What makes a good fundraising appeal?
Well, for starters, probably not opening with a dumb question like that.
If you want supporters to feel connected to your organization through direct mail or email, they actually have to read what you wrote. That means your opening needs to earn their attention instead of sounding like every other fundraising letter in their mailbox.
Let’s try a quick game. Which sentence below makes you want to keep reading?
- “At XYZ Organization, we’re going the extra mile to ensure kids and families have what they need to thrive.”
- “As the year begins to wind down, we wanted to share some exciting updates about XYZ Organization.”
- “As I looked around the room, seeing children’s smiling faces and hearing their excited chatter, I realized something important.”
Maybe that was too easy, but the point stands: if you want people to read your appeals and feel inspired to give, the writing has to give them a reason to care.
I can’t tell you how many appeals I receive from nonprofits that sound like the first two examples. And honestly, I get it. Writing fundraising copy is hard. But we’re competing with nonstop notifications, crowded inboxes, breaking news, and endless to-do lists. People don’t have much patience for writing that feels generic or predictable.
So for your next appeal, resist the urge to sound like a “fundraising appeal.” Talk to your readers. Tell them something meaningful. Start with a moment, a feeling, or a detail that pulls them in.
Because most of the time, you’ve got one sentence, maybe one paragraph, to convince someone to keep reading.
I’d love to hear what openings or approaches have worked well for others.
And if you or your team needs some additional support, Armstrong Writing Services would be happy to help. Reach out for a chat about what you’re working on to see if we might be a good fit to work together.