It's time to rally your courage and open your heart.
An open conversation from the heart is what it will take to connect with and move the crowd. Start brainstorming with questions like these:
Why am I passionate about this cause?
Why should donors care about this cause?
How is the world going to be a better place because of this campaign?
Why might donors decide not to support this campaign? What explanations can I give to get them to change their mind?
What is a personal story I can share with my supporters?
Know this...you don’t have to be perfect. Just be real and transparent. People want to hear about the real and honest you. You are worthy. You are important. So let it out. Maybe go check out other campaigns that have been successful that are similar to yours. See how they did it, and how they updated and communicated with their donors.
Imagine a friendly group of people sitting in your living room with smiling faces. They are there to hear your story. They want to hear it. Start by sharing simple and honest words from your heart. Write them down.
Get honest about how you feel right now in your current situation. Share what is really going on and what you are feeling: pain, anger, sadness, or maybe happy and inspired. Whatever the real emotions are, own them and let it out. Add this to your draft.
Now share a vision of success with your imaginary audience. What will the world look like when this campaign has reached its goal? See it, feel it, share it. Then, add it to your draft.
Example: Hi everyone, my name is Lauren Jefferson. I am a mom of 3, and I am passionate about educating the next generation from a Christian worldview. I am recording this video today to ask you to join me in supporting the Compassion Initiative at Zion Christian Academy.
Example: Zion Christian Academy is a private Christian school serving roughly 300 local children grades Pre-K-6 and their families each year. The Compassion Initiative is a fund that helps families cover gaps in tuition when they encounter qualifying financial hardships.
Example: All 3 of my children attend Zion, and I have been so impressed by the quality of the teachers and curriculum. I am comforted knowing that everything is taught from a Christian worldview, so my children are learning to stand strong on top of a solid, Biblical foundation.
Example: As some of you know, my husband lost his job a couple years ago, and we struggled to pay the kids’ tuition the 3 months he was unemployed. We prayed that God would provide a way through so that we wouldn’t have to put our kids in public school. Thanks to the Compassion Initiative, we were able to keep our kids at Zion during those 3 months, and we are forever grateful.
Example: The reason I’m making this video today is to ask you to join me in making a donation to the Compassion Initiative.
Example: Your donation will go into a fund that is managed and distributed by Zion’s board of directors and trustees. The average disbursement is $500, which covers two months of education for one child.
Example: My family is about to make our annual donation of $500 in the next couple weeks. My question for you is: Will you join us with a $500 gift? You can donate here [INSERT MOVE YOUR MOUNTAIN CAMPAIGN PAGE LINK]
Example: Thanks for reading/watching and considering supporting this Initiative that is so close to my heart. Your gift will have a huge impact for the kingdom, so I hope you decide to join me in giving. Have a great day!
If your story is long or continually evolving, break it down into episodes. Don’t write a novel. Use the update feature to write the next episode. Updates are best for filling in details and sharing about the journey toward your goal. It’s never one and done. You will need to add more than the original story. Updates are vital for success.
Campaigns that update often (every 5 days) raise 200% plus more funds.
Now that you’ve written your story, let’s add photos and videos to make it even more impactful.