By Richard Lee
2026 called. It wants your donation page back.
Social media keeps shape-shifting. AI is everywhere. And donor attention? Let’s just say it’s not exactly sitting down with a cup of tea to read your 500-word donation page.
People’s behaviour is changing across every generation — your kids, your parents, your trustees (yes, even them). The world is moving fast, and the charities that win won’t be the ones doing more… they’ll be the ones doing smarter.
Over the next few weeks, I’m sharing the tactical shifts charities can make to future-proof fundraising. We’re starting with a simple one that everyone can achieve.
The VDL: Video Donation Letter
What’s a Video Donation Letter (VDL)?
You’ve heard of VSLs — Video Sales Letters. For years, marketers have used them to turn ‘maybe later’ into ‘take my money.’
A VDL is the charity version: a short, emotionally intelligent video that is integrated into the top of your donation funnel and does one job:
It answers the questions donors are already asking — quickly, clearly, and authentically.
Video tends to outperform walls of text for holding attention and building understanding, but it’s not magic by default (format and quality matter).
Why video matters more now (especially with AI everywhere)
Here’s the thing that we love at Reach Fundraising: in a world where content can be generated in seconds, authenticity is the new luxury item.
A well-made (read: human) video builds trust because it shows real faces, real emotion, and real stakes — the stuff AI can only imitate.
And trust is the currency of giving.
Your donation page has one job: reduce friction and increase conviction
Let’s talk donor journey.
It should be:
- Frictionless (no faff, no confusion, no “where do I click?” panic)
- Empathetic (emotion + understanding)
- Direct (clear action, clear outcome)
Also: charities aren’t just competing with other charities. You’re competing with everything — Netflix, WhatsApp, work stress, and that one person who sends 11 voice notes in a row.
So here’s my challenge to you:
Open your donation page right now. Go on. I’ll wait. 👀
The BIG three questions your donation page must answer
If your donation page doesn’t nail these instantly, you’re leaking donations:
- Who are you helping?
- Why now?
- What do you want me to do?
A VDL answers all three faster than text ever could — and it does it with tone, humanity, and clarity.
And before you say, “We already have a video”… be honest:
Is it your best story? Or is it a 2018 montage with sad piano and a logo reveal?
“But our organisation will hate this.” Lovely. Test it anyway.
Every charity has an “old guard” moment. Sometimes it’s a person. Sometimes it’s a whole committee. Sometimes it’s a spreadsheet that’s been in charge since 2009.
If you hit resistance, don’t debate it to death. Test it.
Run an A/B test:
- Funnel A: your current donation page
- Funnel B: same page + VDL
Identical audience. Same traffic sources. Same time window.
Then let results do the talking.
(And if you’re already tracking donation conversion rate, you’re ahead of the game.)
The takeaway
Less people are giving. Attention is harsher. Expectations are higher. Doing what you’ve always done and hoping for different results is deeply optimistic.
A great VDL helps donors:
watch → engage → believe → donate
with less doubt, less friction, and more confidence they’re part of change.
Simple. Bold. Human