Writing an Effective Fundraiser Description

Writing a Description that will engage your audience

Your campaign description is the most important part of your page. At WayGiver, we think of it as the "Big Ask." Don’t let worries about writing your description delay creating a campaign. Just follow this basic outline and you’ll do fine.

Paragraph One

Get right to the point by giving the who, what, when, and where of your campaign. There may be a lot to the story, but try to get to these basic details quickly. Keep in mind that most donors will not even read all the way to the end, and make the most of your first paragraph.

If you are going on a mission trip, tell them who you are, where you are going, and most of all why you want to go.

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Mary Smith. For 12 months starting in August 2017, I will be traveling to Haiti to work with orphans. By spending time with these children, I hope to share the love of Jesus and teach them the reading skills they need to open up the Bible for themselves...

If you are doing a medical fundraiser, tell them who you are, what is wrong, and why you need the financial support.

I’m Chris Jones, and my wife Melody is battling a rare form of cancer. She is an adventurous, energetic person who loves her family and serves her community as a nurse in the pediatric wing at Oakwood General Hospital. The doctors give her a 75% chance of full recovery, but the surgery will cost upwards of $80,000, only some of which is covered by insurance...

If you are doing a fundraiser for a building project or ministry program, them briefly about the project or program, how it will make an impact, and how the funds will be used.

On August 15, 2017, a group of teens from the Williamstown Methodist Church will be assisting with flood relief in Jamestown. Our group of 30 students will reach out to those displaced from their homes with clothing, food and household items and offer our hands and skills for basic repairs to flood damaged homes...

Paragraph Two

Even if there is more to tell about why you are doing the fundraiser, try to present the “Big Ask” here. Though it may seem intuitive because you’ve set up a WayGiver crowdfunding campaign to raise money, you need to ask your readers specifically to support your cause.

For example:

Would you prayerfully consider supporting my trip by donating to my WayGiver campaign? Your support would go a long way toward helping…

Asking for their financial support is important, but ask them also to pray and to share your fundraiser with their social media network. These ways of expressing support are just as valuable and necessary as the financial donations.

Paragraph Three

After asking for support, you can share more detail about the story or organization behind the campaign.

Tell the Story

Stories are much more effective than lists of facts. Imagine that you are having a conversation or sharing your heart with your donors. Try to connect with them as you relate the details of your project, or how you came to care about it in the first place.

Create a compelling title

Your campaigns should have a title that is personalized and has a clear request like “Help Joanna go to Kenya!” or “Help John beat a rare disease!” As we shared here, you can use a photo editor to add the title to the maint image on your campaign.

Sponsor Information

If you are a church, ministry, or other organization, include more details about who you are, your mission, and how you can be contacted.

For example:

Grace Point Church is a place to grow in your faith and relationship with Jesus Christ, and to joyfully worship, serve, and learn with other believers. We are located at 3701 Vestal Road, Vestal, NY 13850 and our services times 9 and 10:45 Sunday morning. You can learn more at www.GracePointVestal.com or watch our services live on Facebook.

 

WayGiver is here to help

One of the tools that works well with WayGiver’s description editor is Grammerly. It is a free tool that will do much more than just check your spelling. It offers style and grammar suggestions too, and it can be used as an extension of the Google Chrome browser.

Once you have drafted your description, you can email us at HereToHelp@WayGiver.com and ask for a review. Janet, our Writing Specialist, will take a look at it and offer some tips and suggestions to make it even more effective.

 

Related Articles
Improving Your Fundraiser Images
Promoting Your WayGiver Crowdfunding Campaign

 

At WayGiver, our mission is to help individuals, churches, and Christian ministries reflect God’s love through giving by providing an easy to use online fundraising platform, offering expert knowledge on crowdfunding, blessing them by giving back, and being there for them with outstanding customer support. We are always HereToHelp@WayGiver.com.

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