Fundraising campaign update with what the money paid for
Who wrote it
Three weeks into the campaign for her uncle’s family, Mariam Saleh has news: a new flat and Samir’s first tools. She posts an update with receipts.
The writer and every detail about them are fictional.
What went into the template
- Raised so far, and the goal
- $4,860 of $7,500
- What has happened since the last update
- On 12 November the family moved into a two-room flat in Deir al-Balah, with a six-month contract; the children have a room to study in for the first time in two years. On 20 November Samir bought his first tools; he has started repairing doors and window frames for neighbours.
- What the money has paid for
- First three months’ rent: $1,800
Carpentry tools: $1,350
Transfer fees so far: $610
Receipts in the photos below - What is still needed
- $2,640 still needed for the remaining rent, Rawan’s laptop and the water filter
The writer’s facts, as typed into the template’s form. The example uses nothing else.
The example
Campaign update: Campaign update
Numbered notes in the margin explain each choice.
On 12 November, Samir, Huda and the children moved into a two-room flat in Deir al-Balah, with a six-month contract1. For the first time in two years, the children have a room to study in.2
The news
Note 1: The update starts with the news, not with thanks or apologies. That is what readers open it for.
Note 2: One concrete consequence makes the news real, without dramatising it.
On 20 November, Samir bought his first set of tools, and he has already started repairing doors and window frames3 for neighbours.
More news
Note 3: Donors see their money turning into work, which is the future the campaign promised.
Thank you, all of you. We have raised $4,860 of our $7,500 goal.
Thanks and progress
So far, the money has paid for:
- The first three months’ rent: $1,800
- Carpentry tools: $1,350
- Transfer fees: $6104
The receipts are in the photos below.
What the money paid for
Note 4: Fees are reported like any other spending. Hiding them is what damages trust.
We still need $2,640 for the remaining three months’ rent, Rawan’s laptop and the water filter. If you have already given, sharing the page is the best help now.5
What is still needed
Note 5: A respectful ask that does not pressure people who have already given.
Structure
How it is built
Each part in order, with its share of the words.
Checklist
Before you send
Go through your own draft line by line.
Before and after
Common mistakes and how to fix them
Lines like these turn up in many drafts by Arabic speakers. Each fix keeps the meaning and changes only the English.
Sorry for the late update, we have been very busy and the situation is very difficult.
On 12 November, Samir, Huda and the children moved into a two-room flat in Deir al-Balah, with a six-month contract.
We spent the money on the family needs.
So far, the money has paid for the first three months’ rent ($1,800), carpentry tools ($1,350) and transfer fees ($610).
Please donate again, we still need a lot of money!
We still need $2,640 for the remaining three months’ rent, Rawan’s laptop and the water filter.
Questions people ask
How often should I post campaign updates?
As often as you promised in the story, here every two weeks, and whenever something important happens. Regular updates keep donors confident and often bring new ones.
Should I share receipts?
Yes, with personal details such as account numbers and full addresses hidden. Receipts are the strongest proof that the money reached the family.
What if something goes wrong, like a delay or a lost transfer?
Say so in the next update, plainly, with what you are doing about it. Donors forgive problems they hear about from you far more easily than problems they discover.
Every writer in this library is fictional, and so is every detail about them. Universities and companies appear only as places someone applies to; the professors, papers and facts mentioned around them are invented for teaching. Use the examples to learn the moves, never as text to copy: committees notice, and your own facts are stronger.