Fundraising Appeals

I was reading a wonderful work of Meredith Janke (2015) on 10 Persuasive Tips for Writing Fundraising Appeals and would like to share these to you.

1. Be Direct: Don’t be afraid to use the “money” word if that is what you need. If you don’t ask clearly, you won’t receive. Be direct about what you need.
2. Conversational Tone: Use “I,” “we,” and “you.” Make your writing personable and easy to read. Your donor should feel like you are on friendly terms.
3. Easy on The Eyes: Leave lots of white space to make important things stand out. Bold key points. Use gorgeous photos. Don’t hit your readers with a wall of text.
4. Sense of Urgency: Donors need to know why it is important for them to give now. Demonstrate the immediate needs a donation will address. Use time-sensitive incentives like having their gifts doubled within a certain time frame.
5. Use Stories: Help your reader connect to your cause by telling the story of a real person that their donation will help. Stories draw people in and allow them to relate to the issue on a personal level.
6. Show Impact: Always show how a donation will make a tangible difference. Offering giving suggestions that outline what a donation will “buy” is one way of doing this.
7. Offer Space for Feedback: People want to feel like they are a part of the conversation. Invite them to ask questions on your Facebook page or engage with you on Twitter.
8. Always Educate: Every time you share your content is a chance to educate people about your cause, even if they are already familiar with your organization. Be clear and explain why and how you do what you do, and why it matters.
9. Address FAQs: Anticipate people’s questions and cover them before they are even asked. Eliminate reasons for people to doubt.
10. Call to Action: Give specific asks to readers at the end of your appeal. Usually, it’s money. Other times you may want them to sign up for email updates or volunteer with you. Offer clear instructions on how to do so. Make them feel involved.