15 Questions to Diagnose Weaknesses in Your Fundraising Copy

Is the messaging in your fundraising appeals and other donor communications working for you and helping to win donor support? Or is it working against you and silently turning donors off?

Sometimes it’s hard to know simply because you’re too close to it. That’s when it helps to get a different perspective — which you can do right now with this quick assessment. Just grab one of your recent fundraising appeals and keep it nearby as you read the questions. For each one, answer “Yes” or “No” and keep a running total of your “Yes” answers.

Score Your Fundraising Appeal Messaging

1. Is the letter copy informal and conversational? Does it sound like an actual human talking and not like a corporate memo? Yes / No
2. Does the letter sound like a sincere, caring person — someone who seems to feel what the donor feels and believes what the donor believes about the cause? Yes / No
3. Does the letter have plenty of you-orientation? Does it address donors directly by saying “you” and “your”? Yes / No
4. Does the letter avoid jargon that only people inside your nonprofit would know? Yes / No
5. Does the letter avoid euphemisms like “food insecurity,” “experiencing homelessness,” and “disadvantaged” that could confuse or alienate donors? Yes / No
6. Does the letter use contractions, sentence fragments, and sentences beginning with “and,” “but,” and so on? Yes / No
7. Are the paragraphs short (no more than two or three lines)? Yes / No
8. Are the sentences short and easy to read? Yes / No
9. Does the letter use concrete language and a specific call to action instead of vague, abstract concepts like “send hope” and “stand with us”? Yes / No
10. Does the letter score at a sixth grade level or ideally below in the Flesch-Kincaid scale? Yes / No
11. Is the overall tone of the copy in line with the topic of the appeal and sustained throughout? For example, if the appeal is about the dangers of fracking, does the appeal sustain a tone of indignation from beginning to end? Yes / No
12. Does the letter avoid long, drawn-out explanations about your cause and instead focus on things that matter to donors, like how donors can help solve a specific problem? Yes / No
13. Does the letter stay on track and avoid meandering into topics that aren’t top-of-mind for donors, like your nonprofit’s programs, origins, history, and other similar subjects? Yes / No
14. Does the letter provide believable, easily understandable reasons to give? Yes / No
15. Does the letter convey urgency and show why donors should give now? Yes / No

For each “yes” answer, give yourself one point. If your total score is:

0-5: The writing in your appeals is weak.

6-10: The writing in your appeals needs improvement.

11-14: The writing in your appeals is generally strong but there are still some inconsistencies.

15: The writing in your appeals is consistently strong across all the areas in this checklist.

What Your Score Means for Your Fundraising

Here’s the important point. A low score means your appeals are failing to connect with your donors. You’re missing out on critical support for funding your mission and growing your nonprofit. 

That’s because it’s not only about what you say in your fundraising appeals but how you say it. The tone you take in your appeals, the way the call to action is worded, how the reasons to give come across, whether the urgency seems real or rings hollow — these elements are central to how your appeals connect with your donors. That connection is vital.

The appeals and other donor communications you send to your donors are absolutely critical. Think about it. And if your score isn’t where you want it to be, pick one or two questions where you answered “No” and revise your next appeal with those in mind.

The communications you send are often the only thing about your nonprofit that your donor ever sees. Of course, some charities get news coverage occasionally. But for the most part, unless a donor is on your board or volunteers, they probably know your nonprofit mainly from the appeals, newsletters, and other communications you send. 

That means your fundraising communications are often the only link between your nonprofit and the vast majority of your donors. So your fundraising communications aren’t simply requests for funding. They’re far more important. They don’t just represent your nonprofit. For most of your donors, they are your nonprofit. So they need to be good.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of NonProfit PRO.