Me-First Fundraising: Why It Doesn't Work

Usually, you can count on Kiva to do solid, effective fundraising. That's why this example that recently landed in my inbox is disappointing.

This email from Kiva is classic me-first fundraising. It's a common form of fundraising that's based on the premise that if you talk about your organization enough, donors will be impressed and give.

Since it's a short message, let's look at each sentence:

• "Your donation makes Lovince's loan possible." This is fundraising—or it would be if some meat were on the bones of this thought. There isn't because the rest of the message is about Kiva, not about the donor.