You don't need a content team. You need a box of things worth posting and a way to make them yours in two minutes. That's this. Six posts, eleven replies for when people bite, six more for when they don't, four private DMs for the people you actually know, and one CTA block you'll reuse forever.
One promise before you start: these are written to be felt, not skimmed. A post that reads like a memo gets scrolled past. Keep the feeling in when you swap your details.
How to use this kit
- Fill the blanks. Every bracketed slot —
[MISSION],[CITY], and the rest — is a swap slot. Replace it with your real detail (see the legend below). Never post a bracket. - Keep one link per post. The only link that binds a supporter to your cause is your partner page, written here as
[/partners/{slug}]. That's where they pick you. Send people there, not to a generic homepage. - Post a few times a month — spaced out, not all at once. Spreading posts apart is the part that's actually been measured, so that's the bit worth protecting; a steady rhythm on top of it is simply what's easiest to keep up. Mix the six types so you never repeat yourself.
- Add a photo or a face whenever you can. People stop for people.
- Where a reply offers more than one phrasing, pick the one that sounds like you — and don't all pick the first. Facebook reduces the reach of comments that are "repeatedly copied and pasted", and there are a lot of nonprofits working from this same page. Saying it in your own voice is both the better reply and the one that keeps getting seen.
The swap-slot legend (use these exact slots)
In any message, including the replies and DMs below:
[NONPROFIT NAME]— Your organization's name.[MISSION]— Your cause in a few plain words — what changes because you exist.[CITY]— Your town or service area, as a local would say it.[BUSINESS NAME]— A specific local business.[YOUR NAME]— The human signing the message. A DM from a name outperforms a DM from a logo.[THEIR NAME]— Who you're writing to. Hand-filled per message — never mail-merge a DM.[/partners/{slug}]— Your partner page — the ONLY link that binds a supporter to your cause.[shopgiv.com/apply/vendor]— The business enrollment page, for a reply or a DM to a business owner. If your post has a tracked link, copy itssrc=part onto this one so an enrollment is counted to that post; if not, the page alone is fine. Never your partner page: that signs them up as a shopper, not a business.
Only in the six posts — and these are the ones people get stuck on:
[ORG FACT]— One specific, provable thing that business actually did — the detail, not the adjective. “Kept the lights on for a family in January” beats “is so generous.”[YOUR OWN NUMBER]— A number from YOUR OWN records that you could show someone: families served, meals out the door, nights of shelter, kids in the program. Never a ShopGiv total — see the note below.[WHAT IT MEANS]— That number translated into one human picture. “412 families” means nothing; “412 kitchens that had dinner in them” lands.[ESTIMATED AMOUNT]— An estimate, and it must go out labelled as one — see the note below. Work it from your own supporter count, never from a number you liked the sound of.[FUTURE EVENT DATE]— A confirmed date that has not happened yet. If there is no such date, Post 6 is not available to you this month.[HASHTAG]— Your own tag, if you have one people actually use. No tag is better than a tag with nothing behind it — delete the slot rather than invent one.
Honesty rules that never bend. (1) 90.5% of each donation is attributed to your nonprofit after a 9.5% platform fee. Never say 100%. (2) A business does not donate to you. A supporter's own choice at your partner page directs the giving; shopping a participating business through ShopGiv generates the donation. Say “generates” and “supports” — never “this business donates to us.” (3) Never promise a reward for an invite. A DM is a warm doorbell. It does not fund you and it is not credited to a total. (4) Never post a bracket, and never invent a number. An unfilled slot is a missing fact, not a rounding error.
A note on tender missions. If your mission touches people in a hard moment — homelessness, illness, recovery, disaster — keep that line in warmth, hope or agency. Never pity, never a joke about the hardship, and never a specific person's story you don't have permission to tell. The rest of the message can still be warm and loud.
The two slots that need a real number
Four of the six posts need nothing but your own words. Two need a number, and this is the kit's hardest rule meeting its hardest slot — so here is exactly what to do instead of guessing.
[ESTIMATED AMOUNT]is an estimate, so publish it as one. Work it out from your own supporter count with the nonprofit ROI calculator and then say the quiet part in the post itself — the calculator's own wording is “Projection based on your inputs — not a guarantee.” “About” on its own is not a label; the word estimated is.[YOUR OWN NUMBER]comes from your records, not from ShopGiv. Families served, meals out the door, nights of shelter — something you could show someone who asked. A ShopGiv figure is generated and attributed, which is not the same as landed in your account, so never post one as proof that money arrived.- No number you can stand behind? Post 4 and Post 5 need none. They are written to work without one, and a post with no number beats a post with a number you had to guess. That is the honesty rule doing you a favour, not costing you a post.
Post 1 — Thank a Business (start here — needs nothing built yet)
Primary goal: shares. Why lead with this: it requires zero setup. You don't need a single business signed up. You publicly celebrate a local business you love, they usually reshare to their own followers, and you've warmed up a future partner without ever asking for anything. It's the friendliest door in the whole kit.
Every town has that one business that just... shows up. Ours is [BUSINESS NAME]. [ORG FACT] No press release. No ask. They just did it. If they've ever made your day too, go tell them so this week — the good ones deserve to hear it out loud. 💛 [HASHTAG]
When you're ready to add the ShopGiv angle (optional second line):
Businesses like this are exactly who we're building something with — a community that shops on purpose, with the places that show up for us. More soon.
Post 2 — The Ask (enroll a supporter)
Primary goal: shares. This is the workhorse. It names the everyday habit and makes the switch feel like nothing.
You already buy coffee, gas, groceries. Same shops. Same prices. Not a cent more. What if that exact spending quietly generated an estimated [ESTIMATED AMOUNT] a year toward [MISSION]? That's the whole trick — pick [NONPROFIT NAME] once, then shop the way you always do. Here's your one link 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Post 3 — The Impact (show a number you can prove)
⚠️ Use a number from your own records — one you could show someone who asked. Not a projection, and not a ShopGiv total: those figures are generated and attributed, which is not the same as landed in your account. No number you can stand behind? Post 4 and Post 5 need none.
Primary goal: saves. A concrete number people want to screenshot.
[YOUR OWN NUMBER]. Not a goal. That already happened. [WHAT IT MEANS]. And the part that still gets us is how ordinary it looks up close — no heroics, just a town that keeps showing up. Want your grocery run counting toward the next one? Ten seconds: pick [NONPROFIT NAME] and shop the way you already do 👉 [/partners/{slug}] [HASHTAG]
Post 4 — The Why (the story that makes people stay)
Primary goal: shares. No mechanics. Just the reason. This is the one people send to a friend.
Somebody asked why we do this. Easy: [MISSION]. That's the post. That's the whole thing. If that lands in you the way it lands in us, the lowest-effort way to be part of it is almost embarrassingly simple — pick [NONPROFIT NAME] in ShopGiv and shop like you already do 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Post 5 — This or That (the identity nudge)
Primary goal: shares. A playful binary that lets people signal who they are by clicking.
Two kinds of people in this town: the ones who scroll right past this, and the ones who just realized their next grocery run could quietly fund [MISSION] — for free. No judgment. (Okay… a little.) If you're the second kind, you know what to do 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Post 6 — The Event Tie-In (requires a real upcoming event)
⚠️ Only post this if you have a confirmed FUTURE event. Set
[FUTURE EVENT DATE]to a real upcoming date. Never tie this to a past event or a made-up date.
Primary goal: shares. Turns one night into year-round support.
📣 Mark [FUTURE EVENT DATE]. We'll be there, and we're bringing one small thing that turns a single night into year-round support: a QR code. Ten seconds — pick [NONPROFIT NAME], and your everyday shopping starts giving back long after the lights come up. Can't wait that long? Get a head start 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Reply scripts — for when people comment or DM
When someone engages, reply like a human, and reply soon. A post earns you a comment; the reply earns you the supporter. Say these in your own voice.
“Wait — is it actually free?”
Free to you, full stop. Same stores, same prices, nothing extra at the register. The donation is generated on the purchase and is attributed to whichever nonprofit the shopper picked — so the only thing that changes is which cause a slice of it counts toward. Set yours here 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
Free. Same stores, same prices, nothing added at the register. A donation is generated on the purchase and attributed to the nonprofit the shopper picked — all that changes is which cause a slice of it counts for. Pick yours here 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Yes, and we'd say so if there were a catch. You pay exactly what you were going to pay anyway; the giveback sits on the business's side of the counter, and the shopper's own choice of cause decides who it's attributed to. Choose yours here 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
The first question, always. Answer it flatly and in the first four words — a hedged answer reads like a catch.
“How does it even work?”
Three steps, about ten seconds: get the app, pick [NONPROFIT NAME], then shop the local businesses on there like you already do. Your normal spending starts generating donations toward [MISSION] — at no cost to you. Start here 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
About ten seconds, three taps: download the app, choose [NONPROFIT NAME], then carry on shopping the local businesses already on there. Your ordinary spending starts generating donations toward [MISSION], and it costs you nothing extra. Start here 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Faster than this comment took to read. Get the app, set [NONPROFIT NAME] as your cause, then do nothing differently — shopping the local spots in the app is what generates the donations toward [MISSION], at no cost to you. Here's the link 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Lead with the time cost, not the mechanism. “Ten seconds” is the objection they actually have.
“What's the catch?” / the friendly skeptic
Fair question, and here's the whole thing with nothing behind it. You shop where you already shop. The business contributes a giveback on that purchase. 90.5% of it is attributed to [NONPROFIT NAME], and a 9.5% platform fee keeps the lights on. You pay nothing extra. We'd rather hand you the fee up front than have you find it later.
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
No catch, and here's the whole ledger. You shop where you'd shop anyway. The business contributes a giveback on that sale. 90.5% of it is attributed to [NONPROFIT NAME]; 9.5% is the platform fee that keeps the thing running. You pay nothing extra. We'd rather tell you the fee than let you discover it.
Honest answer: the fee. That's the part people go looking for, so here it is first — 9.5% of each donation is the platform fee and 90.5% is attributed to [NONPROFIT NAME]. None of it comes out of your pocket: same shops, same prices, nothing added at the register.
Say the fee out loud. Volunteering the unflattering number is the single fastest way to be believed, and a supporter who finds 9.5% on their own stops trusting everything else you said.
“Which businesses count?”
A growing list of local spots around [CITY] — you'll see them right in the app. Got a favourite that isn't on there yet? Tell them about it, and tell us too. Signing up is self-serve at ShopGiv.com and it's the kind of thing a regular asking makes happen.
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
A growing list of local places around [CITY] — the app shows you exactly which ones. Missing a favourite of yours? Mention it to them, and tell us as well. Getting listed is self-serve at ShopGiv.com, and a regular asking is usually what starts it.
You'll see the current list in the app — local spots around [CITY], and it keeps growing. If the place you love isn't there yet, the owner can list themselves at ShopGiv.com. Honestly, a regular mentioning it does more than we ever could.
Never promise a specific business or a count. Point at the app for the list and at self-serve enrollment for the gap.
“I already give to you directly.”
And that is not something we take for granted 💛 This isn't instead of that — it's the coffee you were buying anyway doing a little extra on the side. Ten seconds once, and then you genuinely never think about it again 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
Genuinely, thank you — we don't take that lightly 💛 And this isn't instead of it. It's the coffee you were buying anyway doing a bit extra on the side. Ten seconds once, then you never think about it again 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
You already do the big thing, and we notice 💛 So, to be clear: this is not a second ask and it replaces nothing. It's your normal grocery run quietly pulling its weight as well. Ten seconds, then it's out of your hands 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
The highest-stakes reply in the kit. A loyal donor who reads this as a competing ask is a real loss. Lead with gratitude, then say “not instead of” explicitly — do not let them infer it.
“I'm not techy” / “I don't have the app.”
Easier than it sounds — if you can order takeout on your phone, you're overqualified. Tap here and it walks you through it 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
Genuinely easier than it sounds — if you've ever ordered food on your phone, this is a step down from that. Tap here and it walks you through 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
If you can send a photo to a group chat, you are comfortably past the bar here. This link does the explaining 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Warmth plus a joke that puts them above the bar, never below it. Never explain the app in this reply; the link does that.
“Can I support more than one nonprofit?”
You pick one cause your shopping supports, and you can change it later — nothing here is permanent. So if you're torn, pick one for now and see how it feels. [NONPROFIT NAME] would love to be it 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
One cause at a time, and you can switch whenever you like — nothing here locks you in. So if you're torn, pick one and see how it sits. [NONPROFIT NAME] would be glad to be the first 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
You choose one cause for your shopping to support, and it is not a life sentence — change it any time. Torn? Start with one and see. [NONPROFIT NAME] would love the shout 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Answer the real fear, which is being locked in. “You can change it later” removes it in five words.
“I signed up and nothing's happening.”
Ah — that's expected on day one. The donation is generated when you shop at a participating business, not at signup, so a quiet screen right after you join is normal. Check that [NONPROFIT NAME] is the cause showing on your account, then shop one of the local spots in the app. Still nothing after that? Tell us and we'll chase it down.
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
That's normal for day one, promise. Nothing is generated at signup — it happens when you shop at a participating business, so a quiet screen right after you join is exactly what it should look like. Check [NONPROFIT NAME] is the cause on your account, then shop one of the local spots in the app. Still nothing? Tell us and we'll dig into it.
Good news: that's the expected version of this. The donation happens on a purchase at a participating business, not when you join, so there is nothing to see on day one. Worth checking [NONPROFIT NAME] is showing as your cause, then shop one of the local places in the app. If it still looks dead after that, say so and we'll chase it.
The quiet-first-week drop-off is real and it looks like a broken product. Naming it as expected, before they conclude it's broken, is worth more than any post in the kit.
Someone says “done — I picked you!”
Okay, this is our favourite kind of comment 💛 Thank you, genuinely. That's a ten-second decision that now keeps working for [MISSION] every time you buy milk.
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
This is our favourite kind of comment 💛 Thank you, really. Ten seconds of your day now goes to work for [MISSION] every time you buy milk.
Okay, that made someone here do a small chair-dance 💛 Thank you. One decision, and it keeps turning up for [MISSION] every time you do a normal shop.
No ask, no link. The reply IS the reward, and everyone else reading the thread watches someone get thanked by name. Reply to every single one of these — the day you stop, the comments stop.
“I'll do it later.”
Totally fair. Parking this here for future-you 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
One line. A second line reads as pressure, and this person already said yes-but-not-now.
A business owner comments that they're interested
This just made our week 🙌 Short version: you set the giveback rate on your listing, and the giveback is worked out on the sales your customers log with you in ShopGiv, once each sale is approved — regulars included. Enrollment is self-serve 👉 [shopgiv.com/apply/vendor] Want to start your application there?
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
Best comment we've had all week 🙌 Short version: you pick the giveback rate on your listing, and the giveback is worked out from the sales your customers log with you in ShopGiv, once each sale is approved. It's self-serve, and this is the starting line 👉 [shopgiv.com/apply/vendor] Want to give the application a go there?
This is the kind of message that makes the day 🙌 How it works for you: you choose the giveback rate, and the giveback is computed from the sales your customers log with you in ShopGiv, once each sale is approved. Setup is self-serve 👉 [shopgiv.com/apply/vendor] Ready to start your application there?
This is a public comment, so other business owners will read it too. Answer the money question in the same reply as the invitation. Don't ask them to send you an EIN, a logo or an application: they apply themselves. On cost, say two things only: they set the giveback rate, and the giveback is worked out from approved sales logged in ShopGiv. Don't call it free, no-cost or no-risk, and don't promise them an audience or more customers. Say it's self-serve, then stop. Never say how long applying takes, and never give a go-live date: it depends on which sign-up route they take and what they still have to finish.
When the comment isn't friendly
Read these once now, not when you need them. Both instincts in that moment — delete it, or argue it — cost more than the post earned. Every one of these concedes the true part of the objection in its first sentence, on purpose: a defensive reply confirms the suspicion no matter how good the facts after it are.
“So a for-profit company takes a cut of charity money?”
Yes — 9.5% of each donation, and we'd rather say that than have you find it. That fee is what makes the thing exist: the app, the payouts, somebody to call when a donation goes missing. 90.5% is attributed to [NONPROFIT NAME]. And whatever you make of the fee, this is the only fundraising we do that doesn't ask you for a dollar.
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
Yes. 9.5% of each donation, and we'd rather say it than have you find it. That fee pays for the app, the payouts and someone to call when a donation goes missing; 90.5% is attributed to [NONPROFIT NAME]. Whatever you make of the fee, this is the only fundraising we do that never asks you for a dollar.
Yes, it does — 9.5% of each donation. Out loud, because a fee you discover later is worse than a fee you were told about. 90.5% of it is attributed to [NONPROFIT NAME], and the fee is the thing that keeps any of it running: the app, the payouts, a human when something goes wrong.
Concede it in the first word. “Yes” disarms this; a paragraph of context before the admission reads as a dodge and the thread turns. Then say what the fee BUYS — an unexplained fee sounds like a margin, an explained one sounds like infrastructure.
“This sounds like a scam.” / “What's really going on here?”
Honestly, fair — anything with “free” in it has earned that question. So here it is flat: nothing to buy, no bank account or card to connect, no cost to you. You pick a cause, and when you shop a participating local business the purchase generates a donation. 90.5% of it is attributed to [NONPROFIT NAME] and 9.5% is the platform fee. Don't take our word for it — go look 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
Fair question — anything with “free” on it has earned that. Flat answer: nothing to buy, no bank account or card to connect, no cost to you. You pick a cause; shopping a participating local business generates a donation. 90.5% is attributed to [NONPROFIT NAME], 9.5% is the platform fee. Don't take our word for it, go and look 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Honestly, good — scepticism is the right setting for this one. In short clauses: no purchase, no card or bank connection, nothing that costs you anything. You choose a cause; a purchase at a participating local business generates a donation; 90.5% of it is attributed to [NONPROFIT NAME] and 9.5% is the platform fee. Go and poke at it yourself 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Agree that the question is reasonable, then answer in short flat clauses — hedged phrasing is what actually reads as a scam. End by sending them to check rather than asking them to trust you. Leave the comment up: a calm public answer under a public accusation is worth more than a deleted thread.
“Why not just donate directly?” / “Why don't the businesses just give you the money?”
Direct giving is still the best thing anyone does for us and nothing here replaces it — please keep doing it. This is aimed at money that was already leaving your wallet: the groceries, the gas, the coffee. It asks nobody for a new dollar, which is exactly why it reaches people who don't have a spare one. Both, not either 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
Direct giving is still the best thing anyone does for us — please don't stop. This is aimed at money that was already leaving your wallet: groceries, gas, coffee. It asks nobody for a new dollar, which is exactly why it reaches people who don't have a spare one. Both, not either 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
You're right that direct is better, and nothing here competes with it. The difference is whose dollar it is — this one was already spent on gas and groceries before we turned up, which is why it works for people who genuinely have nothing spare. Keep doing the first thing; this just sits alongside it 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Do not try to win this one. It is a good objection from someone who is already on your side, and conceding it completely is what keeps them there. The reframe is the whole reply: a different wallet, not a competing ask.
“I'm not giving an app access to my shopping.”
Worth asking out loud, so here's the straight answer: we never see your individual purchases. [NONPROFIT NAME] gets an impact total, not your receipts. And there's no bank account or card to connect on your side. The full detail is in the privacy policy at ShopGiv.com/privacy — genuinely worth the two minutes if this is the part that matters to you.
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
Worth asking out loud. Straight answer: we never see your individual purchases. [NONPROFIT NAME] gets an impact total, not your receipts, and there is no bank account or card to connect on your side. The detail is in the privacy policy at ShopGiv.com/privacy, and it's worth the two minutes if this is the part that matters to you.
Good instinct, and the answer is short. Your individual purchases are not something we see, and [NONPROFIT NAME] gets a total rather than a list of receipts. Nothing on your side connects a card or a bank account. If you'd rather read the fine print than our summary of it, it's at ShopGiv.com/privacy.
Answer the two things people actually fear — who can see what, and what they had to hand over — then point at the policy instead of paraphrasing it. Never reassure past what you can point at; if you don't know whether something is covered, say so and go find out.
Someone states your split wrong in front of your audience
Close — let me put the real split up so it's on the record: 90.5% of each donation is attributed to [NONPROFIT NAME], and the platform fee is 9.5%. Happy to be corrected on anything else. We'd rather people have the real number than a flattering one.
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
Close — putting the real split on the record: 90.5% of each donation is attributed to [NONPROFIT NAME], and the platform fee is 9.5%. Happy to be corrected on anything else. We'd rather people had the true number than a flattering one.
Nearly right, and worth getting exact: 9.5% is the platform fee, and 90.5% of each donation is attributed to [NONPROFIT NAME]. Thanks for raising it here rather than wondering about it — we'd rather the real number was public than a nicer one.
Correct the fact, never the person, in one line, and leave their comment where it is. A visible correction under a public mistake does more for you than a deleted thread — everyone reading learns you answer with numbers instead of removing people.
A question you genuinely can't answer
Honestly? I don't know. I'd rather say that than guess at it. Let me find out and I'll come back to you right here.
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
Genuinely, I don't know. I'd rather say that than guess. Let me go and find out, and I'll come back to you right here.
I don't know — and I'm not going to invent an answer for you. Give me a bit to check it properly and I'll reply in this thread.
“I don't know” is three words and it is the most valuable line in this kit. A guessed answer that turns out wrong costs the credibility of everything else on your page; “I don't know, I'll find out” costs nothing and reads as competence. Then actually come back, in the same thread, where the person who asked and everyone watching can see it.
Reply, correct, take it private, or say nothing
- A question — even a sharp one → answer it in public, once. The person asking is rarely the audience; the quiet readers are, and what they are learning is whether you flinch. One answer, no second helping.
- A wrong fact → correct the fact and leave the comment up. Deleting a public mistake looks worse than the mistake, and the correction is the most credible thing on the thread.
- A grievance about your organization → one warm public line, then take it private. “I'd really like to sort this out — can I message you?” closes the public thread without closing the relationship. Never litigate a grievance in a comment section; you cannot win it and the argument outlives the complaint.
- Abuse, a slur, or somebody's private information → hide it and do not reply. Hiding takes it out of the conversation without notifying anyone, so it comes down without handing them a fight. This is the only row where silence is the right answer.
Direct messages (private, personal — no reward, no overpromise)
Send these to people you actually know, one at a time. A DM is a warm doorbell, not a fundraising ask. Never tell someone their signup “funds us” or gets “credited to our total” — it doesn't work that way, and honesty is the whole brand.
Someone you actually know
Hey [THEIR NAME] — no big pitch, promise. I picked [NONPROFIT NAME] in an app called ShopGiv, and now my normal shopping quietly chips in toward [MISSION] at no extra cost to me. Felt like your kind of thing. If you ever want a look, here's where I started 👉 [/partners/{slug}]. Zero pressure either way 💛 —[YOUR NAME]
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
Hey [THEIR NAME] — no pitch, promise. I picked [NONPROFIT NAME] in an app called ShopGiv, and now my ordinary shopping quietly chips in toward [MISSION] without costing me anything. Felt like something you'd like. Here's where I started if you ever fancy a look 👉 [/partners/{slug}]. Genuinely no pressure 💛 —[YOUR NAME]
[THEIR NAME] — one message about this and then I'll stop 😄 I've been using an app called ShopGiv with [NONPROFIT NAME] as my cause, so the shopping I was doing anyway does a little something for [MISSION]. Costs me nothing. Thought of you. This is where I started 👉 [/partners/{slug}] — and a no is a perfectly good answer 💛 —[YOUR NAME]
Send it one at a time, to people you'd actually text. The moment this reads like a mail-merge it costs you the relationship, and the relationship was the whole asset.
They read it and never replied
Hey [THEIR NAME] — not chasing, just bumping this up your messages in case it got buried. Still the same ten-second thing, still no cost to you 👉 [/partners/{slug}]. And if it's a no, that's genuinely fine — say so and I'll stop 😄
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
Hey [THEIR NAME] — not chasing, just floating this back up in case it got buried. Same ten-second thing, still costs you nothing 👉 [/partners/{slug}]. And if it's a no, genuinely say so and I'll leave it there 😄
[THEIR NAME] — last bump from me, promise. Still the same ten seconds and still free 👉 [/partners/{slug}]. If you'd rather not, just tell me and that's the end of it 😄
ONE nudge, ever. Give them an explicit exit in the message; the offer to stop is what makes it land as considerate instead of persistent.
A business owner you already have a relationship with
Hey [THEIR NAME] — this is a heads-up, not a donation ask. [NONPROFIT NAME] is on ShopGiv now, and [BUSINESS NAME] came to mind straight away when I thought about [CITY] businesses. The way it works: you set a small giveback rate, and the giveback is computed from the sales your customers log with you in ShopGiv, once each sale is approved. Each customer picks the cause their purchases are attributed to, and [NONPROFIT NAME] is one they can choose. If you'd like to apply, it's self-serve here 👉 [shopgiv.com/apply/vendor] Or I'm happy to walk you through it over coffee first 💛 —[YOUR NAME]
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
Hey [THEIR NAME] — heads-up, not a fundraising ask. [NONPROFIT NAME] has joined ShopGiv, and [BUSINESS NAME] was on my list of [CITY] businesses before I'd finished writing it. How it works: you set a small giveback rate, and the giveback is worked out from the sales your customers log with you in ShopGiv, once each sale is approved. Your customers each choose the cause it's attributed to — [NONPROFIT NAME] is one option. You can apply yourself here 👉 [shopgiv.com/apply/vendor] or I'll walk you through it over a coffee first 💛 —[YOUR NAME]
[THEIR NAME] — this one isn't a donation ask, promise. [NONPROFIT NAME] is on ShopGiv, and I've been thinking about which [CITY] businesses I'd love to see on it — [BUSINESS NAME] was near the top. The mechanics: you pick a small giveback rate, and the giveback is computed from the sales your customers log with you in ShopGiv, once each sale is approved. Each of your customers picks the cause it's attributed to, and [NONPROFIT NAME] is one of the choices. Applying is self-serve 👉 [shopgiv.com/apply/vendor] — or buy me a coffee first and I'll show you 💛 —[YOUR NAME]
Send this only once [NONPROFIT NAME]'s partner page is live — the opener says [NONPROFIT NAME] is on ShopGiv. Open by saying this isn't a donation ask, because that is what they will assume — not that it costs nothing: the giveback is theirs to pay. Then add one line of your own saying why you thought of them; without it the message is just names in slots. On cost, say only that they set the rate and the giveback is worked out from approved sales logged in ShopGiv. Keep the line saying each customer picks the cause and [NONPROFIT NAME] is one choice: the giveback is not a gift to [NONPROFIT NAME], and an owner who joins thinking it is has been misled. The one ask is the application link; coffee is the fallback. Don't call it free, and don't promise them an audience or more customers.
They told you they signed up
You actually did it 💛 Thank you, [THEIR NAME]. Nothing else needed from you — from here it's just you shopping like normal, and it quietly does its thing for [MISSION]. I'll tell you when it adds up to something.
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
You actually did it 💛 Thank you, [THEIR NAME]. Nothing else is needed from you — from here it's just you shopping as normal, quietly doing its thing for [MISSION]. I'll tell you when it adds up to something.
Look at you go 💛 Thank you, [THEIR NAME]. That's the whole job done — carry on shopping the way you always have and it ticks along for [MISSION] in the background. I'll report back when there's something to report.
Close the loop and set the expectation that you'll report back — then report back. This is the message that turns one supporter into the person who tells five more.
The partner-page CTA block (reuse this everywhere)
The reusable close for any post, email or bio
Turn everyday shopping into support for [NONPROFIT NAME] — free. Pick us once, shop like you always do, and your purchases at participating local businesses generate donations toward [MISSION]. 90.5% of every donation is attributed to us (a 9.5% platform fee keeps the lights on). Start here 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Or, in other words — say the one that sounds like you:
Your everyday shopping can support [NONPROFIT NAME] — at no cost to you. Choose us once, then shop the way you already do; purchases at participating local businesses generate donations toward [MISSION]. 90.5% of every donation is attributed to us, after a 9.5% platform fee. Start here 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
Same shops. Same prices. Now it counts for [NONPROFIT NAME]. Pick us once and carry on as normal — purchases at participating local businesses generate donations toward [MISSION], 90.5% of every donation is attributed to us, and a 9.5% platform fee keeps the lights on. Start here 👉 [/partners/{slug}]
[/partners/{slug}] is the only link that binds a supporter to your cause. A post that ends on your homepage instead is a post that cost you the supporter it earned.
Make it sustainable
- Batch it. Write a month in one 30-minute sitting, schedule it, forget it.
- Reuse what lands. A post that hit? Run it again next month with a fresh photo — Post 1 (Thank a Business) is endlessly repeatable with a new business each time.
- Hand it off. This kit is the perfect delegated task for an ambassador or a volunteer.
- Tag the businesses you celebrate. They'll often reshare to their followers — your reach, doubled, for free.
- Always end with the link. A post with no way to act is a missed donation.
Next steps
- Sharpen the words with the elevator pitch.
- Hand the kit to your board and ambassadors.
- Tie Post 6 to your next activation event.
- New here? Start with the 30/60/90-day plan.