Posted on by Caitlin Pontrella

How To Write A Successful Fundraising Appeal

This article is a part of the Public Parkour Park Roadmap Series by Caitlin Pontrella

Fundraising is a critical component of any project coming to life, and I’m not just talking about meeting budgeting needs. Successful fundraising campaigns raise awareness and increases community engagement with you, your project, and organization.

One of the most important parts of a fundraising campaign is writing an appeal that drives donors to give to your cause. Here are some tips to help you!


Define Victory

How much are you trying to raise and, more importantly, what does it create? Truly successful fundraising campaigns lay out a clear target and outcome, which builds trust with donors.

Do you need to raise $10,000? $50,000? If you do so, what is created? More classes? An entire school program? A new piece of equipment? Online content? A playground?

When possible, create milestones or dollar-reference points. What would a $50 dollar gift create? A $500 gift? If you hit 50%, what happens? If you don’t hit 100% what happens? Depending on your Victory condition, your approach will vary. But the fact stands:The more you can connect the dots between dollars and outcomes, the stronger your ask will be and the more you will raise.

  • “$2500 provides an afterschool program for low-income students”
  • “A gift of $50 gives 4 free classes to a student.”
  • “Every $10 creates an online resource to teach people how to do parkour!”Line 1

Additionally, whenever possible, include a timeline. Do you need to raise $10,000 in a month? By X date? In x number of weeks? Deadlines create urgency and also help drive giving.

Edit: Even in times of crisis, be specific. ‘Provides relief to 14 coaches and supports the creation of online content’ — Just remember that if their donations are helping fund something you will be charging for later that you consider giving access to your donors as well.


Tell Your Story

The decision to give is made in an emotional place, not a logical one.

When making an ask, you need to tell your story with emotion… but quickly. Clearly outlay the problem you are currently (and urgently!) facing or the need you are trying to address as an organization. Follow this with the solution you are presenting–your ‘Victory’–which you are asking donors to fund.

If your copy is too long you risk losing your donor. If it is too short you risk failing to inspire them. This work takes practice. 1-2 paragraphs, with your first ask by your 3rd paragraph at the latest.

  • Write like you speak. Use short sentences and words. Make sure your copy is easy to read.
  • Double proof your copy. This means someone reads it out loud – including all of the punctuation and formatting – whilst another person checks the text matches and the spelling, grammar and punctuation is correct and consistent
  • Focus on one message. Don’t mention every single program you run or class you offer or thing you’re selling. It muddies up the ask and misdirects focus away from The Ask.


Keep It Donor-Centered

Make your appeal donor-centered. Use the word “you” whenever possible and limit the use of ‘we’ and ‘us’. At first this seems counter intuitive, but this connects people to their personal, real and meaningful impact.

  • “Your one time gift provides immediate relief now“
  • “Your gift will help create the very first parkour playground in Seattle“
  • “Your monthly membershipcreates free classes for all and supports your coaches“


Be Direct With Your Ask

Many people feel uncomfortable asking for donations. Don’t beat around the bush. or wait until the very end to ask.

Have a very clear call to action and an explicit ask. If you can, ask for a specific amount. One of the biggest reasons people don’t donate is because they’re never directly asked to donate. If you want someone to become a monthly supporter, ask for that. If you need a one time donation of $100, ask for that. The more specific you are, the more confident donors will be that they have helped you solve a problem.

  • Include your ask early – the sooner the better
  • Repeat the ask (and link) several times throughout.
  • Be direct with phrases like “Will you donate?” “Please support us today” versus more a more passive voice.
  • Be specific whenever possible
  • Don’t muddy the ask with other asks–IE: Dont ask for a donation and then try to sell them on a membership. Pick one.
  • Always suggest at least one donation amount in your copy and support this by explaining what difference this would make
  • Consider having a non-monetary ask: if they can’t give, can they share your cause with their communities online?



Make It Easy

Every ASK should be linked to a place where donors can donate! Do not send them to your home page, or another web page re-iterating your call to action. Reduce the number of steps to gifting as much as you can.

Finally make sure to ask someone outside your team to test your online donation process, emails, or your telephone approach, to make sure it works.

  • When using emails, give a link directly to the pay/donation portal.
  • When using phone calls, take their information down and process the donation on the phone through your computer. It is far less likely they will follow through with a donation if they hang up and have to figure it out on their own.
  • When building a web landing, have a donation method embedded directly next to your ask.
  • When utilizing social media, direct link ideally to your pay/donation portal


One Tip for Community Projects

One last tip I have for people embarking on fundraising for community projects is considering offering a Match. A Matching Gift is a donation by an individual or company that matches any donation, usually dollar by dollar. This route is typically restricted to 501(c)3 registered non-profits or fiscally sponsored organizations.

A foundation, non-profit, government, or private company matches any gift to your company or organization up to a certain amount.

A private individual or set of individuals/families matches any gift to your company or organization up to a certain amount. Typically these individuals or families commit to give ahead of the campaign, to inspire others to give, and will gift the full amount even if your goal is not reached. But not always.

If you are an individual, community organization, or informal group trying to get a park built, it would be in your best interest to find a fiscal sponsor to support you in taking tax-deductible donations. Parkour Visions, a 501(c)3 based in Seattle with a mission commitment to supporting the creation and design of spaces for play and parkour, is one such organization open to these types of partnerships!

I will provide a more detailed article on soliciting for Matching funds in another article.


Dont Do This

Please dont.

  • Do not represent yourself as a non-profit or not-for-profit if you are not registered as one. If you are a for-profit company or private citizen, you must be clear if you are asking for ‘donations’ that they are not tax deductible and that you are not a non-proft.
  • Don’t make unrealistic promises, use unrealistic numbers, or unrealistic timelines. Share the real story, and the real risks. Provide regular updates.
  • Don’t ask for another donation before thanking your donors in a real and meaningful way.
  • Don’t assume a donor wants recognition. Make sure to ask how donors would like to be recognized or if they want to be anonymous.
  • Don’t forget to ASK!!

This article is a part of the Public Parkour Park Roadmap Series by Caitlin Pontrella