Impact statements are critical parts of a nonprofits’ story and mission. If you’ve never heard of the term before, impact statements are generally short passages that let your donors know what your organization does, how you do it, and why you do it. Sounds like a lot to cover in about two sentences? Don’t worry, impact statements don’t need to be super complex to work! In fact, the shorter and simpler your statement the better!
On RoundUp App we give space for all nonprofits to include their impact statement. It’s one of the most important parts about a nonprofit’s RoundUp App brand profile! Why? If a potential donor is unsure of whether or not they will support your nonprofit through RoundUp App, the impact statement can be the deciding factor!
We’ve actually crunched the numbers and nonprofits that use impact statements on their profile perform better than those without them! Want to know how to write a compelling impact statement? We’ll show you in just a few steps:
- Make them short, simple, and to the point
- Be specific
- Avoid Jargon or specialized language
Making your impact statement short, simple, and to the point
On RoundUp App, all of our impact statements start the same: “Donating the spare change from your credit or debit card purchases allows us to…” Nonprofits fill in the blanks with a 70-character statement that completes the sentence.
We enforce the 70 character limit because we know that the shorter and simpler a statement is, the better results it has!
Making those 70 characters count
Keeping an impact statement down to 70 characters forces you to be mindful about what you are writing. Often when we’re writing for work there are phrases we use again and again without even thinking about it. When was the last time you really thought about how you phrase your case for support?
Be intentional about each word you choose for your impact statement.
Be Specific
Find a balance between keeping your impact statement simple and being specific about the projects or initiatives that donors, like those on RoundUp App, will have on your nonprofit.
While it can be tempting to write about everything your nonprofit is working on, you don’t want to overwhelm potential donors by trying to squeeze too much into your case for support. But don’t swing too far in the other direction by making too general of a statement. Your nonprofit is unique and you want potential donors to know what sets you apart from similar organizations.
Avoid Jargon or Specialized Language
Another writing trap we all fall into, but can be especially relevant for nonprofits, is using jargon that might be unfamiliar to the average person. Internally there are words we’re accustomed to using to describe what we do, but without context, certain keywords or phrases might cause confusion.
The most successful and persuasive statements often use “plain language” writing. The easier your mission is to understand, the better time your audiences will have connecting with your mission and feeling inspired to support it.
Examples of effective and compelling impact statements
Want to see how other nonprofits using RoundUp App create their impact statements? We’ve got some examples from you. Below are examples from some of the top nonprofits on RoundUp App right now and their in-app impact statements!
Your donation allows us to procure and distribute food and essentials to the hungry.
Houston Food Bank
Your donation allows us to put the power of kindness to work.
Be Kind Project
Your donation allows us to provide legal services/advocate for those most vulnerable in society.
Urban Justice Center
Your donation allows us to inspire respect for nature through an appreciation of birds.
National Aviary
Your donation allows us to ensure that all women and families are thriving.
YWCA Metropolitan Chicago
Your donation allows us to continue to support people who are blind with lifelong skills.
Leader Dogs for the Blind
Putting it all Together
With all of those lessons in mind, here’s a sample impact statement for a food bank, before using our three tips:
Donating the spare change from your credit or debit card purchases allows us to combat food insecurity by providing nourishing meals to those in need.
While that sample impact statement falls within the 70 character limit, it’s quite wordy and not everyone may be familiar with phrases like “food insecurity.” Instead, a food bank might say something like this instead:
Donating the spare change from your credit or debit card purchases allows us to feed the hungry with dependable, nutritious meals.
Use these tips in all of your writing to help create a clear case for support that donors will understand and that will inspire them to take action.
To learn more about RoundUp App and register your nonprofit, visit our nonprofit page.
