A few years ago I attended a fundraising conference and had the chance to hear Stephen Pidgeon of the direct marketing agency Tangible Response speak and my life was changed forever when it came to writing appeals.
The session focused on the construct of the fundraising proposition as a short expression of your case statement. The framework for constructing your fundraising proposition is called the four pillars, where each story, each appeal includes these main elements to engage donors:
- Vision
- Enemy
- Hero
- Recipient
The VISION is not your organization’s vision or mission statement, but how the world would need to be so that your organization is no longer necessary.
The ENEMY is whatever is stopping the vision from being reality. Remember, emotion leads to action. So donors need to feel something in your appeal. A good enemy is something can donors see as a good target to pick a fight with.
The HERO fights the enemy to achieve the vision. The hero can be the donor, or you can let the donor join the fight.
The RECIPIENT is whomever will benefit when the hero fights the enemy to achieve the vision.
Here’s a sample Stephen Pidgeon developed for the organization Action for Blind People
| VISION | ENEMY | HERO | RECIPIENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every blind and partially sighted person given support when needed | Red tape and lack of money for simple, practical support | Passionate people fighting bureaucracy and indifference to provide | Thousands of people (every 15 minutes) losing their sight and picking up shattered lives |
This resulted in...
Every 15 minutes someone in the UK begins to lose their sight. Today, with your help, we can give them the practical support needed to rebuild their shattered lives.
A simple, clear call to action that can be catered to each donor segment.
Related Resources
- WEBINAR RECORDING: Making the Right Fundraising Ask: When, How, and How Much
- SALESFORCE HOW TO BLOG: Personalize fundraising appeals by creating Next Ask Amount in Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack
- SALESFORCE HOW TO BLOG: 12 Formulas for Calculating Next Ask Amount in the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack
- SALESFORCE HOW TO BLOG: Improve sustaining donor appeals by creating Next Recurring Ask Amount in Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack
- BLOG: Making the Right Fundraising Ask: Smart Strategy for Successful Appeals
- BUYER'S GUIDE: 2017 Marketing Automation Comparison Report, Idealist Consulting
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