Here are a few tips for fundraising appeals:
- Make an emotional connection to your mission in the first or second paragraph by telling a very short story of a client or use a quote from someone who has used your services.
- For snail mail solicitations, make the “ask” 3 times. First ask in the very beginning so the reader is clear why you are sending the letter. Second ask adjacent to some startling statistic about why your services are needed. Third ask can be in the P.S. reminding the reader to put their contribution to work right away by going to your website to make a contribution.
- For email campaigns, keep the message to 250 words or less. Sending weekly or biweekly updates and additional asks during the “campaign” to keep the momentum going.
- Share one or two startling statistics or facts about why your work is critically important. Example: How many children are homeless in the community tonight, or how many children are obese, or the number of people you turn away due to limited resources. Be sure to share, succinctly, with a call to action, why YOUR organization is the answer.
- Make the financial goal clear. Include the deadline for raising those funds. Follow up with another message via email or regular mail to report on how you are doing meeting your goal. Give a reason to make a contribution immediately.
- Make sure your written thank you or phone call follow up is immediate. Donors recognize when it takes a long time to receive their acknowledgement.
- Announce how you did in making the goal. If this is your annual campaign, make sure to be asking only for a specific time frame and then keep donors and the community informed about the relevance of your services in between the time you will ask again.
I’ve seen some very effective campaigns this spring and some that are failing. Those that are successful are following most if not all of these guidelines.
