Philanthropy Communications Program
Imagine that every one of your donors and potential donors understand why your organization is essential. They know their donations make your work possible. They believe in your vision and expertise. They feel genuinely appreciated, no matter how much they give. And they’re committed to giving, year in and year out.
Message Lab’s Philanthropy Communications Program exists to turn this vision into reality.
We believe that every donor communication – whether it’s a case for support, donor story, direct appeal or thank you letter – is an opportunity to inspire a lifetime of giving. Our goal is to help you share your mission, vision and stories so clearly that every donor understands your impact and is motivated to give, again and again.
Strategic Communications that Get Results
Donors make gifts because they believe in what you do. Our team of philanthropy communications experts help you achieve your fundraising goals by:
Using stories, key messages and asks to make a case for giving
Sharing gratitude with your donors for their generosity
Showing how donors’ gifts solve problems and meet needs
Honing in on the stories that best showcase your mission and values, and knowing how to share them
Preparing your philanthropy team, board members and leaders with the tools they need to make strategic asks and retain your longtime supporters
Whether you need an outside perspective to help refine your communications strategy or an expert team to write content, we’re here to help. Our work includes:
Evaluating your communications strategy, aligning it with your fundraising plan and sharing stories that support your philanthropic goals
Conducting donor research to understand their wants and needs, and to identify where those wants and needs intersect with fundraising priorities
Developing communications plans and key messages for campaigns and membership programs
Writing and editing every type of donor communication
Using analytics to measure and adapt
Why Message Lab?
Your donors’ attention is scarce and the competition for it is fierce. We created our Philanthropy Communications Program to help you break through.
We’re on a mission to help your organization improve the lives of those you serve. We want to show donors why they matter, and why they are the answer to helping you solve problems and meet needs. From your website to your annual report, individual communications to campaign messages, we ensure everyone who hears your organization’s story knows why it’s important.
We’ve worked shoulder-to-shoulder with donor relations and communications teams, foundation leaders and frontline fundraisers. We’ve played a key role in billion-dollar campaigns and helped secure transformational gifts.
We become an extension of your team and build quality relationships with your program teams, board members and donors.
Director, Philanthropy Content
Meet Our Director: Allie Rock
I started my career on the fundraising communications teams at the University of Washington School of Medicine and College of Built Environments. Then I joined Seattle Children’s, where I led stewardship communications and worked closely with fundraisers, doctors, patient families and donors, across research and patient care.
My goal is to communicate to donors exactly how their gift will contribute to your progress and why that progress matters. Equally important: the role of messaging and stories in preparing fundraisers, organizational leaders and board members with the tools they need to confidently ask for support.
I still get excited about planning for the launch of a major campaign, as much as I do about a personalized thank you letter and all the programmatic work in between. And I love seeing them come to fruition because at the center of each successful campaign are thoughtful messages and personal stories that represent the opportunity donors have to improve lives – and sometimes help save them.
Case Studies
Content Strategy Physician Marketing Thought
Design Physician Marketing Thought Leadership
