Do’s and don’ts in fundraising copy ?
by BBB Wise Giving Alliance
One of the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability (Standard 15) calls for solicitations and informational materials, distributed by any means, to be accurate, truthful, and not misleading, both in whole and in part. Although the Give.org webpage on these standards provides access to detailed implementation guidance, we thought it would be helpful to share suggestions about how to avoid problems typically encountered by BBB Wise Giving Alliance staff conducting charity evaluations.
Accurate, truthful, and not misleading.?Each of these terms represents a different issue. Accuracy generally refers to the facts and figures included in the appeal, such as the number of people helped, charity financial information and the number of people that are afflicted with a specified disease. Truthful refers to whether the charity says something that it knows not to be true, such as exaggerating the impact of its programs or the severity of a problem it seeks to address. Misleading is a situation where every statement used in an appeal may be technically accurate, but together, they may provide the potential donor with a misleading impression and/or may be omitting key facts.
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Clarity of program descriptions.?Charities should ensure that each appeal includes a clear description of the program(s) for which contributions ae sought. Sometimes just a sentence can provide an adequate explanation for potential contributors. Even renewal appears to previous donors should include program explanations. As donors usually contribute to a number of charities and not a single organization, one cannot assume they will recall what each organization seeks to accomplish. Also, a program description not only provides clarity but may help inspire a more generous response.
In terms of clarity, charities should make sure the program description is specific enough so that potential donors understand the organization’s activities. For example, a charity stating it is helping the homeless is not a clear description.