fundraising gut-wrencher

The CivicMinded Companion

gut-wrencher in fundraising - An emotionally charged and compelling appeal, delivered with passion in writing or face-to-face, which motivates a prospective supporter to make a contribution of time or money to your organization. PITCH, SOLICITATION

Quotes and notes ~
An effective gut-wrencher is often a personal story about a family's or group's need and how your organization offers solutions. Telling the story is the first step. Then, you need to wrap-up with a call to action. Here are some examples:

"The Darfur genocide has killed more than 400,000 civilians and displaced 2.5 million people from their homes. About the size of Texas, the Darfur region of Sudan is home to racially mixed Muslim tribes. In February 2003, frustrated by poverty and neglect, two Darfurian rebel groups launched an uprising against the Khartoum government. The government responded with a scorched-earth campaign, arming and bankrolling militias against the innocent civilians of Darfur. A small peacekeeping force run by the African Union is in place, but it is largely unsupported by the rest of the world. Civilian protection is desperately needed to stop the violence and end the genocide." Genocide in Darfur



"Every day four women die in this country as a result of domestic violence, the euphemism for murders and assaults by husbands and boyfriends. That's approximately 1,400 women a year, according to the FBI. The number of women who have been murdered by their intimate partners is greater than the number of soldiers killed in the Vietnam War. Every year approximately 132,000 women report that they have been victims of rape or attempted rape, and more than half of them knew their attackers. We have made violence against women a crime, now let's make it a shame. Let's make it as socially unacceptable as it is illegal." National Organization for Women



"Today, 13 million children still live in poverty, 9.4 million don’t have health coverage, and countless others are forced to live in dangerous communities and without adequate education—all of which disproportionately affects minority and poor families. The most dangerous place to live in America remains at the intersection of race and poverty. To honor Dr. King's legacy and keep his dream alive, we must finish the job that he and so many before him started." Children's Defense Fund, January 25, 2007



"In northern Uganda, more than 25,000 children have been kidnapped and forced to serve as soldiers in a nightmarish civil war that the world has largely ignored. These innocent children are brutalized and mutilated, forced to commit atrocities, and given as sex slaves to military commanders. This targeted abuse of children is unacceptable." World Vision: Children Should Never Be Soldiers