How to Optimize Your Nonprofit’s Annual Appeal for Maximum Impact
A collection of top tips, content & design suggestions, and a sample timeline to keep your annual appeal project on-track.
So, you’ve made it to Q3 and you’re on the home stretch with year-end fundraising. You know what that means: it’s annual appeal time. This campaign is crucial for engaging donors and generating support to sustain your organization's mission. As a designer that’s helped many organizations with their annual appeal, I’m sharing my top three tips for a successful campaign as well as some suggestions for what to include and a timeline for getting your assets in donor hands in time.
If you only do three things with your annual appeal, do these:
Create an integrated marketing plan for your campaign.
This is a fancy way of saying make sure all of your messaging and visuals are consistent and cohesive so that your audience recognizes your organization and the campaign right away. Any graphics and copy you create for a mailer can easily be carried over to a donation landing page on your website, social media post or email hero image.
Beat the Holiday Rush.
There’s a lot going on at the end of the year and your year-end ask will be competing with holiday chaos. The sooner you can get your appeal in the hands of your donors, the better the chance it won’t get lost in the holiday shuffle. See my sample timeline below to help you plan ahead, get on track and stay on track.
Share Successes, Stories, and Gratitude.
Sharing stories about projects that highlight specific people or places help folks feel connected to your cause and like they’re part of something bigger. Your audience will feel good when they read about all the good their past donations have done.
What should you include in your annual appeal campaign?
Good branding, including campaign-specific headline and graphics or photo.
A letter addressed to donors from your executive director or CEO thanking them and sharing updates.
Stories, stats, and wins. Let the donors know how much their contributions helped you meet your goals. Make it personal (a story about a community positively impacted), add measurable data (we restored 1,000 miles of riverbanks), include visuals that create a memorable connection (high quality photos or illustrations, maps, infographics, etc.)
Your organization’s goals for next year and what the donor’s money will be used for.
Information on how to donate, this could be a website url, QR code and/or a self addressed return envelope with donation instructions. Most donor audiences vary widely in age so be sure to make donating easy by providing a variety of options for contributing (i.e. website, texting, by check and mail, etc.).
A clear call to action, this creates a sense of urgency for donating and lets the donor know what your ask is. Example: “Help us meet our fundraising goal for the year, donate today!”
An illustrated storytelling piece for Native Fish Society's annual appeal.
Here’s a sample timeline to help you plan for your annual appeal:
June/July: If outsourcing for design, copywriting or strategy, engage contractors and get on their schedule.
August: Reach out to your printer for quotes and scheduling
Late August: Team brainstorm to generate ideas, themes, and concepts for the annual appeal.
Mid-September: Have your annual appeal content and images finalized.
Late September-Early October: Work with your designer to execute design concepts and sketches
Mid-October: Feedback and edits on the design and/or copy
Late-October: Design approved, sent to printer
Early November: Annual appeal gets mailed
Early-Mid-November: Annual appeal delivered to donors
Free Annual Appeal Checklist & Timeline Template!
This is a lot of info, but don’t worry! I made this handy checklist for you to keep on-hand and help you through the process.
I’m Margo! A graphic designer who works with environmental nonprofits and mission-driven brands on projects like logos & branding, annual reports, maps, and infographics. I work with my clients to create beautiful and meaningful design that amplifies the marketing efforts it takes to ignite action and change. Visit my portfolio to see some of the projects I’ve collaborated on with nonprofits to protect the environment.