Occasionally, I get emails asking me to donate to a fundraising campaign.

SHOCKER!🙄

Mostly, the messaging is okay. 

(If I happened to be the one who wrote the email copy, then obviously, the messaging is much more than okay; mortal man hasn’t used such potent language in centuries.  It’s almost like gold bars were melted down, mixed with the freshest strawberries, and somehow transformed into the written word.  When I’m done crying from the brute force impact of the language, I forward the email to my wife to arrange the donation – if it’s left up to me, I’ll max out our credit cards (again).)

At other times, however, I get an email and . . . it’s just . . . they do this thing that . . . like . . .

The organization is excellent.
They do great things.
The friends sending the email mean well and are trying to help.

But somewhere along the line — the coach, the manager, the friends, the AI they chose to use —  someone dropped the ball here.  Big time. 😢

(I know I know—you can’t criticize anyone these days. PC, wokeness, future therapy costs, defamation, yeah yeah, I got it.)

So you say it then -- tell me how this type of messaging makes you feel:

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"[Organization Name] is in deep financial trouble and needs your help . . .”

"The dedicated staff at [Organization Name] hasn’t been paid . . .”

"If we don’t help [Organization Name], they may have to close their doors . . .”

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Are you inspired yet? ‍

Me neither.

‍You and I feel that way because this messaging comes from a standpoint of desperation.

They're trying to sell us guilt, not pride.

 And that's a big no-no. 

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Why This Approach Doesn’t Work

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1. It Shifts the Burden to the DonorWhen your message focuses on financial struggles, it feels like you’re asking donors to bail you out. This creates an uncomfortable dynamic where the donor feels pressured to “rescue” the organization. Even if the donation comes through, the donor isn't happy about it.

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2. It Undermines the Organization’s ImageFocusing on financial struggles paints a picture of instability. Even if your organization is going through hard times, that’s not the whole story. Organizations have to always keep their sights on the future.  Highlighting your accomplishments and impact creates a sense of pride and momentum. Successful organizations attract support because donors want to invest in something they see as thriving, not merely surviving.  You feel like a winner when you give to a winner (and you feel like the opposite when you give to the opposite.  There, PC police, I censored myself).

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‍3. It Misses an Opportunity to Inspire HopeDesperation-focused messaging makes donors feel uneasy or concerned.  Those feelings are far less likely to motivate people to take action and donate.  Positive, hopeful messaging is far more effective at driving donor engagement. Highlight what’s going right and how donations can amplify that success.

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What They Should Have Done

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Something like these organizations did:

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(⬆️ I wrote those, in case you didn’t know.)

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Keep your messaging positive, no matter what challenges your organization is facing.

Showcase your mission, share stories of success, and frame donor support as an opportunity to build on what’s already working.

Need to vent? Call me up, and I’ll let you buy the beer. 🍺 But don’t put it in your emails.

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‍That’s all for now, folks!
Danny 😊