Fundraising tips
What actually makes a campaign work
None of this is about writing more. The campaigns that reach their goal are specific, evidenced, and updated — usually in that order.
- 01
Name the person and the need
A title carrying a name and a specific outcome travels further than an appeal. "Help Amaka finish her final year at UNN" gives a stranger something to picture. "Please assist a student in need" does not.
- 02
Show the maths
Break the goal into its parts — ₦640,000 tuition, ₦180,000 accommodation, ₦380,000 materials. A costed breakdown reads as someone who has done the work, and it makes the number feel like a plan rather than a guess.
- 03
Ask ten people before you post publicly
A campaign sitting at zero is hard to give to; one already at 15% is easy. Ask the people closest to you first and let them seed it, then share it widely once there is momentum on the page.
- 04
Use real photographs
A slightly imperfect photo of the actual person, place, or document beats a polished stock image every time. Donors are reading for evidence that this is real, not for art direction.
- 05
Post updates, even small ones
Every update goes to everyone who has already given and is the single best trigger for a second donation. Post the receipt, the admission letter, the discharge photo. Campaigns that update raise substantially more than campaigns that go quiet.
- 06
Say thank you specifically
Reply to donors by name where you can. People who feel seen share the campaign, and a share from someone who already gave is the most persuasive kind.
- 07
Give the diaspora a reason to act now
Relatives abroad are often the largest single donations you will receive. Tell them the deadline plainly and remind them they can pay by card in their own currency without a Nigerian account.
Someone is waiting for you to ask
Setting up takes five minutes and costs nothing. You only pay when money actually comes in.