One Sentence That Can Transform Donor Engagement Strategies for Healthcare Nonprofits
April 14, 2025
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I recently revised donor messaging content for several healthcare foundations using the behavioral science strategies I specialize in.
Each of these organizations had powerful patient stories, impressive clinical achievements, and strong community support. Donors had funded everything from robotic surgical technology and NICU equipment to emergency response tools and other life-saving innovations.
The impact was real. But the emotional pull was missing.
In several cases, the messaging focused on what philanthropy funded, rather than who it helped and how their lives were transformed.
The “who” and the “how” are the heart of your donor messaging. They make your donor impact statements emotional and inspiring. So how do you engage donors?
Try This Nonprofit Storytelling Best Practice to Engage Donors
When donors can clearly picture the lives they’re helping, and feel emotionally connected to the transformation, they don’t just feel proud. They feel invested. And they give. With strategic nurturing and expert fundraising messaging, you'll retain donors and they'll give again.
Before and After Examples of Donor Messaging for Healthcare Fundraising
Before:
$32,000 for a Giraffe OmniBed Carestation
This factoid was included on a founation's list of programs and initiatives that were funded by philanthropy. At first glance, the list was impressive; a sign of a generous community of donors who were making an impact at their local hospital.
But when I put myself in the donor’s shoes, I couldn’t help wondering:
What the heck is a Giraffe OmniBed?
How does it make a difference?
Donors need to visualize how they’re changing someone’s life. We needed to show this hospital's donors who this equipment is helping and how it makes their lives better.
After:
"Because of your kindness, premature babies can grow stronger in a warm, womb-like crib where care teams can provide life-saving treatment without moving these fragile newborns.”
I used behavioral science nudges to create a more emotional message that puts the donor at the center of the transformation.
How Emotional Storytelling Helps You Improve Donor Engagement
✅ It validates your nonprofit donor’s identity.
“Because of your kindness” mirrors how donors want to see themselves: as compassionate, generous, and kind. It makes them feel seen and valued.
✅ It replaces fundraising jargon with authentic emotion.
The generic, clinical-sounding “Giraffe OmniBed,” is now a “warm, womb-like crib,” which definitely creates more of an emotional connection. Do you feel it?
✅ It brings the nonprofit donor’s impact to life.
The donor’s philanthropy is no longer funding “a Giraffe bed.” It’s providing fragile, premature newborns with a safe, warm embrace where they can grow stronger and return to their parents’ loving arms.
✅ It transforms the generous donor into a hero.
The donor is heroically giving these precious little babies a fighting chance. Who wouldn't want to support that? (Also, this is the perfect place to ask for a recurring monthly donation.)
All you have to do is channel the wisdom of Adrian Sargeant, one of the world’s top researchers in fundraising and philanthropic psychology.
His research shows that effective donor engagement strategies accomplish five things really well:
Affirm the donor’s identity as kind, generous, and community-minded
Use storytelling to help donors feel the emotional impact of their generosity
Make donors feel proud of their role in changing lives
Use clear, human language that sparks emotional connection (“human language” is too vague)
Show how one person’s gift can save lives or make someone’s life better
Why This Storytelling Approach Works for Nonprofit Fundraising
When we revise messaging with donor psychology in mind, we move beyond simply reporting what was funded:
We invite donors into the story.
We show them the human transformation.
We make them feel like heroes.
Replacing the vague “Giraffe OmniBed” with the image of a fragile infant swaddled in a warm, womb-like crib and casting the donor as the hero who made it possible creates an emotional bridge between the gift and the outcome. All in one powerful sentence!
See how the right image can also engage donors and inspire them to give.
FAQs: Using Donor Psychology to Improve Donor Engagement Strategy and Retention
What is behavioral science?
Behavioral science looks at how people think, make decisions, and take action. It helps us understand, predict, and influence human behavior to create better outcomes, in everything from health and happiness to generosity and giving.
In fundraising, behavioral science helps us understand why people give so we can write messages that align with those reasons and speak directly to their emotions, values, and motivations.
What is philanthropic psychology?
Also called "donor psychology," philanthhropic psychology looks at why people give to nonprofits and what drives their decision to donate. It helps fundraisers understand what really motivates giving, such as wanting to help others, or a desire to feel good, be recognized, or make a difference.
When we understand how donors think, we can write content that grabs their their attention, tapss into their emotions, and shows them exactly how their gift makes a difference.
How does donor psychology improve donor engagement and donor retention?
Donor psychology helps you understand how your supporters think, feel, and make decisions—so you can speak to what really moves them. Instead of listing what philanthropy paid for, you show who was helped and how their life was changed.
When you frame your donor messaging this way, donors don’t just feel appreciated—they feel emotionally invested. They see themselves as heroes, not just funders. That emotional connection is what keeps donors engaged, deepens loyalty, and inspires them to give again and again.
How can I use behavioral science tactics to improve my donor messaging?
Start by putting yourself in the donor's mindset. How do they see themselves—as kind, caring, generous? (Pro tip: ask them directly in your next donor survey!) Then use language that mirrors this self-image. Phrases like “Because of your kindness…” or “Caring donors like you made this possible…” affirm who they believe they are, and make them feel seen and valued.
What’s a common mistake nonprofits make when trying to communicate donor impact?
Focusing on what was funded rather than who was helped and how it changed their lives. Donors connect with stories about real people, not line items. Messaging that shows donors the real lives they’ve touched can inspire them to stay connected and give again.
Donors give when they feel connected. Let’s make sure your messaging delivers.
Schedule a free 30-minute strategy call today. You'll walk away with practical strategies to attract and retain new donors, boost mid-level engagement, and grow giving across the board.
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