Many fundraising campaigns will start out with a lot of momentum and then gradually lose steam.  

This is likely because, when you first share a new campaign with your supporters, they’ll either jump on board immediately or put it off for another time.  And as you may have guessed, if they don’t hear from you again (and again), they could forget to donate altogether!

So, how do you go about promoting your campaign to supporters in a way that’s both effective and nonintrusive?

5 Steps to Improved Messaging:

1. Be Personal & Direct

• Send customized & personalized emails to supporters
• Acknowledge donors by their first name
• Let them know exactly what you want from them
• Share one of your beneficiaries’ stories with a photo or video
• Always express gratitude for their support

2. Be Solution-Oriented

Keep your emails short, to-the-point, and focused on your main objective!

• Ask yourself if your message answers the following questions (Courtesy of Stephen Pidgeon): 

1. What’s the problem?
2. Why should I care about this?
3. What is this organization doing about the problem?
4. What can I do as a donor?
5. Why do I need to do this now?
6. What happens if I don’t give?
7. What is this nonprofit’s proof of success?

3. Be Donor-Centric

• Mention “you” more than “I” or “we” in your messaging
• Remind your donors of just how important they are
• Treat your donors like the heroes of your campaign
• Make sure you’re sending out personalized thank you emails following gifts

4. Encourage Peer Promotion

• Provide a link to your campaign and ask supporters to share it
• Let them know the importance of their outreach
• Encourage sharing via email and social media

5. Be Frequent & Consistent

• Don’t automatically assume you’re reaching out too much (Check out this article on donation ask frequency)
• People who truly care about your cause want to be updated regularly
• Have a consistent format and brand to your messaging
• Avoid sending emails on Monday mornings and opt for Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays from 11 am to 1 pm instead

Along with these five messaging tactics, you should always make sure you’re effectively conveying your cause as a problem that only your donors’ generous support can resolve.  

Keep in mind that your donors will likely place the same or less amount of importance on your cause as you do, so make your messaging count!

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