Every successful nonprofit crowdfunding campaign starts with a good story. Whether you’re raising money for emergency humanitarian aid or supporting families impacted by brain cancer, it’s critical to illustrate the problem, articulate the solution, and forge emotional connections with your supporters to help you solve it.  

These six crowdfunding strategies and nine examples of successful campaigns will help you better articulate the motivation behind your goal and encourage supporters to contribute to your awe-inspiring efforts. 

1. Showcase a Consistent Brand

Your supporters care about you. They understand your impact and relate to your brand, voice, and mission. That admiration is foundational to lifelong donor stewardship. 

To keep your unique brand present in all you do, start by crafting a cohesive narrative. Although seemingly small, building this instant credibility with campaign page visitors can strengthen donors’ connection to your cause and inspire giving that stretches far beyond one campaign.

Crowdfunding Campaign Example: Brand Consistency

Prisma Health Midlands Foundation consistently carries their brand colors, photography style, font, and tone across all campaigns, marketing materials, and donor communications. Their consistent design boosts brand recognition and helps deepen their donors’ trust in the organization.  

2. State the Problem Your Crowdfunding Campaign Addresses

Ours Why America Gives 2021 report found the top reason donors reconsider making a donation is that they do not clearly understand the impact of their gift. Nonprofits address an array of complex problems, so boiling down the core issue into one clear statement is non-negotiable for achieving your crowdfunding campaign goal.

Consider stating the problem in the headline of your campaign page to captivate site visitors and encourage them to read on.

Crowdfunding Campaign Examples: Impactful Headlines

3.  Offer a Solution to the Problem

Now that people are aware of the problem you’re trying to solve, you need to offer them a solution. Otherwise, your donors may struggle to understand how their gift can make a difference. 

Demonstrate how you will address the problem with a tangible action plan and clarify if you’ve proven your model before. Potential supporters will appreciate the transparency and may feel  more motivated to give knowing you’ve been successful in the past.

Crowdfunding Example: A Compelling Solution Statement

4. Show the Impact of Your Crowdfunding Campaign

When a donor understands the impact of their gift, they’re more likely to offer repeated support to your crowdfunding campaign. However, it’s not enough to just incorporate impact blocks on your campaign page and hope for conversions. 

Seventy-three percent of recurring donors like to understand the exact impact of their gift when donating to an organization. Get specific, emotional, and creative with your communication to demonstrate exactly how each dollar will change the lives of your beneficiaries. 

Describe how different gift amounts affect your ability to implement a solution by customizing the copy in each impact block on your crowdfunding campaign. For example, if you’re an education organization that builds schools, you might consider: 

$10 provides books for one student for their first semester $25 purchases books for one student for the entire year $50 funds one student’s books and uniform for the entire year$100 sends a child to school for an entire year, including books, meals, clothing, and 1:1 tutoring

Here are a few best practices to keep in mind when creating your impact blocks:

Get specific with direct, to-the-point copy that drives urgency Tap into donors’ emotions to inspire immediate action Be strategic with the location of your impact blocks on your campaign pageBase each suggested donation amount on the giving behaviors of your donor base Arrange your impact blocks from highest to lowest suggested donation amountIncorporate high-quality images or graphics to catch donors’ attention

5. Explain the “Why” Behind Your Call to Action

You’ve demonstrated a problem, a solution, and how a supporter fits into the picture. Bring the story full circle and explain your campaign’s why. Here are some questions to address on your campaign page. 

Why now?Why this goal?Why does it matter to the future of your organization?How does it solve the problem you’re addressing?

In some cases, impact level descriptions or high-quality images can easily round out your campaign story. If you’re looking for more, consider adding a custom block to provide additional context or campaign details to page visitors. On Classy, nonprofits can create custom text blocks without coding knowledge, making them the perfect solution for organizations who want more creative control. 

Crowdfunding Example: Enhance Your Story

Here’s an example from the John Wayne Cancer Foundation’s #ShowYourGrit crowdfunding campaign. They start with a description of the campaign, followed by a high-level overview of their mission. Their team even included a quote from their champion to tie it all together.

6. Give Social Proof to Drive Action

Humans are constantly seeking validation from others. Rather than being the first to try something new, we often wait to take action until there’s enough proof to support our decision. 

A well-crafted crowdfunding campaign has the potential to provide that social proof. With campaign features like a real-time progress bar or live activity wall, prospective donors can immediately see how many people trust your organization and are passionate about your cause.

On Classy, organizations can easily toggle on their activity wall to respond directly to donors who have made a gift. That personalized message provides supporters with immediate gratification and increases their likelihood of giving again in the future.

Strengthen Your Crowdfunding Campaign  

These six steps make up a repeatable process for building compelling crowdfunding campaign pages that are easy for supporters to digest and act on. Keep this guide handy for your next fundraising initiative and refer back to it often when looking for ways to refresh your strategy. 

For more comprehensive tips and ideas on how to elevate your crowdfunding campaigns, explore our Crowdfunding Campaign Checklist.