Are These Fundraising Appeal Best Practices Holding You Back?

Full confession: I’ve used the franken “best practice” appeal structure for years. And honestly? It works — especially if you borrow generously from the best of the best appeal writers. I’ve even taught these practices at conferences, on webinars, and through consulting engagements.

You probably know the formula:

• Lead with the beginnings of a story illustrating your mission.

• Introduce a compelling need or problem.

• Offer a specific, credible solution.

• Ask.

• Provide more context about the need.

• Share more details about the solution.

• Ask again.

• Suggest a hopeful conclusion — one the donor can help create.

This structure isn’t wrong.

It’s a well-intentioned attempt to do all the right things.

But over time, something gets lost. It becomes less of a cohesive narrative and more of a checklist — a stitched-together collection of tactics. And like any Frankenstein’s monster, it can start to look and feel… unnatural.

You Can Do Better Than Franken-Fundraising

Here’s the truth: I know better now.

I know people are wired for stories – not checklists.

I know shared stories unlock universal values, build empathy, and create an emotional bridge between donor and mission.

I know the most successful appeals invite the donor into the story through a pathway of emotions — not as a passive observer, but as an active, essential force for change.

I know facts and stats have their place, but they don’t light up the pleasure center of people’s brains the way a story does.

What a story does best is enable a would-be donor to become a part of the narrative – in the most constructive way possible.

Stories create a world where the donor gets to:

• Help the protagonist overcome obstacles.

• Empower the protagonist to fight back against injustice, fear, or despair.

• Make the sad ending, happy; the desperate, hopeful, and the defeated, winners.

That’s not just good storytelling. It’s good fundraising.

The Research Backs It Up

A recent test shared by The Agitator-DonorVoice team proves just how powerful this shift can be.

They compared a traditional, “best practices” fundraising appeal with a story-forward version.

The franken-formula followed all the usual guidance. Good practices, but too many of them strung together into a bit of an unwieldy mess (remember, most people today have the attention spans of goldfish; they skim).

The story-first version stripped things down — one clear, emotionally engaging narrative, told with heart.

The results? Story-first ruled!

• 15% higher response rate

• 34% higher return on investment

• More emotion.

• More empathy.

• Greater belief in impact.

In other words, the story-first version didn’t just feel better. It performed better. And isn’t that what you’re after?

Start Your Next Appeal with These Questions

As you plan your next campaign — don’t wait!— ask yourself:

• What might this make a reader feel?

• Will this make their brain light up — or glaze over?

• Can the donor see themself as an actor in this narrative?

• What action might they take as a result?

Without a narrative thread or emotional arc, your appeal becomes a collection of parts — not a story that pulls readers in. And that will handicap your appeal from the start. You may still raise money, but you’ll almost certainly leave a lot on the table.

And that’s a shame. Because the world needs your work. And your donors want to feel part of something real, something that matters.

🎯 Action Tips: Write a Better, More Powerful Appeal

You don’t need to abandon everything you’ve learned — just refocus on what truly moves people. Here are a few practical ways to center story, spark emotion, and help your next appeal connect more deeply and perform better.

1. Start with the story — structure comes later.

Before you worry about how to “build” your appeal, find an emotional resonant story that moved you — one that illustrates the heart of your mission in action. Let that story guide the shape of your appeal, not the other way around. If it stirs something in you, chances are it will stir something in your donor.

2. Make the donor the turning point.

Donors don’t want to be passive observers. They want to matter. Show them exactly how their gift changes the outcome — not in abstract terms, but in the life of a real person, place, or problem. Make it clear: without them, the story stalls. With them, everything shifts.

3. Ask often — but with feeling.

Yes, ask more than once (especially in longer appeals such as acquisition letters) — people skim. But make sure every ask is rooted in why it matters. Focus on building emotional momentum. If the donor feels it, they’ll want to act. Emotion opens the door; the ask tells them how to walk through it.

4.Test it!

Want proof that story-driven appeals work? Run a simple A/B test. Keep everything the same — audience, format, timing, subject line — but change the body of the appeal. Test your usual structure against a story-first version. The results will speak volumes.

Bring Your Appeal to Life

I mean real life — not a Frankestein monster type of “life.”

A powerful fundraising appeal isn’t just a collection of good practices. It’s a living, breathing story — one that moves the reader, lights up their imagination, and shows them exactly where they fit in. When you lead with meaning instead of mechanics, you don’t just inform your donors — you inspire them to act.

Want a little more help?

My Anatomy of a Fundraising Appeal Letter plus Sample Template is a simple, yet incredibly thorough, 62-page step-by-step guide to crafting a killer appeal letter or email appeal.

Just think about how much more money you could raise with your appeal letter if it spoke straight to the heart – and to your donor’s passions?

This Guide comes with a no-questions-asked, 30-day, 100% refund guarantee. I’m confident it will help you; if it doesn’t, just let me know. And I’m here if you have any questions.

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