This Fundraising Campaign Brought to You by the Letter A (for Accessibility): Tips to Ensuring Your Messaging can Reach EVERYONE
Let’s get real for a sec. Design that doesn’t include everyone ... isn’t great design. As fundraisers, we want people to feel something. To do something. And if they can’t access the message, how can they act on it?
Whether you’re crafting an email campaign, a direct mail package, a flashy display ad, or the world’s most emoji-packed SMS, accessibility is your not-so-secret weapon. It’s not just about compliance—it’s about connection. So, here are 10 top accessibility best practices, served with a splash of humor and a lot of love.
1. Color Contrast: Make It Work, Without Squinting
If your text and background are doing a tango in the same color family, it’s time for a breakup. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) say your color contrast ratio should be at least 4.5:1 for body text. That makes things pop for everyone, not just folks with visual impairments.
🌈 Pro tip: Run your colors through a contrast checker. If your baby pink on sky blue is giving “sad fog,” try black, dark navy, or charcoal instead.
2. Font Size & Legibility: Stop Whispering
No one wants to squint at your beautiful Helvetica 9pt masterpiece. For email and web, 16px is the new 12pt. For SMS? Keep it punchy. For direct mail? Remember that donors may be reading by lamp light and glasses.
🔠 Bonus round: Avoid decorative fonts for body text. Looking at you, Curlz MT.
3. Alt Text: Describe Like a Storyteller
Every image should have alternative text for screen readers. That photo of a smiling child with a breathing tube? Say why it matters. Don’t just say “child smiling.” Say, “Three-year-old Mia breathing independently after receiving care thanks to donor support.”
🖼 Your goal: Paint the emotional picture and be clear and concise. Think Hemingway with a heart.
4. Button It Up (with Clarity!)
CTA buttons should say what they do. “Learn More” is vague. “Read Mia’s Story” or “Give Monthly to Help Kids Breathe” is better. Make buttons big enough to tap with a thumb (minimum 44x44 pixels, ideally).
🖱 On mobile especially, hit areas need to be generous. Nobody wants to tap their way into a donation by accident. (Or do they? Don’t risk it.)
5. Caption That Video, Please
Auto-play with no captions? In this economy? Always add open or closed captions for video across social and web. For audio-only content, provide a transcript.
🎥 Extra Tip: Don’t put key text in the video only. That copy must live outside the video player for screen readers.
6. Hierarchy & Structure: Headings Aren’t Just for Show
Use semantic HTML headings (H1, H2, etc.) in emails and web pages. It helps screen readers—and search engines—understand your content. It also makes long copy look less like a wall of doom.
📐 Direct mailers: Use bolded subheads and clear sections. Break up the big ask into snackable bites.
7. SMS: The Art of Saying More with Less
SMS is a 160-character haiku. But accessibility still applies! Avoid coded language, jargon, or metaphors that don’t translate easily. Use plain language, and make your links descriptive. (“Donate Now” beats “Click here”)
📲 Avoid ALL CAPS. It reads like you’re yelling. Unless you are yelling—in which case, go forth.
8. Tactile Accessibility in Direct Mail
For print: consider paper texture, font size, high-contrast ink, and how envelopes open. Raised print or Braille can be a powerful touch (pun intended) for special segments.
📬 Accessible doesn’t mean boring. It means thoughtful.
9. Test with Real Humans
Screen readers, voiceover tools, colorblind simulators: They’re all great. But real feedback from people with lived experiences is gold. Build accessibility into your QA process— not as an afterthought, but as a design partner.
🧪 Pro move: Pair a designer with an accessibility advocate in your campaign kickoffs. Magic happens.
10. Channel Hopping with Consistency
Design elements should be accessible and cohesive across channels. Repetition is your friend, not your enemy. It builds trust and ensures no audience gets the sloppy seconds.
🔄 TL;DR: Accessibility isn’t a one-channel affair. It’s a design mindset.
Final Thoughts
Accessibility is not about lowering your standards. It’s about raising your impact. The most successful campaigns aren’t just clever. They’re clear, compassionate, and designed for everyone. So go forth and make work that connects. Not just with the few. But with the many. And remember: Good design is invisible, but inclusive design is unforgettable.
Wanting some more hands-on guidance in creating accessible designs? Connect with us here!