Designing the Perfect Nonprofit Fundraising Kit

Oct 31

Your nonprofit fundraising kit essentials: Fundraising Sponsorship Deck, Brochure, Annual Appeal Letter, Postcard, Fundraiser Branding, Annual Report, Social Media Templates, Event Collateral for Fundraisers, Donor Card

Preparing to fundraise for your nonprofit can be a big undertaking, it includes a lot of strategy, copywriting, production and, of course, graphic design. There are so many moving parts to fundraising and ways to ask for support, the key is having a clear, consistent message about your cause and what you’re asking your supporters to do. Set yourself up for success by building some of these items into your fundraising strategic plan. And don’t worry, if you need some help making it all happen, let’s chat about how we can work together on your Nonprofit Fundraising Kit.

Here’s a checklist of helpful items to add to your fundraising quiver:

Nonprofit fundraising kit - corporate sponsorship deck.

Fundraising Sponsorship Deck

If you’re asking businesses or corporations for larger donations, you’d better have a killer sponsorship deck. These are often emailed or presented in-person, so it’s ideal to create this with a computer screen or projector in mind. Here are some items to consider including in your sponsorship deck:

Your nonprofit’s mission and vision
Letter from the Executive Director
Breakdown of programs
Success Stories
Infographics with statistics of your nonprofit
Coverage map if your organization is place-based
Social media and website statistics
Breakdown of sponsorship opportunities
Call to action/contact information

Nonprofit fundraising kit - brochure design

Fundraising Brochure

While brochures may feel too evergreen, they’re the best way to educate supporters about your mission, vision and programs as well as share any important photos or visuals that might help someone make a personal connection to your nonprofit or fundraiser. Make sure you include a call to action with information about how to donate, get involved or volunteer.

Nonprofit fundraising kit - annual appeal letter design

Annual Fundraising Appeal Letter

These can be sent throughout the year, but are most effective if mailed in November or early December to give one last push for end of year giving. Annual appeals work best as a mailed piece and should be sent to your existing or previous donors. Add personal touches like the recipient’s first name and a real digital signature from your Executive Director. Don’t wait and mail your letter too late in December – it will just get lost in a pile of holiday cards and shopping lists!

Fundraising Postcard

Don’t let your supporters forget about you throughout the year, keep them up-to-date with a postcard with news about programs or success stories. Don’t forget to include a call to action with information about how to donate, get involved or volunteer.

Nonprofit fundraising kit - fundraiser and event branding

Fundraiser Branding

If your nonprofit is fundraising for a specific purpose – such as purchasing a new building or launching a new program – consider creating an independent logo and identity for the fundraiser to give it a more robust impact. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel and it should 100% match your nonprofit’s branding (I’ll use the example that Coke is your nonprofit and the fundraising campaign is Cherry Coke). Make sure these overlap with colors, fonts, look and feel, etc.

Annual Report

Everyone has to put out an annual report, so make sure yours is the one that people want to read and keep on their desk for a few days. Gone are the days of annual reports revolving around pages upon pages of articles and boring charts. Share personal stories of those impacted by your organization, include engaging high quality photos (avoid stock photos if you can), trade the big blocks of text with fun graphics or illustrations to help tell your story.

Social Media Templates

With resources out there like Canva, it’s easy to create content for your social media channels that’s consistent, easy-to-read and effective. Using templates with your brand fonts, colors and images to create your social media posts, you can create a strong connection and build trust with your audience.

Nonprofit fundraising kit - event collateral design for fundraiser

Event Collateral for Fundraisers

Planning an event for your fundraiser is probably the biggest undertaking of all. This is another case when it could be very beneficial to create a special logo for your fundraising event. Items you may need for your event:

Mailed invitations with RSVP card
Event program including sponsor logos
Powerpoint or Keynote Presentation
Social media event pages - Facebook, Eventbrite, LinkedIn
E-newsletter about the event
Donor cards to have on-site to make donations easy

Donor Card

This is a simple but powerful piece to keep in your fundraising kit. Create a 5”x7” postcard with the different ways a person can support your cause. This could include a one-time donation, annual giving, planned giving through an estate, in-kind giving and volunteering. Include a clear call to action with information about how to donate. At events, there’s also an opportunity to use this piece to gather personal information so you can be proactive and reach out to potential donors who may not have been ready to give on-site.

Good luck – you’re going to do a great job!

Want some design help designing your fundraising kit? Get in touch!

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Margo Stoney