How to write a fundraiser story: examples and tips

How to structure a strong campaign story

A campaign story doesn’t need to be long, but it does need to be complete. This order works for almost any campaign:

1. A title that says who and what, such as ‘New shirts for the [club name] youth team’.
2. A short line under the title with the key point: what you want to achieve and by when.
3. The story: who you are, what’s going on and why it’s needed now.
4. The budget: where the money goes, broken down into a few items.
5. What you’ll do if more or less comes in.
6. A clear ask and a thank-you.

A title that’s clear at a glance

The title is the first thing people see when your link appears in a group chat. Include the person, club or project and the goal. Avoid vague words like ‘help’ without context. A few examples you can adapt:

• New kit for the [club name] under-11s
• Help [name] find a home again after the fire
• Our first album: recording ten songs in the studio
• An adapted bike for [name]
• A playground for [street name]: let’s finish it together

Sample text for a club

‘Our under-11s are playing in their own league for the first time this season, but their shirts are worn out and too small. With €1,200 we can buy new kit and training jackets for all fourteen players, including printing. The club is paying half and we’re raising the rest together. If we raise more, it goes towards new balls for the whole youth section. Every contribution helps, and your name will appear on our supporters’ wall. Thank you from the whole team!’

Why this works: the goal is concrete, the amount is justified, the club shows it’s contributing itself and there’s a plan for any surplus.

Read next: Fundraising for your club or association

Sample text for a personal cause

‘Last month a fire badly damaged the home of our neighbours Ahmed and Lisa and their two children. Thankfully everyone is safe, but a lot has been lost and the insurance covers far from everything. With this fundraiser we want to raise €5,000 to help them get started again: beds, a table and clothes for the children. I’m their neighbour and I’m managing this fundraiser. I’ll transfer the money straight to Ahmed and Lisa and post updates on how it’s being used. Thank you so much in advance.’

Why this works: the writer says who she is, how she knows the family and how the money will reach them. That builds trust.

Read next: Start a fundraiser for a good cause or someone in need

Sample text for a creative project

‘After three years of playing pubs and festivals, we’re finally recording our first album. We have ten songs ready and a studio that can give us four days in March. We need €3,500 for studio hire, mixing and mastering. There are no rewards: if you donate, you make the album possible and you can follow how it comes together through our updates, from the first recording to the release. If we raise more, we’ll make a music video too.’

Why this works: there’s a concrete plan, a broken-down amount and an honest explanation that there are no rewards.

Read next: Crowdfunding for creators: fund your own project

Writing updates people actually read

An update is short and about something that really happened: a purchase, a milestone, a photo of the result. Lead with the news, thank your supporters and end with what’s next. For example: ‘We’re at 60%! Thanks to 48 supporters we’ve ordered the shirts. Ten days left to get the training jackets too.’

Don’t post for the sake of posting. One real update a week beats a daily repeat. Linky will give you a nudge if you’ve gone quiet for a week.

What puts donors off

These things make people hesitate, even when your cause is a good one:

• No amount, or no explanation of what the money is for.
• Text full of capitals, exclamation marks or emoji.
• No clarity about who manages the campaign and where the money goes.
• Promises you can’t keep.

What goes into your campaign

A DonoLink campaign is a page of its own with a title, a one-line summary of what it’s about, a goal and an end date. At the top you add a cover photo or a YouTube video, followed by your story and a gallery of up to six photos. You pick an accent colour and the amounts you suggest to donors. Visitors can see at a glance how much has been raised, what share of the goal that is, how many people have chipped in and how many days are left.

Along the way you post updates with a title, text and an optional photo, so everyone can see what the money is doing. The supporters’ wall shows who donated, by name or as ‘Anonymous’, together with their message. You decide whether amounts are shown and whether anonymous donations are allowed. You can share your campaign on WhatsApp, with a link to copy or with a QR code for a poster or flyer. All your campaigns sit together on your profile page.

Keep-it-all: every donation reaches you

With DonoLink, every successful donation comes through, even if you don’t reach your goal. After the end date the campaign closes to new donations, but the page stays online so everyone can look back at what you achieved together. Payouts go through your own connected Stripe account; Stripe asks you to verify your identity.

This is always donation crowdfunding. Donors don’t get a return, shares or a loan repayment, and there are no rewards or perks. People who give are simply backing your cause.

Linky helps you get started

When you sign up, Linky, DonoLink’s mascot, asks what you want to do and who you’re raising money for. Then you set up your first campaign together with a title, a goal and an end date. During the campaign Linky gives you a shout at milestones, such as your first donation or reaching half your goal, and a gentle nudge if you haven’t posted an update for a week. That makes crowdfunding easy, even if you’ve never run a fundraiser before.

Payments and fees in your country

If you run your campaign in France, use donolink.fr. Your donors pay by bank card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. DonoLink keeps 3.5% of each donation; Stripe charges its processing fees separately. For a standard card from the European Economic Area, Stripe's public rate is 1.5% + €0.25, and other cards cost more. From a €25 donation with a standard card you keep about €23.49. There is no subscription, and DonoLink never asks your donors for a tip.

Frequently asked questions