Why “Join Us” Is the Worst Call-to-Action in Fundraising (and Why “Help Us” Is a Close Second)
Picture this: You’re standing on a busy street, clipboard in hand, trying to get passersby to stop.
You call out, “Join us!” And then?
Crickets.
Your message falls flat because nobody knows what “Join us” means.
Join who? Join how? Join for what?
Yet nonprofits use this same vague, uninspiring call-to-action in their fundraising copy every day:
Join us in this mission to….
Join us in making a difference.
Join us in the fight against hunger.
Join us to change more lives.
“Join us” feels inviting. It sounds inclusive. But in reality?
“Join us” is one of the weakest calls-to-action you can use in fundraising.
Here’s why neuroscience, psychology, and modern donor behavior demand that you annihilate “Join us” in your fundraising, and what you should say instead to inspire real action.
‘I really do want to join your work!’
Said no one, ever.
Decades ago, people identified with institutions: political parties, churches, clubs, and civic groups.
Today? People don’t want to be part of an organization (unless they’re looking for a job). They want to be part of movements.
Many donors see institutions as slow, bureaucratic, or impersonal. They’re less likely to say, “I’m a member of X organization,” and more likely to say, “I support this cause because it matters to me.”
“Join us” assumes people are looking for affiliation, but they’re not. They’re looking for action, impact, and results.
❌ Instead of: Join us in the fight against hunger.
✅ Try: Your gift today will put food on a family’s table tomorrow.
This shift makes the donor the doer—not a bystander watching your organization do the work.
And just behind “Join us” in the race to the bottom?
“Help us.”
You’ve seen it everywhere:
Help us reach our goal…
Help us build a better future…
Help us continue this important work…
“Help us” sounds humble. It feels earnest. But “Help us” is just as ineffective as “Join us.”
Why? Because “Help us” centers on the nonprofit—not the donor. It says: We’re doing something amazing, and if you could chip in, that’d be nice. It casts the donor as a sidekick in someone else’s story.
From a neuroscience lens, “Help us” is also vague and cognitively taxing.
Help is undefined. Us is ambiguous (and miserably org-centric). The brain doesn’t know what’s being asked—or what the result will be.
And, just like “Join us,” “Help us” fails the urgency test. There’s no consequence. No action. No transformation.
❌ Instead of: Help us continue this life-changing ministry.
✅ Try: Your gift today will share the hope of Jesus with someone who desperately needs it.
The shift is small—but the impact is massive. Now the donor sees themselves in the driver’s seat of change.
Their gift isn’t a favor to your organization. It’s the spark that makes something powerful happen.
“Help us” is a plea.
“You can” is a promise.
And donors respond to promises that lead to outcomes they can believe in.
Our brains hate vague calls to action
Neuroscience tells us that the human brain craves clarity and specificity. The more cognitive effort it takes to interpret a message, the less likely someone is to act on it.
“Join us” and “Help us” are both vague. They force the donor’s brain to fill in the blanks.
Are they supposed to give money? Volunteer? Sign something?
Compare these two CTAs:
❌ Join us in supporting education.
✅ Through your gift, you’ll provide books for a child this school year.
The second one is more compelling because it tells the donor exactly what they will accomplish with their gift. The brain processes it and feels an immediate sense of connection.
Clear, actionable, brain-friendly copy wins every time.
Donors want ownership, not membership
Behavioral psychology shows that people are more likely to act when they feel a sense of personal ownership. If an action feels like it’s theirs, they’re more emotionally invested.
“Join us” and “Help us” both position the donor as a passive participant in the nonprofit’s mission.
But donors don’t want to be passive. They want to feel powerful.
❌ Instead of: Join us in restoring clean water to villages.
✅ Try: You can give a family clean water today.
When people feel like they are driving change, they’re more likely to take action.
Urgency triggers action—“Join us” and “Help us” don’t
The brain makes decisions based on urgency and consequence. We act faster when we feel a situation is time-sensitive.
“Join us” and “Help us” are both passive. They don’t trigger urgency or indicate that an action is needed right now.
❌ Instead of: Join us in making a difference.
✅ Try: A child is waiting for help. Give now.
By introducing urgency, you tap into the brain’s loss aversion, the idea that we’re more motivated to prevent loss than to pursue gain.
This makes the donor more likely to give today—not someday.
What to do instead
If you’re using “Join us” or “Help us” in your fundraising appeals, it’s time to level up. Instead of vague, generic CTAs, make your ask:
✅ Specific: Tell the donor exactly what to do.
✅ Donor-focused: Make them the hero, not your organization.
✅ Urgent: Make it clear why action is needed now.
Because people don’t give because they want to join something.
They give because they want to change something.
