Every fundraiser has a goal. A dollar amount, a progress bar, a finish line. But some of the best moments in a campaign have nothing to do with the money.
They happen when a kid opens their fundraising page and reads a message like this:
“Stay determined, beast mode. 4’11” never stopped you before and never will!”
Or this one, from a proud supporter:
“So proud of you! Keep on dribbling, jumping, and shooting balls in baskets! Enjoy this game that you love and all the experiences it brings to your life.”
That’s what a shout-out is: a few words of encouragement attached to a donation, shown right on the campaign page for everyone to see. They take a few seconds to write, and they can mean more than anyone expects.
A gift they can keep
Money gets spent on uniforms, tournament fees or travel. A message stays. Kids read their shout-outs again and again, and families often screenshot them. Years later, a grandparent’s note on a fundraising page can still mean something.
It turns a donation into a connection
Without a message, a donation is a transaction. With one, it’s a relationship. Your supporter isn’t just funding a goal, they’re cheering on a person they care about.
We see it all the time on our donor wall: aunts and uncles writing in two languages, grandparents signing off with “love you,” teammates’ parents sending a quick “Go get ’em!” Every one of them says “I’m in your corner.”
It inspires the next donation
Shout-outs are contagious. When someone visits a campaign and sees a wall of encouraging messages, they feel part of something. They’re more likely to give and to leave a message of their own.
A page full of love tells every visitor: “This person is supported, and you can be part of it.”
It’s not just for kids
Shout-outs matter in every kind of campaign. For a family raising money for a memorial or medical bills, a message like “Thinking of you” or “We’re here for you” can be a real comfort during a hard time. Sometimes the words matter even more than the gift.
How to encourage shout-outs on your fundraiser
If you’re running a campaign, here’s how to get more of them:
- Mention it when you share your link: “If you give, leave a message! Penny will love reading it.”
- Share your favorites on social media (with permission), and thank the people who wrote them.
- Read them with your team or your kids. It’s a great way to show them how many people are behind them.
Every message counts
On Achieve Our Goals, every donor can leave a shout-out that appears on the campaign page and on our Donor Wall. And because 100% of what you raise goes to your cause, every gift, big or small, makes a real difference.
So the next time you give, don’t skip the message box. Those few words might be the part they remember most.