Top Reasons Your Nonprofit Should Actively Promote Stock Gifts

Wall Street signDoes your nonprofit promote stock gifts?  You should!

A groundbreaking study by Dr. Russell James J.D., Ph.D., CFP®, professor in the Department of Personal Financial Planning at Texas Tech University, found nonprofits that consistently received gifts of appreciated stocks grew their contributions six times faster than those receiving only cash.

This is HUGE.

If you learn to ask for gifts from appreciated assets you’ll get more generous gifts. The study shows:

  • Received only cash gifts = 11% growth.
  • Received any kind of non-cash gift = 50% growth. Included gifts of personal and real property and deferred gifts.
  • Received securities non-cash gifts = 66% growth. Massive difference from just this one strategy!

You Don’t Have to Get Fancy

The most productive strategy is simply to accept gifts of stock.

But it’s up to you to offer up this giving framework to your supporters. 

Otherwise, they’re apt not to see this as an opportunity.

And speaking of ‘framing,’ this can establish a persuasive reference point for would-be donors. Researchers have found people don’t treat all their money as if they have one big pool of it.

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Proven Strategies to Climb the Year-End Fundraising Mountain

Mountain climberHave you started working on your annual appeal and year-end fundraising plan?

It’s beyond time!

I worked for 30 years in the trenches, so I know exactly what this time of year feels like.

It feels like you’re at the base of a mountain you’re about to scale.

  • Exciting, but also scary.
  • Exhilarating, yet also daunting.
  • There will be good days, and bad days.

And this particular year, you may feel you’re taking two steps forward and three steps back.

That’s to be expected during times of great uncertainty.

Expected or not, I know you’re still anxious and thinking “What if we don’t reach the top?”

Don’t worry, I’m here to help.

This year you may need the equivalent of a few extra granola bars for energy. And maybe an extra tool or two to help you get a grip.

Right now I want to give you a few specific, timely tips you might not be thinking about.

Here are some strategies I hope will give you a leg up, so to speak.

Ready to Put Your Best Foot Forwards?

Here are 11 tips I’ve learned over the years.

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Mother and child hugging

Why People Give to YOU

Mother and child huggingIn an issue of her Loyalty Letter, Lisa Sargent recently noted:

“I just wrapped up supporter survey season in my little copywriting studio. And every year, the most powerful answers come from one simple question:  

“WHY DO YOU GIVE?” 

The responses stop me in my tracks every time. I smile. I cry. I sigh. My coffee turns tepid in its insulated mug. And I remember why we’re here.”

It’s a really good idea to stop and pause, every now and then, to think about why people give to you.

In fact, you might want to do your own survey. Or you can ask people to answer this on your appeal remit piece or donation landing page. Because once you understand your donors’ motivations, you can tap into them when crafting supporter communications.

I’ve grouped some of the answers Lisa shared (in quotations). They jumped out at me because they’re emblematic of the pillar fundamentals of a successful fundraising program. People don’t just give because you ask them for money. Sure, they must be asked. But, that alone is insufficient to inspire philanthropy. There’s another, deeper reason people give.

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Greek woman wearing laurel wreath

From ‘Resting on Laurels’ to Leading with Vision: A Nonprofit Guide to Moving On

Are you planning to do, more or less, the same thing you did last year for your year-end annual fundraising push?

I mean things like:

  • Recycling the same appeal letter
  • Mailing to the same list
  • Failing to segment your list
  • Failing to clean up addresses and de-dupe your list
  • Using the same donation landing page
  • Mailing only one appeal letter
  • Sending only one or two emails
  • Failing to link to your appeal on social media
  • Failing to ask your influencers to share with their peers
  • Failing to actively encourage recurring gifts
  • Failing to suggest specific ask amounts
  • Failing to ask major donor prospects in person
  • Failing to plan ahead to send a prompt, personal thank you
  • Failing to have a donor love & loyalty plan in place to retain your supporters
  • … the list goes on!

I was moved to write this article after attending an excellent local production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park with George.”  I found it surprisingly moving, especially the final musical number: “Move on.” And, being me, I was able to relate it to something I find all too common in nonprofit work.

It’s something insidious. Something that kills innovation and inexorably drains spirits.

It’s almost a disease.

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PHoto telling a story

Facts Tell, Stories Sell: The Fundraising Mistake You’re Probably Making

PHoto telling a story

Does proving your point persuade your nonprofit donor?

It turns out not so much.

At least, not unless your donor is already pretty much won over.

Proof (“just the facts, m’am”), absent persuasion (“once upon a time”), won’t get you far.

In “How to Project Manage Your Nonprofit Story,” I delved into the concept of story vs. data in creating compelling nonprofit marketing and fundraising copy. Stories almost always win out, because human beings are wired for stories.

  • They want to enter into them.
  • They want to become a part of them.
  • They want to see themselves, in some way, expressively reflected in the characters, plot and struggle.

In this way, people are emotionally moved. They shed a tear… get a lump in their throats… find themsselves chuckling, smiling or even beaming with a flicker, or a flame, of recognition, appreciation or gratitude. They are taken out of their everyday lives, and moved someplace else where theyre offered a new perspective.

From this shared perspective, people can choose to act. To become part of the story, in a positive way.

To make a difference. To bring joy to sadness… hope to despair… healing to hurt. To bring the happy ending they wish to see.

Alas, when I review nonprofit appeals, the lion’s share do a poor job of making the story the star.

Sure, you may be raising money with your fact-stuffed appeal. But I’ll bet dollars to donuts you could raise a lot more by channeling the persuasive power of a compelling narrative. So, today I want to delve a bit deeper into why stories beat data.

Stories are persuasive, having the power to change audience beliefs and actions.

If you’re familiar with Robert Cialdini, you’ll know about the six key principles of influence and persuasion that help people to act in the face of uncertainty. And we’re all in that state of uncertainty when we receive a fundraising appeal, right? If you look closely, you’ll see these principles are story-based:

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Making an application list

Create Impact Now: 4 Key Appeal Ingredients That Move Donors to Act

Making an application list

Let’s say you’ve done everything thus far suggested in this fundraising appeal checklist.

✅ You’ve done the groundwork.
✅ You’ve focused your message.
✅ You’ve made it about the donor—not your organization.

Now it’s time to bring it home.

Because no matter how clear or well-structured your appeal is, it won’t inspire action unless it moves the reader.

Emotion—not logic—is what compels people to give. And that emotion is sparked by how you make your donor feel.

Do they feel seen? Valued? Needed? Inspired? Uplifted?

Transform Your Appeal from a Simple Ask into a Powerful Invitation

The final four steps of this 8-step checklist are about speaking to your donor’s best self, inspiring compassion, and stirring urgency.

These are the emotional ingredients that turn intention into action.

Let’s explore them.

In Part 1 we looked at the first four:

    1. You
    2. Easy
    3. Welcome
    4. Heart-awakening

Today we continue with four more.

    1. Best Self
    2. Uplift
    3. Unconditional Love
    4. Urgency

5. BEST SELF

What if part of the reason our sector has so little understanding of our supporters is because we think we’ve done the work of understanding by slapping the activist, volunteer, donor (insert other generic label here) on people?

— Kevin Shulman, Founder, DonorVoice

Donors have their own sense of identity; they’re people first.

Trying to categorize them neatly into donor “personas” (e.g., “Wanda Widow,” “Busby Business Man,” “Suzy Soccer Mom,)” doesn’t work nearly as well as helping them express their best self or selves.

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Hand writing checklist

Fundraising Appeal Checklist: 8 Essentials to Review Before You Write

Hand writing checklist

Before you write a single word of your annual fundraising appeal, pause.

Take a deep breath.

And think about the person who will open your letter or email.

They’re not just a “donor.” They’re a person with hopes, fears, dreams and values.

  • Someone who cares.
  • Someone who wants to make a difference.
  • Someone who, in a world full of distractions, is about to give you their attention—and maybe even their trust.

When you think in this broader context, it’s clear your appeal is more than a request for money. It’s a chance to build a bridge between your donor’s values and yours. To spark hope. To remind someone of the good they can do—through you.

This Checklist Will Help You Avoid Common Missteps

Too often, well-meaning appeals are ignored—not because the cause isn’t worthy, but because the message misses the mark. Maybe it’s too vague. Too organizationally focused. Or simply doesn’t make the donor feel like they matter.

That’s where this 8-step self-test comes in.

These first four steps are designed to help you lay a strong foundation before you write. They’ll keep your message clear, focused, and deeply donor-centered—so your appeal doesn’t just get read, but truly felt.

Let’s dive in.

We’ll review the final 4 steps in Part 2.

1. YOU

“The most beautiful thing in the world is you.”

— Alvin Ailey, choreographer and dancer, (1931-1989)

This gets to who you’re writing to.

Not to yourself, program staff. or your board of directors. You’re writing to ONE donor. It’s about their ego, not yours. Their needs, not yours.

Take a good hard look at your letter. How often do you use “I,” “my,” “our,” “we,” or the name of your organization vs. “you” and “your?”

Fix this! Here’s a “you test” you can use from Bloomerang.

Here’s a “don’t” example:

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Frankenstein drawing

Are These Fundraising Appeal Best Practices Holding You Back?

Frankenstein drawingFull 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.

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