At the core of every successful Milaap fundraiser is a story that has touched the hearts of people, enough to inspire donations. The most effective way to leave a lasting impression is to form an emotional relationship with them, and a good story can do just that.
Well-told stories are often easy to connect with, and that is also what makes them unforgettable. Stories outline the purpose of the fundraiser. But they have to go beyond just that to strike a chord with the readers and motivate them to give to your cause.
You may have the skeleton of your story all thought out in your mind, but you think that it is impossible to write something impactful because writing doesn’t come naturally to you. While it may sound rather overwhelming, we can assure you that writing a story is not rocket science.
You can easily write the perfect story for your Milaap fundraiser, with these tips that we’ve put together:
1. Tap into your inner story-teller
First things first, you need to don on your story-teller hat. This is your space, you are telling a story that needs to be heard (or in this case, read) and you have full control over what you wish for your supporters to know.
The easiest way to get into the story-teller frame-of-mind is to pretend like you’re telling the story to a friend. While you may be tempted to go over every little detail, stick to the storyline that paints an overall and comprehensive picture of your cause. And most importantly, keep the language simple so it is easy to understand.
2. Narrative
Just like any other story, your Milaap fundraiser story should essentially follow the basic elements - a beginning, a climax and an end. It is important to set a structure, a tone and a flow for your story that will keep the reader hooked on till the end.The beginning is where you set the scene for your story. It starts with a solid introduction that centres on the beneficiary and the problem for which they’re seeking help.This is the mission statement that states the details clearly and concisely so the reader knows exactly what the requirement is, and what they can expect to learn in the next part of the story.
The next step is to frame the problem. Use a few short lines to define the essential elements of the story - elaborate on the difficulties the beneficiary is facing and all the efforts they’ve put in so far, having come up short. You can also highlight the challenges they’ve faced along the way and emphasize the turning point that led to their decision to set up a Milaap fundraiser.
Coming to the end of the story, it needs to be just as strong as the beginning. This is the reader’s call to action or what will fuel their decision to make a donation to your cause. You need to establish just how the reader’s support can help, and where exactly the funds collected will be going.
Express your gratitude, but keep it short and nonspecific - because it has to serve the purpose of thanking the reader for taking the time to read the story, and the donor for both reading and donating to your fundraiser. You can also slip in a concluding line requesting the reader to spread the word about your campaign, so it can reach a wider audience and garner more support.
3. Keep it short
We have already established that story-telling is pretty much the pillar of any fundraising strategy. But there is a limit to how much you can say, given the short attention span of the average human being. The reader wouldn’t want to read pages worth of text just to understand the intent behind raising funds for a certain cause.
Short stories work best in this scenario and the shorter and impactful that it is, the better the response will be. Your aim is to wow the reader and have them hooked to your story. So each sentence, down to every last word, should be meaningful and able to convey your message clearly.
4. Authenticity
This is possibly the most crucial part of your fundraiser and story. You need to assure your readers of the authenticity of the fundraiser, and so, transparency is key. Be straightforward with why you need the money. You can talk about the nitty gritty, but make sure you elaborate on the important details.
Fundraising stories that clearly outline what the funds raised will cover are more likely to be successful, simply because it rewards the donor with the pleasure of having helped someone. No matter how big or small the amount, when people see that a donation has made a difference in someone’s life, it will fill them with contentment and also inspire them to make more donations like this.
5. It’s all in the title
It goes to say that the title is just as important as the story, if not more. When your story is aiming to cause an impact, your fundraiser cannot go without an eye-catching title. Just like how the title of a movie or a book can draw people or turn them away, the title for your story should serve the same purpose. You can take a straightforward or emotional approach for your title. The focus should pan on the beneficiary and the major challenge he is facing.
The title is the first thing that a person would see on the fundraiser, and also on social media where you would choose to promote it. It stands out as a 70-character summary of what the story entails, and depending on how attention-grabbing it is, it can expedite and influence the reader’s decision to donate.
6. Second opinions matter
You’ve adhered to all writing tips and drafted a story that you think will work well for your fundraiser. But somewhere, somehow, you still think it lacks some substance. A second opinion on your draft can help you polish your story and tie up some loose ends, before you’re ready to share it with the world.
There’s two ways to go about it. First, go over your story from the donor’s perspective and see for yourself if it fulfills the criteria to become the perfect fundraising tool. Then, have a friend read it and give you constructive feedback. It would be much more feasible for you to understand just how a third person will perceive your story, what the strengths and weaknesses are, what stands out unnecessarily, what needs to be emphasized and so on.
7. Story assistance to the rescue
If it’s still a challenging task for you to write a story from scratch, then you can always turn to the 'story assistance' option that Milaap provides. Simply enter the required details in the Q&A section of the story assistant, and it will automatically generate a brief story-like description for your fundraiser.
You can also always use the story assistance option as a blueprint to write your story. Either way, the story assistance facility can come in handy in situations where you’re struggling to put together words to draft a legible story for your fundraiser.
You can easily set up a fundraiser of your own on Milaap and raise funds for a cause you care about, within minutes. Start your fundraiser on Milaap, today. It is quick, easy, and FREE.
