No One Wants To Help You Raise a Money Goal

Why It Worked

We learned that donors want to know what they paid for. They don't want to help an organization reach a dollar amount; they want to contribute to something tangible and feel like they helped check an important item off the list. We were able to leverage Zeffy's simple, clean forms to create stronger value propositions for our donors by connecting different levels of giving to meaningful outcomes. By embedding the form directly into our website, we could tell the bigger story of what we were trying to accomplish while keeping the donation experience itself simple and focused.

Combined with Zeffy's transparent approach to fees and donation processing, donors can clearly see how their contribution is being handled and choose for themselves whether they want to help cover processing costs. That level of transparency builds trust and gives supporters confidence that as much of their donation as possible is reaching the cause they care about.

What Others Could Do As Well

One of the most valuable fundraising lessons we learned came from another organization: donors want to know what they paid for.

Instead of focusing on the amount you need to raise, focus on the outcome you're trying to create. For example, "Build a new school" is far more compelling than "Raise $300,000." Then break that larger vision into tangible pieces. Maybe $250 buys a door, $500 installs windows in a classroom, or $1,000 furnishes a learning space. The specific amounts will be different for every organization, but the principle remains the same: people want to feel like they gave you something real, not that they donated into an endless black hole of fundraising.

We also found that a handful of thoughtful donation levels worked better than overwhelming donors with too many choices. Most importantly, continue learning from your donors. As you gather data and observe behaviour, you can refine your donation levels, messaging, and impact statements to create an even stronger giving experience over time.