to give you some context before you read the attached document..."Context belongs inside the document — in a cover page, an executive summary, or a one-paragraph introduction at the top of the document itself. Not in the email.
When context is genuinely neededPut the context inside the document as a brief introduction or executive summary. Keep the email to one sentence + one ask.
Attachment rules by audience
ZachAttach documents. Email = one sentence intro + one ask. Under 80 words always when attaching. He will read the document. He does not need you to explain it in the email.
Christy (CEO)Same rule. If attaching the communications plan or dashboard — one sentence intro, one ask. She reads everything. She does not need a summary of something she will read in full.
DonorsAttach the annual report or impact report if relevant. The email remains the emotional appeal. Do not summarize the report in the email — let the report do that work.
Media / pressAttach the full press release. The email is the pitch — 3–4 sentences maximum. The release has the full story. Never paste the release into the email body.
BoardAttach the full briefing document. Email = one paragraph executive summary + one decision needed. The board will read the attachment. They do not need it explained twice.
Run this before sending anything — every time
Does the first sentence tell the reader what this is about and why they should read it?
Is there exactly one ask — not two, not three?
Is there exactly one conclusion or recommendation?
Does every sentence serve the reader — or did some sentences help me think through the issue?
Could I cut 30% of this and lose nothing the reader needs to act?
If I have an attachment, is my email under 80 words?
Am I explaining the attachment in the email body? (If yes — cut the explanation. It lives in the document.)
Are there passive voice constructions? (Rewrite to active.)
Does any sentence start with "I"? (Reframe.)
Are there filler phrases — "hope this finds you," "just wanted to," "circle back"? (Cut all.)
For Christy: is every sentence in active voice? No jargon? One CTA?
For Zach: do I come with a plan or solution — not just a problem?
Is the word count within the target for this communication type?
Have I read this aloud? If it sounds like a presentation, it is too long.
Credibility & trust — the deeper checklist
These are the behaviors that build lasting professional credibility. Run this check before anything goes to Christy, Zach, or external audiences.
Every commitment has a specific date — not "soon," not "shortly," not "when I can."
I have not promised anything I am not certain I can deliver.
I have not overclaimed — no "guarantee," "definitely," or "certainly" for uncertain outcomes.
Active voice puts my name on the outcome — not "it will be done" but "I will do it."
The conclusion is clear enough that the reader could repeat it to someone else in one sentence.
If I am following up on a previous commitment — does this communication confirm I delivered?
The reader will not have to ask a follow-up question to understand what I need from them.
This communication is not longer than it needs to be — length does not signal effort, it signals uncertainty.
The credibility equation
Trust is built by specificity + follow-throughSay exactly what you will do. Say exactly when you will do it. Then do it. That sequence — repeated consistently — is the complete credibility strategy. No communication technique replaces it.
What erodes trust faster than anything elsePromising vaguely and delivering late. Over-explaining before delivering. Sending thinking drafts that make the reader work to find the decision. Writing long when short would have been clearer.
The length-credibility relationshipShorter, more precise communications signal higher confidence. Longer communications with excessive context can signal anxiety about whether the reader will accept the conclusion. Lead with the conclusion. Trust it to land.
Active voice as accountability"I will have the press release to Reston Now by Friday" is a commitment with your name on it. "The press release will be submitted" is not. Passive voice removes accountability. It is the grammatical version of hiding.
The thinking draft rule
Writing to think vs. writing to communicateThese are two different activities. Drafting helps you clarify your own thinking — that is normal and valuable. But the thinking draft is not the communication. The communication is what the reader needs to act. Before sending, identify every sentence that served your thinking rather than the reader's understanding. Cut those sentences. What remains is the communication draft.
Signs you are about to send a thinking draft"I wanted to give you some background on..." / "The reason I am writing is..." / "As I have been thinking about this..." / More than 2 paragraphs of context before the ask / Word count more than double the target for this audience.
The fixWrite the thinking draft in full. Then read it once and ask: what is the one thing I need the reader to do? Write that as your new first sentence. Add only what is needed for them to take that action. Send that version.
Use these in FSF communications — verified and sourced
$640
Left per month after rent and medical — every donor appeal
850+
Seniors served across all properties
3 years
Current waitlist — urgency anchor
$112M
Capital invested in 2022 renovations and construction
429,758 lbs
Food distributed via Fellowship Fresh program
65 years
Founded 1960 — mission credibility
670 units
Affordable housing units, 4 properties
72 units
Dogwood Farm Station, Loudoun County, 2027
$5M
Loudoun County loan, Dogwood Farm Station
35 per 100
Affordable homes per 100 seniors who need one
3,941
Newsletter subscribers — largest owned audience
$5,500
Fellowship Fresh award — VA Governor's Conference 2025
FB 326
Facebook followers — baseline
LI 243
LinkedIn followers — baseline
Core messages — use these as foundations
Primary messageHUD funds buildings. Donors fund people.
TaglineBecause Getting Older Shouldn't Mean Losing Your Home.
MissionFellowship Square improves the lives of older adults who struggle to make ends meet by providing them with affordable housing and supportive services.
Emotional anchorAfter rent and medical, the average resident has $640 left each month — for food, clothing, transportation, and everything else.
Best earned media anglesDogwood Farm Station (first new affordable senior housing in Loudoun County in over a decade) · Fellowship Fresh Governor's Conference award · CDC REACH grant at Hunters Woods · The $640 story · 65 years untold