Nonprofit Impact Story Email
The Gist of It
Stories need a hero, conflict, help through the conflict, and resolution.
The hero of a story is not the organization or the donor. The hero is the individual/animal/community who faces against the odds.
Though it is a story, provide opportunities for supporters to give a gift through the text and call to action.
Transcript
Once upon a time, in an enchanted realm, filled with pixies, elves, and unicorns lived a princess. On her 16th birthday, she was granted 3 wishes, but she could only use the wishes to help others...
People can spout facts and stats all day long, but they don’t compare to a great story. Stories remain one of the best ways to communicate. This is why you will stay up late to finish the last 100 pages of a book or binge-watch a tv show all weekend.
Well, nonprofits have great stories to tell, too. And one of the most effective ways to share those stories is through email.
It all began on a dark and stormy night on Behind the Campaign.
Introduction
Welcome to Behind the Campaign.
A showcase of the best nonprofit campaigns. Here you will get ideas, tips, and strategies to create successful campaigns for your organization.
Today, we will look at an uplifting story email from Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Make-A-Wish Foundation
The mission of Make-A-Wish is to grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Wishes impact the child, yes, but also parents, volunteers, medical professionals, donors, and communities.
In 2020, Make-A-Wish granted over 8,000 wishes. They have fulfilled more than 315,000 wishes since they began in 1980.
Children whose wishes come true feel stronger, more energetic, more willing, and able to battle their critical illness. Medical professionals say wishes work together with medicine to make their patients feel better emotionally and physically.
Each Wish Kid has a story to tell.
Many of the emails Make-A-Wish send focus on one Wish Kid and their story. A story of hope and transformation.
Inbox Preview
You know right away with the subject line this email will share a story. “Nicole’s wish came true - but others are waiting. The subject line provides interest, intrigue. “Who is Nicole?” “What was her wish?” “How did it come true?”
Make-A-Wish also prepares you. The email is more than a story but a call to action to help others.
The preheader offers supporters additional personalized encouragement.
Email Newsletter
The email opens with a .gif, an image of a triumphant Nicole. We see right away, what a fulfilled wish looks like. A little foreshadowing of the story to follow.
A good story needs a hero, conflict, help through the conflict and resolution.
When nonprofits write a story their audience should recognize the hero.
The hero of a story is not the organization. And it is not the donor. The hero is the individual who faces against the odds. With this email, the hero is Nicole.
Nicole is diagnosed with a brain tumor. She will endure hospital visits, chemotherapy and an uncertain future. This is the conflict.
Nicole needs hope, she needs encouragement through her dark days. A wish coming true provides a spark in her journey. The donor joins the hero’s journey. It is the donor who helps make Nicole’s wish come true. But it remains Nicole’s story.
The copy on the email guides the supporter through this story. We see Nicole as the hero. Empathize with her through her conflict and rejoice, not only as she learns to skate, but in her moment of hope.
Throughout the email the supporter is given opportunities to make wishes come true. This is a strategic move to help supporters at different stages in their own journey.
For those who know Make-A-Wish and want to donate, they can click on the first image. Those who need to hear some of the story, get another call to action half way through the email. Make-A-Wish provides one last call to donate at the conclusion of Nicole’s story.
They add personalization in each of the call to action sections. Personalized calls to action convert 200% better than standard ones.
Conclusion
Not all stories have a happy ending. I would guess this is true for most nonprofits. But that should not stop us from telling stories.
We need stories of hope and achievement. Make-A-Wish shines at this. The email copy and images give supporters a reason to cheer.
So to Make-A-Wish, who authors great email stories.
Bravo!
