Nonprofits depend on fundraising, but getting enough donations can be tricky! At any given moment, millions of NGOs are asking for money, so how do organizations grab donor attention and raise funds for their programs? Donation messaging is key. By crafting the right message, charities can engage donors, build relationships, and activate a desire to give. In this article, we’ll provide 20 short examples of donation messages, including examples from organizations like Oxfam and Save the Children. We’ll conclude with an interview on messaging with two fundraising professionals.
#1. Use your donation message to tell a story
Storytelling is an age-old strategy that facilitates empathy and action in a potential donor.
“Every morning, Anna wakes up not knowing if she’ll eat breakfast. Her parents recently lost their jobs, and most days, the family struggles to afford enough food. Thanks to donors like you who support our work providing free breakfast and lunch to kids, kids like Anna can wake up confident they won’t go hungry.”
#2. Ask donors to tell others about their donation
Research suggests generosity is contagious, so by sharing that you’ve donated, you can encourage others to give, too. GoFundMe facilitates this with a message like:
Thank you so much for your donation! Please consider sharing this link with your social media network and increasing this campaign’s reach!
#3. Give donors a specific call to action
If you’re vague about what donors should do, they’re less likely to follow through. Consider giving them a specific request.
For people experiencing homelessness, clean new socks feel amazing. For our fundraising campaign this month, we’re asking supporters to donate unused socks to the shelter!
#4. Make it easy for donors to give through “Donate” buttons or hyperlinks to a donation portal
“Donate here (hyperlink) to provide medicine and clean water to kids living through conflict.”
#5. Acknowledge culture, religion, or a special time of year
Because of cultural or religious beliefs, many people donate during certain times of the year. Consider what dates matter to the donors you want to connect with. Here’s an example from Islamic Relief USA:
The first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah are the most sacred days of the year, loved by Allah (SWT). By giving to Islamic Relief, you can reap the rewards of this blessed month and serve those in need.
#6. Describe why monthly donations are important
Recurring monthly donations are essential to a nonprofit’s sustainability. Encourage more sign-ups by explaining why. Here’s a shortened example from Partners in Health:
With reliable funding from monthly partnerships, PIH teams can plan more effectively. We can focus more on lifesaving operations and save money on medicines and supplies. With a monthly gift, you can provide that time, effort, and support—and that makes us so hopeful.
#7. Give payment options
Not everyone wants to donate via credit card, so let your donor know about other acceptable payment methods. Here’s the copy on Covenant House’s “Ways To Give” page:
When you give to Covenant House, you make it possible for us to fight human trafficking and relentlessly support young people facing homelessness. There are many ways you can donate to help young people get back on their feet and onto their next chapters.
#8. Use a statistic
Statistics are a fast, easy way to let your donor know the scope of an issue. Here’s an example from the Global Fund for Women:
Only 1.9% of all charitable donations are made to organizations dedicated to women and girls. And Black feminist social movements get even less—smaller than 0.5%! Join us to help change the status quo.
#9. Include an urgent need in your message
When reaching out to donors, encourage them to give now, not later. Here’s an example from Action Against Hunger, which at the time of writing, had this message on its home page:
Famine imminent in Gaza. Take action now.
#10. Include how much you’ve raised so far and how much you have left
For increased transparency and a stronger sense of participation, let your donors know how a fundraiser is going!
Thanks to donors like you, we’ve raised an amazing $1,523 in the last three hours! With your help, let’s hit $3,000 before 5 pm today!
#11. Highlight your past successes
By celebrating your fundraising successes, you create positive buzz around your organization and invite donors into a future success story.
Last year, our donors helped us surpass our annual goal with an astounding $3 million total! This year, we’re raising the bar even further and challenging ourselves to raise $4 million. Help us get there by donating today!
#12. Give specific outcomes
Donors want to know where their money is going, so give specific outcomes rather than vague
mentions of “the work.” For example:
Your donation will help us repair roads damaged by floods.
#13. Link donation amounts to specific outcomes
Give examples of the items or services that financial gifts can provide. Here’s an example from Save the Children’s donation portal:
$50 can provide enough food for three kids this month.
#14. Announce partnerships and matching gifts
If you enter a partnership where donations are matched, let your donors know their gifts are being doubled or tripled! Here’s an example from Feeding America, which at the time of writing was working with BoxLunch:
Your gift can have double the impact for kids and families facing hunger thanks to a generous match from pop-culture retailer BoxLunch.
#15. Use past donations to encourage more giving
People who’ve already donated are a great group to reach out to. You should always acknowledge their past generosity when asking for more money.
We wanted to say thank you for your generosity this year! Thanks to donors like you, we’ve provided training to over 400 community health workers. You can help us reach 100 more by donating before the end of the holiday season!
#16. Always thank your donors
Every time someone donates, they should get a thank you message. Expressing gratitude is essential to building a relationship with your donors.
Thank you for your $25 donation to the End Human Trafficking campaign! Because of your generosity, women and girls are receiving the resources they need to thrive after experiencing human trafficking.
#17. Craft a message that distills your organization’s mission
Donors don’t want to read lots of text before choosing to donate, so every organization should be ready to describe its mission in 1-2 sentences. Here’s what Oxfam has on its donation page:
Families around the globe face urgent crises that are made worse by deep and enduring inequalities. Oxfam teams are responding in more than 80 countries to save lives during crises and advocate for long-term solutions to inequality, poverty, and injustice.
#18. Use a quote from someone served by the organization
Hearing from those served by a charity helps donors connect emotionally. Here’s a quote from a fictional person:
After my wheelchair broke, my world felt so small and cramped. I started getting depressed because I lost so much independence. When (X organization) provided me with a new wheelchair, my world opened up again. Now, I can live my life to the fullest!
#19. Craft a message specific to businesses
Organizations depend on donations from individuals, but businesses play a role, too. In your message, acknowledge the business’s impact and explain why you’d be good partners. Here’s a message from a hypothetical green energy charity:
At X organization, we’re committed to addressing climate change through affordable energy sources, like solar-powered generators. As a corporation, you’ve done excellent work in the green energy field and we would love to partner with you on our upcoming campaign! Would you be willing to match donations and help us reach even more people with green energy?
#20. Update your donors
After a campaign ends, let your donors know how it did and what impact they made.
We’re excited to share an amazing update on our recent campaign! Thanks to your support, we provided over 2,000 back-to-school kits to schools in your community! This year, kids will walk into classrooms equipped with everything they need to learn and thrive.
Two fundraising professionals weigh in on donation messaging
In this interview, which was conducted over email, I talk to Chris, the production director at a fundraising agency, and Michael, the agency’s president. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
What makes a donation message effective?
Chris: Make the messaging about people. At the end of the day, people give to people, not organizations. Also, sound bytes/videos/quotes are HUGE. People want to hear from those who are living proof that the organization and a donation are effective.
Michael: Invite the audience into a story where, by their giving, they are playing an active role in making the world a better place. To do this, you must clearly present the problem you are trying to solve and then position a donation as the means to a life-changing solution. This involves sharing exactly what the donor’s dollars will do. It is best to do this in the context of life-changing stories from real people. Donors are motivated to give to people more than to programs.
What is something you would recommend fundraisers not do in their messaging?
Chris: First, don’t sound desperate and “beggy,” especially if it’s untrue. If the nonprofit isn’t on
the ropes, don’t say anything like, “We don’t know if we’ll be able to do this much longer.” Something like, “Give so our organization can keep going strong” is much better. Secondly, don’t induce guilt. Saying something like, “Give up Netflix for a month and donate instead” is bad. If [a donor] wants to change their routine for a donation, that’s their call, but inducing guilt can be a major turn-off.
Michael: Don’t talk about the organization too much. While it is necessary to mention who the organization is and what they do to establish trust, too much talk about the organization can distract from the goal of inviting donors to participate through giving. They don’t need a history lesson; they need to be invited into a meaningful story where they know they can make the world a better place through their donation.
How has effective donation messaging evolved over the years? Are there any surprises?
Chris: I think the biggest surprise might be that there haven’t been many surprises that I’ve seen. If you keep the messaging simple and more or less focused on one cause, it should still be good.
Michael: Gone are the days of Sarah McLachlan with sad-looking puppies and that old bearded guy talking about how much a cup of coffee costs. Viewers may be motivated by sad images and messages in the short run, but gifts for campaigns like those come from guilt, which is usually temporary and doesn’t stick. It is much more effective in the long run to invite people to partner with your organization. Make them feel like the hero, and help them feel a sense of purpose when they give.