A friend once relayed an anecdote about simple, effective communication that turned out to be a near-perfect teaching moment for fundraisers. Not because it involved a campaign, a brand, or a consultant—but precisely because it didn’t.
She was helping out an elderly couple who lived down the hall of her apartment complex. The wife had a serious health condition that had suddenly worsened, leaving her largely confined to bed. My friend stepped in to help them find a hospital-style bed—quickly, and with very limited resources.
Clear Communication Beats Clever Messaging
To solve the problem, my friend ran a simple want-ad on Craigslist. When she described it to me later, she said:
“I didn’t really lay it on thick. I just said it was an older couple, the woman had a health condition, they needed the bed, they didn’t have a lot of money, and asked if anybody could donate one.”
That was it. No dramatics. No jargon. No emotional manipulation. Just a clear need, plainly stated.
The Response Was Immediate—and Overwhelming
The results were striking. Within a single day, the ad generated multiple responses. Five or six people reached out, all offering to donate a hospital bed.
“One of the first people who called not only wanted to give the bed, they also promised they would deliver it,” she told me. “That’s the one they went with.”
Problem solved—quickly, humanely, and without a single marketing trick.
No Brand. No List. No Fundraising Experience.
On its own, it’s a nice story. But here’s the part fundraisers should really pay attention to.
My friend isn’t a professional fundraiser. She didn’t have an institutional brand, a mailing list, a CRM, or a carefully segmented prospect base.
What she did have was this:
- a clear mission
- a plain, honest explanation of the need
- a receptive audience
- and a proven, low-friction marketing channel (Craigslist)
The result? More responses in one day than she could reasonably handle. It’s the kind of “problem” most nonprofits would welcome.
The Real Lesson for Fundraisers
People care. People want to help. And they respond to clarity.
The challenge for fundraisers isn’t convincing people to be generous. It’s reaching the right people and communicating the mission clearly—without clutter, exaggeration, or institutional self-focus.
Effective planned giving marketing works the same way. It comes from the heart, keeps the message simple, uses multiple touch points and mediums, and focuses on the benefits to the donor, not the nonprofit. In other words, it sells the sizzle, not the steak.
Simplicity Still Wins
No clever branding exercise will outperform a clear, honest message delivered to the right audience. Whether you’re posting on Craigslist or building a planned giving program, the principle is the same.
The rest, as they say, is plain sailing.
