Furward Fundraising

Crafting Inclusive Digital Experiences for Animal Care Donors

Sixty-one million adults in the U.S. live with some type of disability.¹

That means there are donors in your file with many different levels of ability. Are you including all of them in your messaging?

Visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments can affect how people interact with digital technologies and online giving platforms. Considering digital accessibility means taking the time to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. This is increasingly important as older generations move online.

When you craft inclusive donor experiences, everyone wins! You can expect to see improved search results, longer time spent on your website, better deliverability, and increased social engagement.

Here are some of the most important ways you can make your digital communications accessible to more donors:

Prioritize accessibility-compliant colors.

High contrast helps icons, graphics, and buttons remain visible to users with varying visual abilities. You can use an online color compliance checker to evaluate your color combinations. (We’ve compiled a list of resources for you — including a color compliance checker — here!)

Develop “bulletproof buttons.”

Bulletproof buttons are made of HTML code instead of images, which ensures that they always display correctly. They’re easy to edit, and they give screen reader software — a tool that reads on-screen text aloud for people who are blind or have low vision — a clear script to follow. Make sure your buttons are clear, meet color contrast guidelines, and are easy for users with limited mobility to click.

Craft heartwarming alt text.

Alt text is the default copy that displays when an image can’t be shown. Without alt text, a person’s screen reader may read out an awkward file name, or worse, nothing at all. Alt text should be brief, flow with existing copy, include some fundraising language, and include any text overlay that appears on your image. Here’s an example of an image with its corresponding alt text:

Use short, scannable copy.

Short paragraphs help readers stay engaged, especially those with attention difficulties. Left-aligned copy is easiest to read, and simple, sans serif fonts work best for digital applications. Keep your digital copy to small, engaging bites!

Create inclusive motion content.

If you have video content, use captions and voiceovers. Some programs offer autogenerated captions, but they can sometimes render misspelled or improperly translated words. If you have the capacity, write your own captions or subtitles to ensure that your message is properly conveyed.

Adding voiceover to videos that don’t already contain spoken audio is a great way to maintain equity for all users. The human voice adds an unmatched level of nuance and warmth to your communications, but auto-generated voiceover techniques are also available if they better suit your capacity and budget.

Test your tech!

Verify that your email designs look the way you want them to by previewing them on both your desktop and your mobile device. Run your newly created PowerPoint presentation through a color compliance checker. See how your campaign sounds through a screen reader. There are lots of tutorials available online, so check out the resources we’ve compiled for you.

When your creative is accessible, you can reach more animal lovers and save more animals!

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Got Three Minutes?

By the time you finish your coffee, you can be well versed in donor-advised funds (DAF). Our QuickFlix video is available on demand. Click here to watch it.

Who's Dancing in the Break Room?

Curated for you by the TrueSense Animal Care Team, our Pawty Playlist is a tail-wagging mix of upbeat tunes to lift your spirits, keep your team energized, and maybe even inspire a little spontaneous dancing in the break room (we won’t tell).

Listen now on Apple Music or Spotify.

We hope this playlist brings pawsitive energy all the way through December 31. Thank you for everything you do to support our furry (and feathered!) friends.

Paws and Play for Holiday Cheer

Get in the holiday spirit with the Oklahoma Humane Society’s cozy Yule Log video! The 2024 edition pairs animals with twinkling lights and the timeless magic of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. Curl up, press Play, and let the cuteness warm your heart. Then follow @okhumane to catch the 2025 edition, featuring the local fire department!

We’d Love to See You in Person!

The TrueSense Animal Care team is on the move, and we’d be delighted to connect with you at a conference. Please let us know if you’ll be attending upcoming industry gatherings by emailing our VP & Managing Director at kristin.serrano@truesense.com or Director of Business Development at pamela.pulkownik@truesense.com. We can’t wait to see you there! 

• November 3-6: The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement Annual Conference

• January 26-28: CalAnimals Animal Welfare CEO Forum

In Case You Missed It

From powerful stories of impact to expert tips and data-informed philanthropy findings, the TrueSense team keeps you informed with thought-provoking blog posts, webinars, and white papers. Grab your laptop, snuggle up with your furry friend, and check out these recent releases!

• Strategies for Aligning Nonprofit Boards with Fundraising Goals
• Brand Tracking Helps Nonprofits Grow Fundraising
• Accessibility by Design: Breaking Barriers by Crafting Inclusive Donor Experiences
• The Full Picture: Using Influenced Revenue to Maximize Donor Value
• How to Use AI + Machine Learning to Drastically Improve Your Fundraising Email Outcomes