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:

Details
Leave a commentAnnual Giving
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.

Details
Leave a commentAnnual Giving
four people raise hands in support of your cause

Psychology of Securing Lasting Nonprofit Donor Commitments

four people raise hands in support of your cause

The more publicly people commit, the more resistant they are to changing their minds

This relates to one of Robert Cialdini’s principles of influence and persuasion: “commitment and consistency.”

The main point is this:

Once we make a decision, and strongly attach ourselves to an idea by agreeing orally or in writing, it’s more likely we’ll stick with that decision than change our minds.

Because we are wired to want to be consistent.

That to which we commit, especially publicly, becomes congruent with our self image.

What does this mean for you as a fundraiser?

Details
Leave a commentDonor Retention
December

Last Minute Strategic Year-End Email Appeal Tips

DecemberStudies show one-fourth of all charitable giving happens in December. For some organizations (maybe yours?), it’s as much as one-third. Year-end fundraising is not chopped chicken liver!

While you absolutely should be using multiple fundraising channels to get best results, right now whatever you’ve got planned for offline is pretty much cooked. So your best bet for boosting year-end results is digital.

What do you have planned online between now and December 31st?

The 2024 M+R Benchmarks Study found nonprofits raise anywhere from 17% to 34% of their online revenue in December, depending on their cause. For well over a decade, the last week of the year – and particularly the last day of the year– have been huge for online fundraising.

To boost your year-end fundraising success, you need to craft an email offer your donor can’t refuse.

4 Top Strategies to Clearly Convey Your Offer 

If you’ve not yet planned your campaign, start here — and now. If you’re ready to go, take a moment to check your plan against these tips. In a nutshell, you need three things for any effective fundraising offer:

  1. Specific problem you’re addressing — made real and relevant to the prospective donor.
  2. Specific solution you’re proposing to address the problem – with your donor’s help.
  3. Specific ask showing how the donor can help– the distinct purpose and amount of the gift you’re requesting, tied to what it will accomplish.

It’s really that simple, but let’s get a little more into the weeds so you’ve a better idea how to execute these three offer components.

1. Describe the problem.

Details
Leave a commentOnline Fundraising