Why “because” matters to your ask

Because is a word kids come to dread.

I remember being a kid and getting a very unsatisfying answer to some questions.

My questions were usually “Why?” or more often “Why not?”

And the unsatisfying answer was “Because” or worse, “Because I said so.”

Does that sound familiar to you?

It was infuriating, of course. Because isn’t much of an answer by itself.

But “because” is an essential word. And one you should think about when writing to donors.

Why because matters

A fundraising appeal at its most simple is:

Please send money, because… <reasons>.

So because is the bridge between what you’re asking for and why you need it.

But you have to fill in the second part of that sentence!

Because (yes, I did that) like me as a kid, “just because” is not enough. Especially when you’re asking someone to send a gift.

If you’re asking someone to give, be sure you’re giving them a good reason.

Because… the food pantry’s shelves are empty and people are hungry.

Because… we’re so close to finding a cure and your gift will get us closer.

Because… 70% of our students depend on scholarships and there aren’t enough funds right now to help them all.

You get the idea. Give your donors something tangible. Give them a real reason to give.

Here’s the thing: you know your organization’s work inside and out. You already know why money is needed. You’ve internalized the arguments. So it’s easy to forget that you have to make the need easy to grasp.

And I get it, thinking through what follows your because and making it as simple and clear as possible, isn’t easy. If it were, everyone would create a clear ask.

What you don’t want to follow because

There are also a few unsatisfying, yet commonly used answers to follow “because”.  Are you doing this?

• Because… it’s Giving Tuesday!
• Because… it’s the end of the year!
• Because… tax deduction!
• Because… our annual appeal!

These are the fundraising equivalent of “because I said so.” A reason, but not much of one. And not enough of one to move people to give.

Because matters. It’s essential to fundraising communications

It’s worth the time to think it through before you write a word. Like a little kid being a PITA, keep pushing:

“Please send money…”

WHY?

“Because we need it?”

BUT WHY?

“Because we do really good work?”

BUT WHY?

“Because people are hungry and you can feed them.”

THERE YOU GO.

Your donors deserve a real reason to give.

So give them something satisfying they can understand. Something that will make them feel good about helping. You can find that better reason!

Remember your donors aren’t sending you money. They’re trying to do something concrete by trusting your organization with their money. Their goal is to educate someone, feed someone, or inspire someone.

And it’s there… waiting just behind the “because.” Find it and you’ll raise more money.