The way you describe your project to potential donors is critical to the success of your campaign. Here are some basic ‘good writing’ tips to keep in mind when it comes to writing your project description.
Structure
Your project description should include information about your project and its background as well as the specific elements of your project donor contributions will support– this is your call to action.
Tip: Consider the 4Ws to help make sure you have been clear.
Who will benefit from your project?
What support are you looking for, how will donations be spent?
Where is this taking place? Is it national, international?
When – what is the timeline for this activity?
Use paragraphs. This will break up your writing, boost readability and make it easier for potential donors to decide if they want to support your project.
Headings
Use headings for purpose and clarity and to separate the different ideas you want to get across. For example, your project description could be divided into sections on Project background, Project timeline, How you can support this project and What your donations will help us achieve.
Use short and varied sentences
A short sentence is a good sentence. You run the risk of confusing or even boring potential donors if your prose is overly verbose. If your sentences run over more than two lines, they’re probably too long! Consider a rewrite – often the solution is as simple as finding the natural pause in a sentence and inserting a full stop – usually at the end of one idea and before the next.
Another tip is to vary the way you start your sentences. Try not to use the same word or two at the beginning of every sentence. This will make your writing more interesting to read.
Remember your target audience
There are over 100 projects currently listed on the ACF, and many thousands more on other crowdfunding platforms. It’s absolutely crucial that you take time to think about how you can best market your project to potential donors.
Next to your hero image, your project description is likely the first piece of information a potential donor will see about your project, and therefore your key pitching opportunity. Make it count!
Be concise
Give potential donors just enough information about the project for them to grasp what you’re doing, how you’re doing it and why you’re doing it. But don’t ramble on – minute detail isn’t necessary for a project description.
Avoid repeating information in your artist profile and project description. These two sections serve very different purposes – so take the opportunity to talk about yourself or your organisation and what drives you in the artist profile section and keep the project description section to write exclusively about the project for which your campaigning to raise funds.
Edit, proofread, repeat
The best writers find time to edit their work, proof it, and then edit and proof again. Write your copy, then give yourself a break and come back to it later with fresh eyes. Better yet, ask someone not involved in your project to read your copy so you can be confident you’re delivering a clear, concise and compelling message.
Any questions? Our ACF guru is happy to speak to you about your project and fundraising campaign and make sure everything is shipshape. Contact hello@australianculturalfund.org.au
For more tips on how to plan and execute a successful ACF campaign visit our resources page.
Happy campaigning!
The ACF Team
#makingculturehappen