The Fundable Offer By Robert Johnson

A Guide for Creating the Fundable Offer

Donors are motivated by a desire to make a meaningful impact on causes that resonate with their values and beliefs and value a fundable offer. Understanding what connects them and finding ways to present it to your donors is critical to building and maintaining a successful direct-response fundraising program.

A good direct-response fundraising offer is a bridge that connects organizations with their supporters, giving donors tangible and specific ways their contributions can make a difference. In this article, we will delve into the art of crafting fundable offers, exploring the vital components that capture your donors’ attention, inspire their generosity, and ultimately forge a lasting connection between your organization and the donors who support you.

As you brainstorm possible fundraising offers to present to your donors, use these five points as a guide.

(1) ORGANIZATIONAL ALIGNMENT

Ensure your fundraising initiatives align with your organization’s mission and values. Donors connect with your organization because they believe in what you do, so your fundraising offers should reflect the types of services and initiatives that drew them to support you in the first place.

(2) IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Clearly define the impact of each of your organization’s initiatives. Your donors, much like anyone investing in something meaningful, want to see, hear about, and believe in the impact of their contribution. Donor stewardship involves asking for help and clearly articulating what that help accomplishes.

(3) TARGET AUDIENCE CONSIDERATION

Tailor your offers to appeal to specific donor segments based on interests, demographics, and giving preferences. When donors respond to a specific fundraising offer, they are more likely to respond to similar offers in the future. As you develop additional fundraising offers, it is essential to consider the audience to which these offers will be presented. Testing will inform you if your donors will support new offers.

(4) ASSESS FEASIBILITY

Evaluate the feasibility and sustainability of a fundraising offer. While fundraising needs arise over time and for specific campaigns, having evergreen offers (food, meals, safe shelter, etc.) is vital. Assessing your fundraising offers is essential to ensure that your donors see your organization as meeting critical needs and laying a foundation for a better tomorrow.

(5) INNOVATION AND UNIQUENESS

Explore innovative approaches to stand out and differentiate your nonprofit. As you develop your specific fundraising offers, regularly assess their performance. Test, analyze data, gather feedback, and be willing to repeat and refine your approach to stay practical and relevant.

SIMPLE EXAMPLES OF FUNDABLE OFFERS:

• Feeding Organization: A gift of $100 can help provide 40 meals.
• Homeless Shelter: Your gift of $25 will provide one day of shelter and care.
• Animal Welfare: Contribute $25 to feed a shelter animal monthly.
• Community Development: $100 provides a brood of laying hens for a family.

THE 5-QUESTION TEST

In addition to brainstorming the points above, consider these five questions to determine the offer messaging that will inspire your donors’ support.

• What is the problem or opportunity?
• How is the organization solving the problem or meeting the opportunity?
• How much will it cost to solve the problem or meet the opportunity?
• How will the donor’s gift help solve the problem or meet the opportunity, and what is the specific call to action?
• Why should the donor give now?

Answering these questions in as much detail as possible ensures that your offer is structurally sound and resonates with donors, prompting them to take meaningful action.

Also, consider approaching your fundraising offer ideas as if you were conversing casually with your donor. It might go something like this:

• ORGANIZATION: Would you give to meet this need?
• DONOR: Why should I give?
• ORGANIZATION: To help provide [fill in the blank].
• DONOR: How can I help do that?
• ORGANIZATION: With a gift of $25.
• DONOR: What will my $25 do?
• ORGANIZATION: It will impact our community and change lives.

Working through this dialogue can help you craft a targeted fundraising offer, such as the simplified example: “For your gift of $X, you help accomplish Y.”

Creating fundable offers is critical to ensuring your organization has the foundational support needed to meet its mission and binds donors to it in a lasting way. Together, you are changing lives, shaping the future, and making a lasting impact.

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Robert Johnson is the Senior Creative Director at Douglas Shaw and Associates. Robert is a visual artist and storyteller who has successfully worked to build solid brands and messaging for direct-response fundraising.

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