You may have heard that the average human attention span is down to 8.25 seconds – nearly a second shorter than a goldfish.
This statistic tells us that shorter – yet still impactful – messaging is the key to capturing attention and securing more donations.
This isn’t to say that humans aren’t interested in compelling storytelling and impressive statistics! But when it comes to fundraising via social media and email, shorter messaging is crucial to raise more money.
Read on to learn why these shorter messages bring in more funds and how to craft them. As a bonus, we’ll include four examples to inspire you!
Why Are Short Donation Messages So Important?
Sometimes you have to shorten your donation messages because you simply don’t have the space. Other times, shorter messaging can help in the following ways –
1. Capture attention
When you have a powerful, short message in your materials, you’re more likely to capture the attention of potential donors – especially if they’re just browsing a platform like social media.
The right messaging can make someone want to learn more about your mission (or convince them to go ahead and donate!).
We love how The City uses compelling language to encourage more donations on their Donorbox donation page. Their tagline is simple but catchy.
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2. Inspire urgency
Would you rather have someone read your entire appeal letter, or get enough messaging to feel compelled to give right then?
Short messaging on social media and in your emails helps convey the urgency behind your fundraising – and leaves plenty of time for your supporters to give.
3. Convey what’s most important
Short messaging can help you cut the fluff and get to what matters most. Distilling your larger appeal letter into one or two powerful sentences helps you get a new perspective and sharpens what you send to your audience.
5 Tips to Craft the Perfect Short Donation Messages for Social Media and Email
1. Use attention-grabbing language
Now is not the time to use boring words! When you want to grab someone’s attention, you need to use compelling language that draws them in.
While the language you use will vary based on your mission and the reason you’re fundraising, we have a list of nine magic words that drive donations for any fundraiser.
Pro tip: If you’re not sure if your language is compelling enough, read your donation message out loud. How does it sound? This is a great way to catch typos and clunky wording, too!
2. Demonstrate donation impact
Just because you don’t have many characters to work with doesn’t mean you can afford to leave the donation impact out of your messaging!
One of the seven reasons people donate is to make a difference. Your short message must show them how their gift will matter.
3. Convey an urgent need
There’s a reason you’re asking for more funds right now. What is it, and why is it urgent? Generating a sense of urgency in your short donation message will make it more impactful – and will ultimately lead to more donations.
Ethos Classical does a great job conveying an urgent need with its brief donation message on its Donorbox fundraising page. Because public funding falls short, this school relies on individual donors to make up the difference.
They also demonstrate the impact of donations by providing context for each donation level. This inspires more generosity!
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4. Include a clear call to action
Your communication has a purpose – to secure a donation. Including a call to action shows donors what to do about all the urgency you just generated!
Typically, you’ll include a call for donations with a link to your online donation form or page.
5. Personalize when possible
While it’s not realistic to personalize a short donation message on social media, you absolutely should personalize any fundraising appeals made via email. Personalization connects with donors and helps them recognize the important role they can play in your mission.
5 Short Donation Messages Examples
1. [First name], our shelter is at maximum capacity. We have 20 dogs who must get adopted before the end of the year. Will you chip in $20, just a dollar per dog, to help them find their forever homes?
Why it works: The personalized first sentence helps inspire urgency, while the second sentence demonstrates need. Showing donors why you’re asking for this amount both illustrates how they can make a big impact and shows that it doesn’t take much money to make a difference.
2. A donation of just $50 today will purchase art supplies for one of our classrooms for an entire year. Help bring smiles back to the classroom with fun, transformative arts education. Give online or repeat your previous donation with just one click.
Why it works: Donors are clear on exactly what their donation will be used for – art supplies. Learning that they can provide arts education to a class for an entire year showcases the impact of their involvement. This organization could increase its urgency by demonstrating an immediate need – why is arts education so important?
3. Your support provided job coaching to Sally and gave her the help she needed to transition to working full-time after three years of homelessness. Together, we change lives. Will you donate $100 to help more people like Sally get back on their feet?
Why it works: Acknowledging previous donors in your short donation message is a great way to showcase how grateful you are for any support. It shows potential donors that you’re responsive and builds their trust. This message also includes a brief story about Sally, with just enough details for us to understand the urgency and impact of this organization’s work.
4. Did you know that 2 billion people don’t have access to clean drinking water? Your support brings that number down – will you join us in our pledge to build 40 new wells in developing countries over the next two years? Please consider making a recurring gift that supplies safe water to the people who need it most.
Why it works: Starting with a statistic illustrates the dire need. This organization includes a concrete goal, with a set deadline, which builds both momentum for their campaign and trust in their donors. Their mission and impact is clear. Also, notice that this organization focused on the impact the donor has through their gift – not just what the organization itself does. This is called donor-centric fundraising and can make a big difference in your donation messages.
5. Your gift of $25 today ensures a foster child in your town receives a special gift off of their wish list in time for the holidays. Donate at (link).
Why it works: Short donation messages like this are perfect for social media, especially when paired with an impactful photo or video. The visual will get your audience to stop scrolling while the quick caption keeps their attention just long enough to understand what you want them to do. Plus, notice the urgency – give today so this child receives their gift before the holidays.
Conclusion
Modern fundraising requires short donation messages that catch attention, build urgency, and ultimately result in more donations.
The best way to craft them is to follow some basic principles for high-quality appeal copy. You should also craft your short donation messages before you need them so you have time to get feedback from your team and/or review them again with fresh eyes.
With online fundraising through donation forms, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer, and fundraising pages, on-site giving with the Donorbox Live™ Kiosk app, easy event ticketing for nonprofits, text-to-give, and more, Donorbox provides the features organizations need to collect as many donations as possible.
For more fundraising tips, check out the rest of our Nonprofit Blog. Subscribe to our newsletter for a curated collection of blog content delivered to your inbox every month.
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