Jeremy Reis

Husband, Father, Nonprofit Strategist. Raise more money to help more people. President of @servingorphans

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆.

They read like an annual report.
History lessons.
Program lists.
Awards.

All about the organization.
None about the donor.

But here’s the truth:
𝗔 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀.
It’s about inspiring a gift.

And the best ones do three things well:

– They name the problem with clarity.
– They show how your programs solve it.
– They make the donor essential to the solution.

Clear.
Concise.
Compelling.

That’s how you move a reader from 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 to 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥.

Want to learn how to create a case for support that inspires giving? 👇

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.

We hint.
We suggest.
We 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 the donor knows what to do next.

And then we wonder why conversions are low.

The fix?
𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗼𝗱.

It’s not bossy.
It’s clarity.

“𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸.”
“𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺.”
“𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺.”

These are direct, actionable, and clear.
They remove guesswork.

Vague calls like “𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘶𝘴” or “𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵” leave donors in limbo—
even the ones who 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 to help.

Here’s the truth:
People appreciate knowing exactly what’s expected.
They’re busy.
They don’t have time to decode what you mean.

So make your call to action unmistakable.
Not just once, but multiple times in every appeal.

Because fundraising isn’t about being coy.
It’s about making it easy for someone to say “yes.”

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻—𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁?

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺.

They’re the most 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨.

Because leadership in a nonprofit isn’t about proving you have all the answers.
It’s about creating space where the 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 can surface.

Here’s what the great ones do differently:

They ask more questions than they answer
Not to stall decisions—
but to make sure the right problem is being solved.

They listen past the words
To hear the fears, motivations,
and unspoken tensions under the surface.

They slow down before they speed up
A rushed plan with half the facts
will cost you twice as much to fix later.

They know authority isn’t diminished by curiosity
It’s strengthened by it.

Because when you lead by listening,
your team feels seen.
Your board feels heard.
And your donors feel understood.

The nonprofit world doesn’t need more leaders with megaphones.
It needs more leaders with radar.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲?

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴.

It talks about 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.
The programs.
The awards.
The milestones.

Here’s the problem—
𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

She gave to change a life 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 your organization.

And she’s not yours alone.
She supports other causes too.
She’s passionate about helping people, not reading your annual report.

When your writing, videos, and appeals make 𝘩𝘦𝘳 the center—
Her passion comes alive.
Her trust grows.
Her giving follows.

Fundraising isn’t about proving your greatness.
𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀.

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

Sometimes, we get stuck in the wrong fundraising mindset:

“𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵, 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺.”

We even repackage it to sound better:
“𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵, 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺.”

I’ve been in meetings where someone says,
“𝘐𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘸𝘢𝘴, 𝘸𝘦’𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺.”

But here’s the truth:

The shift we need is—
“𝗜𝗳 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝘄𝗲’𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆.”

When your mindset moves from 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 to 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳𝘴, everything changes.

Your messaging changes.
Your conversations change.
Your results change.

Because great fundraising isn’t about convincing donors you’re amazing.
It’s about showing them they are.

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘁?

Because they’re making these 𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 mistakes:

1️⃣ 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 – talking about 𝘺𝘰𝘶 instead of what 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 made possible.
2️⃣ 𝗧𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 – save the lessons for another channel; use the newsletter to celebrate their impact.
3️⃣ 𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 – a wall of words is an invitation to stop reading.
4️⃣ 𝗣𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 – if it’s boring or unclear, it’s dead on arrival.
5️⃣ 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴, 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗗 – unless it’s warm, personal, and inspiring, keep it short.
6️⃣ 𝗕𝗮𝗱 (𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼) 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀 – donors give to people, not paragraphs.
7️⃣ 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 – make it about the mission, not internal wins.
8️⃣ 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 – you’re not reporting the news; you’re deepening a relationship.
9️⃣ 𝗡𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲 – don’t make them search for how to give again.

Fix these, and you’ll transform your newsletter from 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘭 into something donors 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱, 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼.

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

If you don’t know who you’re talking to, you won’t know what to say—or how to say it.

That’s why the 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 in any successful fundraising or marketing campaign isn’t writing the appeal or choosing the channel.

It’s 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.

But too many nonprofits skip this step.

They jump straight to tactics… and wonder why their campaigns fall flat.

🎯 Who are you trying to reach?
🎯 What do they care about?
🎯 Where do they spend time online?
🎯 What are their motivations for giving?

Without clear answers, you’re aiming in the dark.

Here’s the good news: defining your target audience isn’t rocket science.
It just takes intentionality.

Start by:

Reviewing donor data.
Identifying patterns in giving.
Creating personas for different segments.
Interviewing real donors.
Segmenting by behavior, not just demographics.
Testing and refining over time.
Speaking 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 to your audience’s values and desires.

Get this right, and your message will land with power and clarity.

Because when your donor sees herself in your story, she’s far more likely to give.

What’s helped you understand your audience better? Let’s trade notes.

Read more: https://t.co/7JI3oypUfr

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

𝗚𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲.

It’s just the starting point.

Because fundraising isn’t just about raising funds—
it’s about 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵.

After the gift comes in, your job is only beginning:

1. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿.
Not just in the email receipt. Show 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 gratitude—make it personal, specific, and heartfelt.

2. 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽.
Should she follow you on social?
Sign up to volunteer?
Advocate for your cause?
Don’t make her guess—𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺.

3. 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀.
She gave because she wanted to solve a problem. Show her what happened. Tell her the story her gift made possible.

4. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴.
Create ways for her to connect, share, and feel like part of the movement.

Because when you treat the gift as the 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 of the relationship—
you won’t just get donations.
You’ll grow donors who stick with you for years.

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.

Projects will fail.
Fundraisers will flop.
People will let you down.
Tech will break.
Proposals will get rejected.
Opportunities will pass you by.

𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘧—𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯.

The question is: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘁?

Frustration is a trap.
When you let it take over, you make bad decisions, you respond poorly to people, and you carry the weight home with you.

Great leadership isn’t just about making the right calls.
It’s about 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 when your “right call” doesn’t work out.

Keep setbacks in perspective.
Move forward quickly.
Show your team—and yourself—how to recover.

Because your resilience in disappointment…
might be the most important leadership skill you ever develop.

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

And if you use them well, they can transform your fundraising.

1️⃣ 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲.
They 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 to be part of the solution. Your job is to show them how.

2️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
Stories move hearts. 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺.

3️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰.
Once their heart says “yes,” give them the facts to reassure their mind.

4️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲.
Does your nonprofit clearly explain the difference their gift makes?

5️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸.
Prove you’ll do good with their money—show stewardship.

6️⃣ 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲.
Thank them. Show impact. Erase regret before it begins.

These aren’t just theories.
They’re a framework you can use to 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸.

When you understand how donors think…
you can meet them where they are—and lead them where you need them to go.

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

Most nonprofits miss this.

𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
They give to make the world better 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 your organization.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.

When you write, “𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘶𝘴,”
you make the organization the hero.

When you write, “𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥,”
you make 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 the hero.

Here’s the thing—
donors aren’t buying into a brand.
They’re buying into an 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲.

They want to see 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭.
They want to see 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.
They want to see 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 where none existed before.

Your nonprofit is 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲—
not 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Before you send your next appeal, ask:
𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻… 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱?

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

Most fundraising emails fail for one simple reason:
They give away the ending.

If your subject line answers the question…
why would anyone open?

If your email tells the whole story…
why would anyone give?

The best appeals 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳.

Here’s how:
– Subject line = intrigue, not information
– Story = tension, not tidy endings
– Call to action = the donor’s moment to step in and resolve it

When you close every loop yourself, you take away the reader’s role in the story.
But when you stop just short—when you let the donor 𝘣𝘦 the one who finishes the story—you invite her into the mission.

Fundraising isn’t about delivering a finished product.
It’s about offering a role in the work.

So before you hit send, ask:
Have I given my donor a reason to open… and a reason to act?

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

Great nonprofit leadership isn’t about holding a title.
It’s about 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴.

If your goal is to be served, you’ll struggle to inspire.
If your goal is to serve — your team, your donors, your cause — you’ll unlock the kind of leadership people follow without hesitation.

Here’s how to lead with a servant’s heart:
👉 Ask for input before giving direction.
👉 Take risks that move the mission forward, even if they don’t benefit you personally.
👉 Put the needs of your organization and the people you serve ahead of your own.

The leaders who inspire the most action aren’t chasing recognition — they’re building the kind of culture where people say:
“𝗪𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀.”

What’s one way you’ve served your team this week?

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

If you don’t know who you’re talking to, you won’t know what to say—or how to say it.

That’s why the 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 in any successful fundraising or marketing campaign isn’t writing the appeal or choosing the channel.

It’s 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.

But too many nonprofits skip this step.

They jump straight to tactics… and wonder why their campaigns fall flat.

🎯 Who are you trying to reach?
🎯 What do they care about?
🎯 Where do they spend time online?
🎯 What are their motivations for giving?

Without clear answers, you’re aiming in the dark.

Here’s the good news: defining your target audience isn’t rocket science.
It just takes intentionality.

Start by:

Reviewing donor data.
Identifying patterns in giving.
Creating personas for different segments.
Interviewing real donors.
Segmenting by behavior, not just demographics.
Testing and refining over time.
Speaking 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 to your audience’s values and desires.

Get this right, and your message will land with power and clarity.

Because when your donor sees herself in your story, she’s far more likely to give.

What’s helped you understand your audience better? Let’s trade notes.

Read more: https://t.co/7JI3oypUfr

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

Digital fundraising is crowded.
Your donor’s inbox, social feed, and attention span are under constant attack.

The nonprofits that break through ask one simple question before sending anything:
“𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀?”

If your email, ad, or post can’t answer that in 3 seconds, you’ve lost them.

To create scroll-stopping content:

Lead with a human story, not a headline about your organization.
Make the donor the hero, not the audience for your PR.
Show the urgency — why it matters 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸.
Make the call to action clear and unavoidable.

Digital fundraising acceleration isn’t about flooding channels.
It’s about creating moments your donor 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘦.

What’s one thing you’ve done that stopped donors in their tracks?

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

I’ve seen organizations double their online revenue without adding a single new channel.

How?
They focused on the 20% 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 80% 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘦.

In digital fundraising, your ROI often comes from:

The one or two channels your donors already engage with most.
The one or two messages that resonate again and again.
The one or two campaigns that consistently deliver.

The problem?
We chase the “next big thing” instead of doubling down on what’s 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 working.

📊 Review your last 12 months of digital fundraising data.
Circle the campaigns, messages, and channels with the highest ROI.
Then ask: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁?

Sometimes growth isn’t about adding.
It’s about 𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨.

What’s the 20% in your digital program that’s driving 80% of your results?

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

Your fundraising appeal should have one job:

𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲.

Not “share the story.”
Not “follow us on social.”
Not “think differently.”

𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲. 𝗡𝗼𝘄.

But here’s where so many nonprofits get it wrong:

🚫 “Share our story.”
Visibility is great. But awareness isn’t a donation.

🚫 “Appreciate our cause.”
Glad they like you. Still doesn’t fund your mission.

🚫 “Learn more.”
Education 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 come after the gift. Rarely before.

🚫 “Volunteer.”
Wonderful! But don’t replace a clear ask with a to-do list.

🚫 “Follow us.”
Likes aren’t currency. Don’t confuse attention with action.

When we ask people to do everything 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 give, they often choose the easiest route—𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵.

But giving?
That’s the thing that actually changes lives.

So be direct.
Be clear.
Be bold:

👉 “Give now. Your gift changes this child’s future.”
👉 “Give now. You’ll bring clean water to this community.”
👉 “Give now. You can stop the suffering today.”

Your call to action should be 𝘂𝗻𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.

Don’t bury it.
Don’t water it down.
Don’t ask for less.

What’s the most compelling call to action you’ve seen lately?

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

The hardest part of nonprofit leadership
isn’t deciding 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 to do.

It’s deciding 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 not to do.

Because opportunities are endless.
But capacity isn’t.

Here’s how great leaders make hard calls:

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆
Not just once a year at the board retreat.
Weekly. Daily. Until it shapes every yes and no.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
If you don’t know what “win” looks like,
you’ll chase every idea that sounds good.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀—𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲
Consensus can help.
But clarity leads.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀
Time, energy, trust, distraction—
every new initiative has a price.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗴𝗼 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀
Because focus is a form of stewardship.

Saying no isn’t weakness.
It’s leadership.

You can’t do everything.
And the mission doesn’t need you to.

What’s one thing you’ve cut recently that made space for what matters most?

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

If your fundraising doesn’t make your donors feel 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 about giving…

You might be doing it wrong.

Because a gift isn’t just a transaction.
It’s a choice.
It’s trust.
It’s someone saying,
“𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀.”

So how do you make donors 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 that?

👉 Start with empathy.
Fundraising isn’t about pressure. It’s about 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. What does your donor care about—and how can you show them that giving to your org is an extension of that care?

👉 Tell stories, not stats.
You’re not asking someone to fund a number. You’re inviting them to change a life.

👉 Celebrate every gift.
Every. Single. One.
A $10 donor isn’t worth less than a $10,000 one when it comes to gratitude.

👉 Be radically transparent.
Show them where the money went. Prove it made a difference. Let them 𝘴𝘦𝘦 their impact.

👉 Listen.
Ask for feedback. Respond. Make it a relationship, not a monologue.

Donors don’t want to feel useful.
They want to feel 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗱.
They want to feel like 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆.

When they do, they don’t just give.
They 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 giving.

What’s one way you make your donors feel amazing after they give?

[Jeremy Reis @JeremyReis]

Your donor meetings are backwards.

You prepare the presentation.
Practice the pitch.
Perfect the ask amount.

Then wonder why it feels transactional.

Here's how the best major gift officers flip it:

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀
→ What originally sparked your interest in [cause]?
→ What does success look like to you?
→ What concerns keep you up at night?
→ Who else should know about this?
→ What would make this gift meaningful?

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
"We're struggling with X.
Based on your experience, what would you do?"

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀
Not just what donors say.
How they say it. What makes them lean in.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝘂𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴
"I want to think about our conversation.
Can we meet again in two weeks?"

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴
The conversation is about connection.
The folder is homework.

The counterintuitive truth:

The less you pitch,
the more you raise.

One MGO changed her approach:

Started treating donors like consultants,
not prospects.

Her close rate went from 30% to 75%.
Average gift size doubled.

Because donors don't want to be sold.
They want to be heard.

Your next meeting agenda should be
80% questions, 20% answers.

What questions do you wish you'd asked?