The Art of the Fundraising Appeal

Creating a fundraising appeal is a little like asking your parents for a small sum of money. The goal is to explain your grand idea to the people you appreciate, show them the nuts and bolts of how their money contributes to your plan and thank them profusely for their involvement.

Nuts and Bolts: Appeals help donors focus on supporting specific fundraising projects. If you don’t create a compelling plan and share it, your donors won’t know your organization’s greatest need. This is your opportunity to say, “Hey, look at how you can help us succeed!” Using Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge appeal function can help track what the purpose of your appeal is, who are the participating donors, and expenses and revenue.

The End Results: Show your appreciation! Use the Raiser’s Edge Mail Module to send an acknowledgment and tax receipt that demonstrates how their donation made a difference. Raiser’s Edge Reports analyze the success of your appeal by calculating donor participation, fundraising goals and creates a list of donors for future stewardship.

All you need to create a successful appeal is a little creativity and resources such as Blackbaud’s Raiser Edge to help you get started. 

(Community Manager's Note: This blog is an entry in our Summer School contest. It has not been vetted by the Raiser's Edge team for accuracy.)