Why your donation appeals aren't converting

People do not give to causes. They give to people with causes.

― Jerold Panas (fundraising and philanthropy expert)

A few weeks ago we had the London Marathon.

For those of you in the UK, whether you ran it, sponsored a friend who did, or just received a donation request or two — you've had a front-row seat to fundraising at full intensity.

Even if you’re not in London, you've likely received a donation request. Some can motivate you to give, but most don’t.

Today we're going to talk about why — what makes someone take action? And why do most requests just get ignored?

This edition of EcoSend Weekly is primarily for anyone running email for a charity or non-profit — but it's just as useful if you've ever:

• asked friends to chip in for your kid's school
• asked around for a donation for your mate's bike ride
• tried to raise awareness for a cause you care about
• or asked just about anyone for anything.

They share the same principles, we're just operating in different contexts.

Asking is hard

Donation emails are some of the hardest emails to write.

You're asking someone for money — often someone you've never met, often with no incentive directly for you or the recipient.

Many fundraising emails fall into the same traps, like leading with statistics, and speaking in the third person — "the charity," "our beneficiaries," "we."

They bury the ask in paragraph four, and offer the reader minimal guidance on what to donate, with five different links to take action on.

From speaking with countless charities and non-profits, we know that the emails that work do the opposite.

What makes a good donation email?

Good donation emails tend to have a few things things in common:

They lead with a personal story

The brain struggles to process "12 million people in need" — but it does process "Amina, who walks four miles each morning before school to fetch water."

The story and the specificity can be felt, while statistics often just get nodded at.

They use 'you' more than 'we'

Read your last appeal and count the pronouns. If "we" outnumbers "you," you're talking about yourself when you should be talking to the reader.

The donation isn't about your organisation — it's about what the reader makes possible.

They make the ask concrete

"£15 funds a week of school meals" beats "donate what you can" every time.

A specific amount tied to a specific outcome turns a fuzzy request into a clear transaction.

Five things to try in your next email

The great thing about these tips is they don't require a new budget, a new channel, or even more time. You can try these out for your next send.

1. Open with a story, not a statement

Name a person. Set the scene. Give a sensory detail the reader can picture.

If your first sentence could appear word-for-word on your "About Us" page, rewrite it.

2. Ask in the first 100 words

Don't bury the donate link in paragraph six. While it’s a good idea to always finish the email with an ask, make it easy for the reader to give early.

Don’t hide the ask — if the reader opened the email, they’re already interested enough to learn more, so capture that intent.

3. Tie the amount to the impact

"£25 = one month of clean water for a family" does so much more work for the reader than a blank donation field. You might want to pick three amounts, label what each one does, and let the reader self-select.

By placing this in the email itself, you can remove a huge amount of uncertainty for the recipient, and significantly increase click-throughs to your donation page.

4. Close the loop before the next ask

Before your next appeal, send a "here's what your last gift did" email. Donors who see impact are far more likely to give again.

Again, the story element can build here too — finding a way to thread together different emails with a great narrative can really build trust.

5. Simplify the template, and send it from a real person

Take off your “marketer hat”. Strip the template. Strip the banner. Send it as if you'd written it yourself, to one person, on a Tuesday morning.

Your recipients are busy and chaotic — giving them clarity in the form of a clear, well-written, easy-to-read email is a brilliant chance to actually get their attention.

One small challenge

Take your next fundraising email and rewrite just the first sentence. Replace the statistic with a name. Then watch what happens to clicks, replies, and donations.

The hardest emails to write can also be the most honest. The reader likely knows what you're asking for, so it’s your job to earn it.

Until next week,

James

P.S. If you run email for a charity or non-profit and want a fresh pair of eyes on your next donation appeal, send us a draft. I’d love to see what you’ve done and I'll send notes back personally on any ideas / suggestions.