Tips to Increase Donations

How to raise $50,000 in 30 days using 7 AI prompts (you’ve never thought to use): AI won’t replace fundraisers. But fundraisers who use AI strategically will absolutely outperform the ones who don’t. These 7 prompts aren’t basic. They’re engineered to unlock human behavior, decision-making psychology, and funding at scale. 1. Prompt: “Analyze our past 10 email campaigns. Identify the emotional tone, structure, and CTA that drove the most clicks and donations. Suggest 3 new email angles based on behavioral trends.” Why it works: Donors respond to patterns. This prompt uses your own data to reverse-engineer what actually moves people, not what feels right. 2. Prompt: “Write a donor pitch using the ‘Commitment-Consistency’ principle from Cialdini, reference a donor’s past actions and show how giving now is aligned with who they already are.” Why it works: People are more likely to act in ways that align with their self-image. Donors who’ve volunteered, signed petitions, or shared your content? This is how you turn engagement into dollars. 3. Prompt: “Create a 3-part story arc for LinkedIn posts that subtly shift a corporate contact from passive observer to strategic partner, without ever asking for money.” Why it works: It’s called affinity priming. AI scripts the story. LinkedIn builds trust. You close the deal. 4. Prompt: “Generate 5 donor thank-you messages tailored by giving tier, use loss aversion and social proof to increase chances of a second gift.” Why it works: “Thank you” is a sales moment in disguise. This prompt makes it count. One client turned 23% of first-time donors into recurring givers using tiered messaging like this. 5. Prompt: “Draft a voicemail script for a lapsed donor using the Ben Franklin effect, ask for a small favor instead of a gift, to reactivate the relationship.” Why it works: People feel closer to those they help. Use it to rebuild trust without making an ask. Often, the donation follows. 6. Prompt: “Identify 3 psychological barriers to giving on our donation page. Rewrite the copy to reduce friction using clarity, scarcity, and immediacy.” Why it works: Most pages leak donations. This prompt fixes that, leading to real revenue recovery. One org tested this and saw their average donation increase from $48 to $71 just by shifting copy. 7. Prompt: “Write a short pitch that reframes our mission as a business case for corporate ESG leads, focused on risk reduction, brand lift, and employee retention.” Why it works: Companies don’t give because of charity. They give because it aligns with strategy. This prompt flips the frame, and unlocks five-figure partnerships. These are just a few of the 40+ AI scripts inside our AI Launchpad Cohort, a hands-on experience for nonprofits ready to raise more with less guesswork. Comment Launchpad and we’ll send you details about the upcoming cohort. With purpose and impact, Mario

Think your donors are tired of hearing from you? Think again. Common belief in the nonprofit world: donors are overwhelmed by too many requests. But what if I told you that donor fatigue isn’t about the number of asks? Instead, it’s about the lack of true engagement and value. Here’s the truth: Donors aren’t worn out from hearing from you —they’re disengaged by generic, one-size-fits-all communications. When we fail to connect on a personal and emotional level, we lose the opportunity to build something meaningful together. So, how to break the mold and keep donors engaged? 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Tailor your messages to reflect each donor's interests, purpose and past interactions. Show them that they’re more than just a name on a list. (note: superficial personalization such as just scraping their name, alma mater, etc. from a database is actually worse than no personalization at all) 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲: Highlight the impact of their donations with compelling stories that immerse them in tangible outcomes. Make sure they see the difference they’re making. Better yet, make sure they feel it. 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝗸: Foster a sense of community by involving donors in events, updates, and volunteer opportunities. Show genuine appreciation and interest in their input. Create opportunities for multi-faceted dialogue. Fatigue doesn't happen when someone is truly invested. Donors aren't tired of outreach. They're tired of bad outreach. So go ahead and challenge the status quo and transform how you engage with your supporters. Because it’s not about asking less—it’s about connecting more. #fundraising #nonprofits #philanthropy

Your fundraising appeals keep failing for one reason. It's not your subject line. It's not your donation page. It's not your ask amount. It's not even your story. It's that you're talking about yourself instead of your donor. Count the words "we," "us," and "our" in your last appeal. Now count "you" and "your." If the first number is higher, you've found your problem. Your donors don't care about your organization's needs. They care about the impact they can make through you. The organizations raising more money aren't writing better appeals about themselves. They're writing better appeals about their donors. They don't say "We need your support." They say "You can change a life." They don't say "Our programs are effective." They say "Your gift creates transformation." They don't say "Help us meet our goal." They say "Your impact will multiply when you give today." Pull out your last three fundraising appeals. Highlight every sentence that focuses on your organization rather than your donor's impact. Rewrite each one to put your donor at the center. Because your appeals aren't failing because of poor technique. They're failing because you've made yourself the hero of the story instead of your donor. Fix that, and watch your response rates transform.

Most fundraising appeals are too polite. Too indirect. Too passive. Too focused on what 𝘸𝘦 do— instead of what the donor makes possible. If you want more clarity, more confidence, and more response in your writing, start here: 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽. I call it 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴. And it looks like this: “Together, we help feed people” ➡️ “You feed hungry people” “You are helping provide education” ➡️ “You’re educating children” “With your support, we can offer shelter” ➡️ “You provide shelter to those in need” “Thanks to you, we’re able to offer medical assistance” ➡️ “You’re delivering lifesaving medical care” “Your donations support our advocacy efforts” ➡️ “You’re championing human rights” This isn’t about semantics. It’s about 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. When the donor sees themselves as the one acting, they feel agency. They feel urgency. They feel 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥. So cut the qualifiers. Eliminate the disclaimers. And write like the donor is the one holding the pen. 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲. What’s one sentence in your next appeal you can rewrite with 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 at the center?

I’ve seen many fundraisers with years of experience fail to answer this simple question… Why should donors give to YOU? We often forget that people don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. Too often, nonprofits jump straight to the how and what of their work (programs, events, activities) without clearly articulating their why. But the why is what inspires action. It’s what connects emotionally with donors and gives meaning to your mission. Once you clearly identify your why, it becomes much easier to craft a value proposition that showcases the real impact you bring and why it matters. A strong value proposition answers: 🔹 What’s the problem? 🔹 Why does it matter? 🔹 What does your organization do to solve it? The overlap of these answers helps you communicate your mission in a way that resonates deeply with supporters. Here's the difference it makes: ❌ “We’ve worked for 25 years to combat hunger through food distribution and innovative programs.” (Organization focused) ✅ “Your gift provides a warm meal to a hungry child, giving them the nourishment to grow and thrive.” (Donor focused) Which would you rather give to? Your value proposition is how you express your comparative advantage from the donor’s perspective. It’s not about your longevity or your activities. It’s about the difference their support makes. Start with your why. The rest will follow.

I sent the same appeal to 10,000 donors. One version raised $67,000. The other raised $142,000. The only difference? Where I put the word "you." Donor-centered writing isn't just nice—it's profitable: • "You" in the first sentence increases response by 23% • Stories about donors (not beneficiaries) raise more money • Questions outperform statements in both open and response rates One organization rewrote their case statement from "we need" to "you can" language and saw major gift closes increase by 41%. The most powerful word in fundraising isn't "give"—it's "you." What small language shift has made the biggest difference in your fundraising?