Most organizations make their fundraising too complex, and too much about their organization itself. That’s because they know so much and they know the value of their organization.
But remember that your fundraising is not meant to convince you to give a gift!
The vast majority of your donors don’t know as much as you do. So your fundraising needs to meet the donor where she is at – and talk about what she understands – using words she understands. This isn’t selling her short, by the way. She doesn’t think about your cause 40+ hours a week like you do.
It’s a really hard thing, but if your fundraising materials are great you most likely won’t like them. Great fundraising for your organization will seem overly simple to you. It might even feel “misleading” because you know your organization does so much more.
But it will meet the donor right where she is. And it will compel her to action.
Think about it this way: if you write to engage your executive director, your program staff, and your board members then your fundraising potential is pretty small. But if you write to engage anyone who cares about your cause or the people you serve, your fundraising potential is much, much, much larger.
