Creating Urgency Without Desperation

So much of fundraising is about creating compelling, emotional appeals that motivate a donor to give. One of the key factors in making those appeals particularly effective is giving them a sense of urgency. People love to put things off, and if you can message a reason why their gift is not only important, but important right now, they are more likely to make a contribution.

There are lots of great ways to accomplish this.

Your urgency might exist around the community you serve—for example, X number of children will go without free breakfast this month without the support of our programs. Your urgency might even be the reason for the campaign you are running—for example, a tornado destroyed X homes in our community and we are raising money to help our neighbors rebuild. The beauty of this kind of urgency is that it is directly related to the storytelling about your mission. It is rooted in your cause and it positions your donor directly at the center of it by saying: dear donor, you can make a difference in the world today with your gift.

Your urgency might also exist around a deadline. This is particularly compelling when you have a challenge grant that you are trying to secure—the message “help us meet the match by our funder’s deadline” is likely to motivate anyone who wants to have their gift multiplied. Who wouldn’t want to help a charity they care about raise more money?

Another helpful deadline is the end of the calendar year, which has remained a busy time for charitable giving, even with the recent changes in the tax law. November and December are always a great time for messaging around gratitude, the fresh start that a new year brings, and the ways in which your donors can be a part of that (today).

Of course, there might be other reasons that you have urgency around fundraising. Those reasons are often internal to the organization—perhaps you’ve lost a donor unexpectedly, have come up against some unforeseen expenses, or are experiencing a cash flow crunch. All of these are a part of nonprofit life, and are valid reasons that you need donor dollars coming in the door. Unfortunately, these urgent financial needs, though very real, are NOT effective motivators of charitable giving for anyone but the closest, most dedicated contributors to your organization.

Whether you are running a broad campaign or approaching a board member or donor about making a gift to help you get through this moment, it is important to consider the difference between what is motivating you to make an urgent ask, and what will motivate a donor or donors to make a timely gift. Of course, it is important to be transparent about your challenges where appropriate, but don’t leave out the part of the message that is inspirational and motivational! Both are necessary and it’s possible to combine the two.

For more reading on donor cultivation (and motivation!) check out our post Building a Community of Donors.