How to turn your impact statement into a fundraising offer
As an ED, I know you’re all too aware of what autumn means. We’re getting closer to year-end giving season. Cue panic mode.
Before you freak out (and spend hours researching “the best year-end appeal letter samples”), I want you to know everything about creating a solid fundraising offer.
A fundraising offer is the number one way to move donors to take action.
Not pretty pictures
Not a fancy design
Not a four page appeal
Nope. The best way to REALLY connect with your donors—and inspire them to give again—is with a clear fundraising offer.
Last year, I invited Mike Duerksen to share his best tips for creating your fundraising offer for Productive Executive Director members. Mike is the founder of Build Good and The Build Good Fundraising Podcast (a podcast you should totally check out after you listen to this episode 😉).
If you want to know how to create a fundraising message that opens hearts AND wallets, this is the post for you.
Prefer to listen? Check out episode 47 of the Productive Executive Director podcast.
What exactly is a fundraising offer?
Your fundraising offer is your PROMISE to donors. What does the donor get by giving?
Just like in the business world, you need a promise to get people to open their wallets. Think about it this way. When a company offers something, it’s really a promise to customers.
If you take action and buy this t-shirt today, you’ll save 50%.
If you take action and book a spa today, you’ll feel relaxed and rejuvenated.
See what I mean? The “offer” is less of a product or service, and more of a promise of what the customer will get by engaging with the company. You save money buy getting a discounted t-shirt. You feel relaxed by booking a spa day.
In the words of Mike, a fundraising offer is:
“The thing the donor will buy with their money… It’s the main thing that will happen in the world because the donor decided to take action.”
What will the donor receive by engaging with your organization?
I’m not talking about t-shirts or free stickers in the mail. What does your nonprofit enable donors to do?
Example: By giving a gift today, you’ll provide backpacks to 5 high schoolers traveling to Alaska.
That’s it. That’s a fundraising offer. Not so tough, right? Especially if you already have a strong impact statement! (And if you still need to create your impact statement, grab the free impact statement worksheet.).
source: @brooklyntoalaska
How do you turn your impact statement into a fundraising offer?
Creating a fundraising offer doesn’t have to be difficult. Mike recommends you follow these 3 steps:
1 ➜ answer this ONE question
What will happen in the world because of the donor’s action?
Whatever you do, avoid saying that their gift will “help us do our work.” It’s not about you. It’s about the RESULTS of a donor’s gift.
Yes, maybe they are funding some of your salary to get it done, but they don’t care about your salary. Sorry, but it’s true!!! They care about making a positive mark on the world, in their own unique way.
Whether it’s housing for the unhoused, food for the hungry, or a solid community arts program. Every donor has something they care about, and it’s your job to share exactly what their gift does to meet that goal.
Here are some examples of what happens when a donor engages with a nonprofit:
Make exhibits in the Children’s museum available – a child’s Imagination is ignited
Provide microloans to female entrepreneurs – A woman lifts her family out of poverty
Fund medical research – One day no one will have to die from this disease
2 ➜ keep it clear and simple
Don’t make donors think too hard. It’s actually a disservice to them.
Our brains are always trying to survive + conserve the number of calories we burn in a day. So that means that the more an individual donor has to think in their day, the simpler the offer needs to be.
Think doctors, lawyers, knowledge workers, healthcare workers—there’s a lot of brain power getting used up throughout the day. Make it EASY on them.
Believe it or not, the standard for writing online is to meet a level of grade 8 or lower reading level. Yes—even if your audience is a bunch of fancy schmancy and super smart English professors. Why?
Two reasons. Easy language allows you to:
Meet accessibility standards and serve those with disabilities.
Serve your tired, stressed, and burnt out audience.
We looooooove making things complicated. I’m not sure what it is about writing, but people always try to sound smart and impressive. It’s a problem across industries, but I think nonprofits are extra guilty of this. Want an easy way to see if you’re too wordy or complicated?
Go to HemingwayApp.com
Paste your text into the box
Look at the reading level
Delete the complicated words and reword the phrases highlighted in yellow or red. There you go! Accessible language at your fingertips.
I think Mike said it best:
Don’t think you are treating your donors like children because you’re talking to them in very simple forms. You’re actually serving them by helping them understand what is needed of them.
— Mike Duerksen, founder of Build Good
3 ➜ be specific
General messaging doesn’t move hearts or wallets. Make giving the EASY choice.
Help donors quickly understand:
Why they are needed
Why now
Why they should care
What they can achieve with their gift today (which plays into the story they’re buying about the kind of person they are).
Donors don’t just give their hard-earned cash on a whim. You need to give them a reason to act today.
What makes a memorable fundraising message?
How do you ensure your message lands with your audience? With a clear and simple fundraising offer. For every fundraising offer, make sure you:
Make it human-sized.
As an individual donor, there’s only so much you feel you can do. “Ending homelessness” is an urgent problem, but it feels insurmountable for donors. Instead, share human-sized ways to help (ex: give a meal, provide a safe bed, a warm blanket).
Show a picture of the future.
Paint a picture of what would happen if no one helped. If your org went away tomorrow, what problems would come up in the world?
➡️ What’s going to happen if your concert series doesn’t run?
➡️ What’s going to happen if you can support the girls who have experience sex trafficking?
Quantify it. Remember: donors want to feel needed. Show them exactly how much they’re needed and how far their dollar can go.
If you don’t know a dollar amount – that’s ok too, but still speak to that outcome. What can a donor’s gift do?
Keep it simple.
It’s really easy to over complicate things. I do it all the time. Often times, we/nonprofits like to add a bunch of jargon and add super duper specific details into something that just doesn’t need to be that difficult.
When it comes to your offer, make it simple. One of my favorite arts organizations provides a free concert to all 3rd graders in their area. Cool right?
Now, you can talk about all the reasons why exposing kids to music is important and how it can help them with their social and emotional well being and that it can improve their overall literacy development.
Or you can say, “This concert is designed to spark a curiosity in music for a local 3rd grader.”
Make giving easy
When it comes to fundraising, you have enough to worry about. Make your message easy for donors to understand, so they can take action and move your mission forward.