Sometimes you need to be explicit in order to secure a gift. Of course, not all communication pieces need to contain a direct ask for a contribution. Instead, be strategic with your asks in order to convey a sense of urgency in your campaign. Tie your asks to important campaign milestones. For instance, if your campaign is $100 away from the 50% mark, you may send an email or create a social media post with a line like the following: “We only need 5 more $20 gifts to reach 50% of our goal! Please follow the link to give and help us reach this important milestone.”
It also may help to “monetize” certain items for which your campaign is trying to raise funds. If your campaign seeks to purchase certain items with the donations received then knowing the cost of those items and featuring the cost in your marketing materials can be a strong call to action. For example, if your campaign seeks to purchase stethoscopes for $100 each then make your potential donors aware of that cost and make an ask for that amount. “A stethoscope for a new student costs $100, will you purchase a stethoscope for a student today?” gives the donor both an amount and specific reason to give. Similarly, saying “With the gifts we’ve raised so far, we will be able to send 20 students to London – help us raise funds to send 20 more!” is much more meaningful than saying “We are $500 away from meeting our goal to send students to London!”