Pulling at Heartstrings—Five Must Do’s of Effective Philanthropic Writing

Last year, the Northern Arizona University Foundation raised over 20 million dollars to advance the university it serves. Various donors invested in causes ranging from scholarships and research to professorships and athletics. Paradoxically, the unprecedented hardship of the COVID-19 pandemic did not discourage donors from opening their hearts (and wallets), which resulted in the NAU Foundation’s strongest fundraising year in history.

So why did businesses, alumni, and friends share their wealth despite last year’s chaos and insecurity?

The answer lies in the impact stories they read, which in turn, inspired donors to have the courage to be kind and generous despite uncertain times.

Before I joined the NAU Foundation and dove into the marvels of philanthropy, I did not realize or understand the impact that storytelling has on fundraising. After a year of crafting sentence after sentence, I can finally say I have a solid understanding of how to piece together a compelling story.

A good fundraising story awakens the reader’s imagination and pulls at their heartstrings. Keep in mind that donors are under no obligation to share their wealth with others. They choose to do so because they feel inspired and confident that their generosity will make a difference in the lives of others.

But how can you spark and sustain this inspiration?

Here are 5 must do’s to help you write a compelling impact story:

1. Be curious. Research your story and the people it features. Learn who they are by asking questions. Interview them, either in person or on Zoom. Record the conversation and listen to it as many times as you need to. Write down compelling quotes and significant time stamps.

2. Start thinking like a storyteller, not a fundraiser. Create a story that will spark the reader’s empathy and imagination: bring characters to life, use active voice, paint a vivid picture, and create a sensory reality. Include faces, quotes, and infographics.

3. Simplify your writing. Humans have an eight- second attention span so don’t waste time with pretentious words or unnecessary fillers. Sentences become more powerful with fewer words. Does “Thank you for your gift” sounds more powerful than “I would like to thank you for making your generous gift to the university”? You decide.

4. Experiment. Try different headers, text blocks, and design elements. Insert high-quality hero banners. If you are sharing content on social media, create two different versions of the same post and share them with two sets of audiences. Test which one results in more engagement, (clicks, shares, likes, and comments) and use this knowledge to your advantage.

5. End your story with a call-to -action: what do you want the reader to feel and then do after reading your piece? Remember, you are not just telling a story. You are inspiring your reader to act. Remind them that their gift will make a difference in someone else’s life. Invite them to contact your fundraiser by providing a website link, e-mail, or phone number.