Single-Animal-Story-to-Mission Sustainer Onboarding Series
A fill-in-the-blank onboarding series that starts a new donor with one rescued animal's story and deliberately widens the lens to the mission, so the relationship survives after that one animal's chapter closes.
Draft: pending review
This starter document is signed off by Communications ethics lead + nonprofit counsel + CFRE before it ships. The guardrails below define that review.
What’s inside
- 5-touch narrative arc: the one animal, the broader problem, how the gift fits, the animals still waiting, the monthly invitation
- Story-intake template capturing verified facts, medical status, and outcome so copy never overstates
- 'Bridge' paragraphs moving the reader from one animal to the population served
- Consent/privacy notes for surrendering owners and identifying staff/fosters
Legal & ethical guardrails
The sector-specific compliance points this document must honor.
- Do not misrepresent an individual animal's outcome: only state what actually happened; if the animal was transferred, died, or is still in care, say so and update the asset when status changes
- Distress-imagery ethics: any distressing 'before' image must be paired with a fundable solution and a hopeful 'after', with the animal genuinely tied to the ask
- Charitable substantiation: §170(f)(8) contemporaneous acknowledgment for gifts of $250+, and §6115 quid-pro-quo disclosure once the donor's payment exceeds $75 and a welcome premium is provided (below the annual insubstantial-benefit safe harbor it is disregarded). Do not publish a surrendering owner's story where a cruelty investigation/prosecution is pending (sub-judice / defamation)
- Retire or clearly date stories once resolved so a long-lived series never implies a past rescue is an active emergency
Held for professional review.
The native DOCX and full working text ship only after sign-off by Communications ethics lead + nonprofit counsel + CFRE on this exact version. The summary and review requirements remain visible in the meantime.
Not legal advice. Not legal, tax, or accounting advice. The Fundraising Co. provides educational fundraising materials and is not a law firm; nothing here creates an attorney–client relationship or substitutes for advice from professionals licensed in your jurisdiction. Laws and IRS rules vary by state and change over time. Review every document with qualified counsel before use.