How To Pitch A Fundraising Idea

I sent the same appeal to 10,000 donors. One version raised $67,000. The other raised $142,000. The only difference? Where I put the word "you." Donor-centered writing isn't just nice—it's profitable: • "You" in the first sentence increases response by 23% • Stories about donors (not beneficiaries) raise more money • Questions outperform statements in both open and response rates One organization rewrote their case statement from "we need" to "you can" language and saw major gift closes increase by 41%. The most powerful word in fundraising isn't "give"—it's "you." What small language shift has made the biggest difference in your fundraising?

The one minute pitch that gets investors to say YES Your pitch isn't failing because your idea is bad. It's failing because you're saying too much. After pitching my startup, Fluently (an AI English-speaking coach, https://lnkd.in/eA8BEMnC) dozens of times and watching 100+ pitches from other founders, I’ve noticed a pattern: "The founders who raise aren't necessarily smarter, they're clearer." Here's the 60-second pitch formula that actually works: 1) Hook (5 sec) "[Company] is solving [specific pain] for [target market]." 2) Problem (10 sec)  "Today, [audience] struggles with [problem] costing them [quantified pain]." 3) Solution (15 sec)  "We've built [solution] that delivers [unfair advantage] through [key benefit]." 4) Traction (10 sec) "We've already [achievement], growing [metrics] month-over-month." 5) Market (5 sec) "This is a $[X]B market growing [Y]% annually." 6) Team (5 sec) "Our team built [previous success] and has deep expertise in [domain]." 7) Ask (10 sec) "We're raising [$ amount] to [specific milestone], which gets us to [...]." Most founders don't ramble for 20 minutes, lose the investor in the first 30 seconds, and wonder why they didn't get funded. Don't be that founder. Keep it tight. Keep it clear 💪

I blew 20 VC meetings before I realized I didn’t need a perfect pitch; I needed to show investors how I'd make them money. Here’s how I did it by focusing on milestones 👇🏾 REGULAR PITCH: I thought my pitch was smooth: "Our product is in market and we’ve gotten 7 customers and $100K in ARR. We’re raising $750K to hire engineers to move off of no-code" Sounds solid, right? Nope. 20 meetings and 0 checks in, I realized I was making a big mistake. I was telling investors how I'd use their money, not how they'd make money. MILESTONE-FOCUSED PITCH: Once I understood venture math, everything changed. My new pitch: "We're at $100K ARR with seven customers, and our product is a no-code MVP. With $750K, we'll grow to $1M ARR in 15 months - which will allow us to raise our seed round at 2-3x our current valuation." WHY THIS WORKS: Pre-seed investors aren’t investing in today’s version of your company. They’re investing in what your company can become. They need to believe that in 12-18 months, you can raise another round at a 2-3x valuation. That means if you’re raising at a $6M valuation today, your job is to convince investors that you’ll be able to raise at (at least) a $12M valuation down the road. Why do you have to double your valuation? Because VCs need to show their LPs (limited partners; the people who give them money to invest) that they're picking good companies. Happy LPs = more money for the next fund. TAKEAWAY: When fundraising, your job as a founder isn't to show investors your great company. Your only job is to convince them you'll hit the milestones to raise your next round at a higher valuation. The other parts of your pitch (team, product, GTM, etc.) are just there to support the story. What’s your biggest challenge with fundraising? Drop a comment and I’ll try to help! Save and repost this to help a first-time founder 🤝🏾

Want to raise money from foundations? It's not just about persistence—it's about speaking their language. When I first started seeking foundation support for Mongabay, I faced a wall of silence. No responses. When I was lucky, I got a "No thanks." At the time, I thought I was taking the right approach. I targeted foundations aligned with our work in journalism and conservation. But I quickly learned that good alignment isn't enough. The way I framed our work needed to change. Program officers aren't just looking to support great causes; they want to achieve impact. Once I shifted my outreach to focus on how Mongabay could help them achieve their goals, my success rate increased—though there are still far more non-responses and nos than yeses. Here are a few lessons I've learned: 1/ Focus on their objectives, not yours. ↳ Foundations are often trying to solve complex challenges. Instead of leading with what Mongabay does, I began emphasizing how our work supports their mission. 2/ Be concise and clear. ↳ Program officers are busy. Long-winded pitches didn’t get me far. Clear, succinct messaging worked better. 3/ Cold outreach is tough. ↳ The reality? Most cold messages go unanswered. Whenever possible, I leaned on introductions where I could get them. 4/ Relationships matter. ↳ In philanthropy, as in life, trust is built over time. Regular updates, even when not tied to an ask, help maintain connections. 5/ Measure impact. ↳ Reporting back on how foundation support has translated into tangible results has been key to securing renewals. Even now, I don't have all—or even most—of the answers. But over the years, I've seen Mongabay's foundation support grow from zero to several million dollars annually. This increased support has allowed us to expand from a team of two to about 120, dramatically scaling our impact. It's clear proof that refining your approach can lead to meaningful results. For those navigating the fundraising landscape, remember: Foundations aren’t just writing checks; they’re investing in outcomes. Speak to that, and you’re on the right path.

If your pitch deck can't pass the 30-second test, you've already lost the investor. I've sat through hundreds of pitch meetings over the past 20 years, and the pattern is clear: An investor decides in 30 seconds whether your deck is worth their time. No second chances. No mercy. Here's how to make those crucial 30 seconds count: 1. Lead with undeniable pain Investors care about problems first, not your technology. What urgent issue are you solving? Why is this a billion-dollar problem? "1 in 4 patients in rural areas lack access to diagnostic imaging, leading to preventable deaths." 2. Your one-line solution Explain what you do in plain English. No jargon. How is it 10x better than existing solutions? "Our portable AI scanner delivers hospital-grade imaging at 1/10th the cost in under 10 minutes." 3. Prove founder-market fit Why you? Why now? What makes you uniquely qualified to solve this problem? "I spent 8 years building healthcare systems that serve 2 million+ patients and personally experienced this problem when my mother couldn't get a timely diagnosis." 4. Show the scale Investors aren't just backing products. They're backing markets. How much money can they make once you scale? "$15B global market, growing 12% annually. Targeting 500 rural hospitals in year one." Look, storytelling is good. It's important. But your pitch won't get attention without PROOF. Proof of a burning problem Proof your solution works Proof you're the right team Proof the market is massive If you can't establish this in 30 seconds, no one will read past slide 3. What's the biggest challenge you've faced when pitching to investors? #funding #investors #startups #founders

Founders, here are my three core components of a good pitch: 1. Show why the problem is deeply and uniquely important to you 2. Show just how huge the problem is (and bigger than anyone realizes) 3. Show the unique advantage you bring to the table in solving the problem I've been on the founding teams of three businesses and have heard countless pitches as an investor. I've found that focusing on these three aspects helps a pitch stand out from the rest. Be crystal-clear about why you'll dedicate your life to solving the problem, why massive amounts of value will be created by solving it, and why you and your team have the upper hand. #entrepreneurship #lessonslearned

Fund houses think they are selling a product. That's not what allocators are buying. Product-led sales was "the Wall Street way" for a long time. It's what we were taught. -- Pitch this fund -- Sling those stats -- Focus on these features The firms that succeed going forward are unlearning that "old way." Sales isn’t about what you built. It’s about who you built it for. Your buyer. Their journey Their story Their why Check it: → 74% of buyers choose the rep who shows insight into the buyers business. Not the one who talks about their product. (Source: Forrester) In a world where trust is the currency, we can't lead with the thing we're selling. We must lead with the people we are serving. Here’s what that mindset shift actually looks like (for all of us in sales and for fund managers raising capital): 1. Start with who it’s for, not what it is    ↳ The best sales meetings feel like consulting sessions, not product demos    ↳ Fund managers: Don’t open with statements about your fund. Open with questions about what your prospect is working on in their business right now. 2. Lead with trust, not terms    ↳ People buy from people they believe in, not from decks they don’t remember    ↳ Fund managers: Allocators aren’t just investing in your strategy. They’re investing in your team, your ethos, your edge - what makes you different not what makes your product work 3. Sell the story before the solution    ↳ The “why it matters” moves more money than the “how it works”    ↳ Fund managers: Your origin story is not fluff. It’s the foundation of your different. It gives allocators a glimpse of your "why" 4. Humanize your meetings    ↳ Meeting agendas need a massive glow-up. Personal > perfect. Tailored > templated. Asking > telling.    ↳ Fund managers: A one-size-fits-all dog and pony show is a missed opportunity. No one wants to be talked at. No one wants to be sold. Ask questions about that allocator’s mandate and mission. Meaningful specific. 5. Connect first, convert later    ↳ When people feel understood, they lean in    ↳ Fund managers: It’s not about convincing. It’s about belonging. Show prospects what its like to be a client of yours, how meetings and interactions would go. Give them a window into who else is a client. (Huge behavioral impact here) The best sales strategy isn’t a script about a product. In fact, it's the opposite. The best sales strategy is an anti-script. Because making our product the hero shows we might be older but not wiser. 📌 What "old way" from Wall Street's sales script would you send to the bin? 🗑 ---- 💾 Save this post if you are part of a fund house in growth mode ♻️ Repost to help someone in your network

The Two Types of Metrics Every Business Needs 📊 Every founder I work with eventually hits the same wall. They're drowning in data but starving for insights. Spreadsheets full of numbers that don't connect to any clear action plan. The problem isn't tracking the wrong things, it's mixing up two completely different purposes for metrics. While many of these metrics overlap (because good business metrics are good business metrics), I've organized them by their PRIMARY focus during fundraising vs daily operations. Think of it as two different lenses for viewing the same business. ➡️ VENTURE CAPITAL METRICS These tell a story of scale, momentum, and market opportunity. ARR and MRR show recurring revenue strength that investors love because it means predictable income streams. Growth rate demonstrates month over month momentum and shows investors you're accelerating, not just maintaining. Burn rate and runway answer the critical investor question: "How long will my money last?" CAC and LTV prove your unit economics work at scale and show whether more marketing spend will generate returns. Revenue multiples help investors benchmark your valuation against comparable companies. Churn rate reveals retention risk and tells investors whether you have a leaky bucket problem. Market size using TAM, SAM, and SOM shows this is a billion dollar opportunity, not just a nice business. Logo count provides social proof that other smart people believe in your solution enough to pay for it. ➡️ OPERATING METRICS These power decisions, accountability, and optimization. Active users, DAUs, and MAUs reveal real product usage patterns and tell you if people find value in what you've built. Conversion rates expose exactly where prospects drop off so you know where to focus optimization efforts. Sales pipeline health compares forecasted deals against closed deals, helping you predict revenue and spot problems early. Gross margin shows profitability of your core product after direct costs. Headcount and hiring plans manage your biggest expense category since most companies spend 60-70% on people. Support tickets and NPS scores measure customer satisfaction and predict churn before it happens. Product engagement reveals which features customers actually use, helping you prioritize development resources. Unit economics breaks down real cost vs return per customer segment for optimized marketing spend. === The best founders track both sets religiously. Use your operating metrics to build compelling investor stories, and let investor feedback guide your operational focus. What metrics are you tracking that I missed?

Campaigns get so much attention in fundraising, rightfully so. However, many of us fail to understand that rather than a curtain call, campaigns should end with a critical handoff that provides our organizations with an incredible opportunity for follow-up that inspires donors and their giving for years beyond the campaign. As soon as a campaign is complete, the window to thank donors in meaningful ways, share the first signs of impact, and ensure the new connections sparked during the campaign carry forward into the next chapter, begins to close. Across our Innovation Partners, it’s incredible how many organizations seize this exact moment with a natural handoff to a Virtual Engagement Officer. We’ve all seen participation suffer during campaigns as we focus on larger dollar giving. That’s exactly why so many Innovation Partners are bringing in Virtual Engagement Officers (VEOs) to recapture lapsed donors. Other Innovation Partners saw major momentum from their campaigns and an influx of donors. These partners are developing new portfolios for their VEOs to focus on retention, sharing impact, and building relationships in ways that lead to the natural outcome of giving. For example, Baylor University's unexpected surge in millennial giving during its recent campaign inspired a new focus for the Virtual Engagement Officer—keeping these donors engaged and building lasting connections that will shape the future major gift pipeline. Meanwhile, as Western Carolina closes its campaign, traditional frontline fundraising staff are focused on dollars in the door. Meanwhile, the VEO is actively widening the overall circle for future growth by rebuilding participation, increasing donor counts, and keeping the new donors close with stewardship and cultivation. The University of Oklahoma Foundation’s VEO is already looking ahead, organizing the new interest the campaign unlocked and aligning prospects to the right portfolios so the next chapter starts with a ready-made pipeline. Each of these teams shows us that trusted digital labor in the form of Autonomous Fundraising represents an opportunity that wasn’t available just a year ago. With Autonomous Fundraising, campaign completion is truly the handoff, not the curtain call. Virtual Engagement Officers empower us to deepen support from these new and re-engaged donors, preparing us for the inevitable next campaign before this one even closes.

One Pitch Deck Does Not Fit All — I Learned the Hard Way When I was a first-time digital health founder raising capital, I made a rookie mistake: I built one beautiful pitch deck, polished every slide… …and sent it to every investor I could find—strategics, VCs, angels. Here’s the truth: It wasn't all that effective, because different investors are playing different games, and I initially didn't understand that. It took me a while to course correct and realize the differences between strategic, institutional and Angel investors. Here's what I wish someone had told me when I first started pitching Strategic Investors Think: pharma, health systems, medtech, insurers, large corporates. What they care about: - Science and clinical validity - Strategic fit with their portfolio, pipeline, geography - How your solution helps them win—market share, cost savings, product differentiation - Integration risk and operational lift How to pitch them: Lead with the strategic opportunity—make it obvious why they should care; Show them partnership models, pilot pathways, IP/licensing options; Address adoption and implementation risks up front Venture Capitalists Think: institutional investors chasing growth and returns. What they care about: - Market size, defensibility, and exit potential - Scalable unit economics (LTV:CAC) - Speed and quality of execution - Whether this can be a big win in their fund How to pitch them: Lead with the market problem and the size of the opportunity. Show traction, strong unit economics, and growth levers. Make the exit potential crystal clear—and framed in terms of their returns, not just your vision Angel Investors Think: high-net-worth individuals, often with personal or industry ties. What they care about: - Founder vision and grit - A story they can connect with - Early proof you can execute How to pitch them: Keep it human—angels invest in you as much as the business and emphasize early traction and why their money will move the needle. Less jargon, more narrative Pro tip: Before you send your deck, ask: - Do I know this investor’s real motivation for investing? - Does my first 5 slides answer that motivation? - You don’t need three totally different decks. But you do need to change the opening, emphasis, and close so each investor sees what they came looking for. That’s how you turn crickets into callbacks. If you’re in the middle of a raise and want to run a tight, investor-ready process that actually gets results—let’s talk. #digitalhealth #healthcare #startup #founder #VC #venturecapital #fundraising