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📱 Social Media Strategy for Fundraisers · Free Lesson

Lesson 3: Content That People Actually Want to See

The secret to social media fundraising is not asking for money — it is creating content that makes people genuinely interested in your journey.

⏱ 10 minutes 📖 Reading + examples 🎯 Lesson 3 of 6
Your progress
3 of 6
1 What Is It? 2 Your Profile 3 Content That Works 4 Hashtags 5 Stories & Reels 6 Your Plan 🏆
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The content mix that works

The most successful fundraising accounts do not just post donation requests. They mix different types of content to keep their audience engaged, entertained, and emotionally invested in the journey.

Here is a simple content mix to aim for:

40%
Journey content: Updates about your preparation, training, fundraising events, and how you are getting on. This is the most important category.
30%
Educational content: Interesting facts about your destination, the work you will be doing, or the organisation you are travelling with.
20%
Behind-the-scenes content: The reality of fundraising — the bake sales, the letter writing, the moments of doubt and determination.
10%
Direct asks: Specific, time-limited requests for donations or shares. These work best when they are tied to a milestone or event.
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Content ideas that consistently perform well

Here are specific content ideas that work particularly well for teen expedition fundraisers:

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The 'why I'm doing this' post: A personal, heartfelt explanation of why this trip matters to you. This is often the most shared post you will ever make.
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The fundraising thermometer update: A visual showing how much you have raised and how far you have to go. Post this regularly — people love seeing progress.
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Destination facts: 'Did you know that Borneo is home to one of the oldest rainforests on Earth?' — educational content builds interest in your trip.
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Milestone celebrations: 'I've just hit £500! Thank you so much to everyone who has donated.' — celebrating milestones keeps your audience engaged.
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The honest update: Sharing a setback or a challenge makes you relatable and human. People root for you more when they know it is not easy.
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Writing captions that get engagement

A great photo with a poor caption will underperform. Here is a simple structure for captions that work:

1
Hook: Start with a question or a bold statement that makes people stop scrolling. e.g. 'I'm 16 and I'm trying to raise £4,000. Here's why.'
2
Story: Two or three sentences of context — what is happening, why it matters.
3
Call to action: Tell people exactly what you want them to do. 'Click the link in my bio to donate' or 'Share this post to help me reach more people.'
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Important: Always end with a clear call to action. People need to be told what to do next — even if it seems obvious to you.
Quick check — make sure this has landed
What percentage of your social media content should be direct donation requests?
As much as possible — the more you ask, the more you raise
Around 10% — tied to specific milestones or events
Never — just post about your trip and people will donate
About 50% — half the time ask, half the time post about your trip
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Lesson 3 of 6 Content That People Actually Want to See