It’s nearly time for year-end appeals. Before you write yours, keep this in mind:<\/p>\n
Your year-end appeal should be as specific as possible.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Here’s why.<\/p>\n I get a lot of appeals from nonprofits. A LOT of appeals. And many of them leave me scratching my head by the time I get to the end. They’ve told me a beautiful story, but I don’t know what they want me to do after reading it. The payment slip asking me for my payment information is my only clue.<\/p>\n Don’t leave your donors scratching their heads. When you send them an appeal, tell them what you want them to do.<\/p>\n The more specific the ask, the more compelling it will be.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Weaker:<\/strong> “Please support our mission by donating at www.thisisadonationpage.com.” <\/p>\n Weaker:<\/strong> “A donation of any amount can make a difference.” <\/p>\n Weaker:<\/strong> “Help us feed the hungry this year.” <\/p>\n “But Abby!” you’re thinking. “What if my donors can’t give a $50 gift?”<\/p>\n That happens! And it’s okay! The best way to work around it is to add an “other” option to your remittance slip or donation form.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n On your remittance slip, include options like:<\/p>\n “Yes! I would like to donate $50 to feed two families this Christmas.”<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n “I would like to donate a different amount! ______”<\/p>\n Alternatively, you could include different gift sizes on your remittance slip and give donors the option to check a box or fill in an “Other” amount. Be careful here: adding too many options or too much detail to a remittance slip can be overwhelming!<\/p>\n Here’s a tip for remittance slips: you can include more compelling information (and make it easier for donors\u2014particularly elderly donors\u2014to make a gift) on your remittance slip by using a full-page payment slip instead of a dinky tear-off slip. Have you ever tried to fit an entire street address on a 2-inch line? It’s a nightmare.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Online donation forms can function similarly\u2014include a few suggested donation amounts that correspond to the ask you made in your appeal.<\/p>\n A quick note about this: at Qgiv, we’ve noticed that including suggested donation amounts can inspire people to give larger gifts. Asking donors to give a $50 gift may be the CTA (call to action) in your appeal, but it’s worth including the option to give $100, $200, or even more.<\/p>\n When using suggested amounts on your donation form, try including a description of what each amount can achieve. In this appeal, you could try something like:<\/p>\n $150 \u2014 buy complete Christmas dinners for six families<\/p>\n $100 \u2014 buy complete Christmas dinners for four families<\/p>\n $50 \u2014 buy complete Christmas dinners for two families<\/p>\n $25 \u2014 help pay to deliver Christmas dinners<\/p>\n Other: _____<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As you write your year-end appeals, think very hard about what you actually want your donors to do. Do you want them to donate? How much\u00a0<\/em>do you want them to donate? Do you want them to share your message with a friend? Do you want them to sign up to volunteer with you next year?<\/p>\n Decide what you want your donors to do, and then ask them to do that thing.<\/p>\n Give them options, of course. Not everyone will be able to give you a $50 gift. Some people will opt to give less. Some people will opt to give more. But, at the end of a year-end appeal, your donors should know exactly what you want them do, exactly what difference they’ll make, and exactly how to offer their support.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It’s nearly time for year-end appeals. Before you write yours, keep this in mind: Your year-end appeal should be as specific as possible. Here’s why. I get a lot of appeals from nonprofits. A LOT of appeals. And many of them leave me scratching my head by the time I get to the end. They’ve […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11503,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[152,271],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHere are a few examples of what a specific ask looks like:<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nStronger:<\/strong> “A gift of $50 will make an impact that will last well into 2019. Would you please consider donating $50 to feed our community next year?”<\/p>\n
\nStronger:<\/strong> “Please make the holidays brighter for families in our community by giving to this year’s Food for the Holidays program.”<\/p>\n
\nStronger:<\/strong> “A $50 gift can give 2 families a Christmas dinner they can’t buy on their own. Would you please make that gift?”<\/p>\nDonation Options on Remittance Slips<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Donation Options on Donation Forms<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Conclusion<\/strong><\/h4>\n