Part 1/4: How to Create a Strong Fundraising Offer

The success of your fundraising campaign (or any marketing initiative for that matter) relies on 3 things:

• Your list: who are you mailing to? (40%)
• Your offer: what are you offering your donor (40%)
• Your creative: formatting and appearance (20%)

I see nonprofits focus too much on the creative. It makes me chuckle, because everyone gets so worked up about pictures and design!

When you realize that the creative accounts for only 20% of your success, you realize time should be spent elsewhere.

I spend a lot of time on offer development with my clients. THIS is what moves the needle. Your offer serves as the basis for everything you write and design. Stronger offers lead to stronger performance. Every single time.

The skeleton of a good fundraising offer: problem, solution, price point, deadline

Today, we will talk about the problem. What makes a good problem?

✨ It is human-sized (don't ask the donor to save the world)

✨ It is immediately understandable (avoid being conceptual)

If you don't get the problem right... Your solution is going to fall flat. I walk you through my approach below.