# Lead magnet ideas for nonprofits A nonprofit’s best lead magnet gives a supporter something to do besides donate: a toolkit for speaking up on your issue, a volunteer’s first-day handbook, a family activity pack, a plain report on where the money went. Here are ten, each a brief that opens in Chapbook as a starting point, using only your own figures and stories told with permission. Updated 30 October 2026. Web page: https://chapbook.ink/ideas/lead-magnets-for-nonprofits/ ## A brief to start from > A community advocacy toolkit for a local food bank: how hunger shows up in one county, how to write to a council member, how to speak at a public meeting and how to run a food drive at work, with sample letters and a checklist. Use only the figures I supply, each with its source and date, and invent no story. Reader: a supporter who has given twice and wants to do more than donate. Voice: warm, direct and practical, second person, no guilt. Open it in Chapbook: https://chapbook.ink/start/?type=lead_magnet&topic=A+community+advocacy+toolkit+for+a+local+food+bank%3A+how+hunger+shows+up+in+one+county%2C+how+to+write+to+a+council+member%2C+how+to+speak+at+a+public+meeting+and+how+to+run+a+food+drive+at+work%2C+with+sample+letters+and+a+checklist.+Use+only+the+figures+I+supply%2C+each+with+its+source+and+date%2C+and+invent+no+story.+Reader%3A+a+supporter+who+has+given+twice+and+wants+to+do+more+than+donate.+Voice%3A+warm%2C+direct+and+practical%2C+second+person%2C+no+guilt.&ref=ideas-lead-magnets-for-nonprofits ## 10 ideas 1. **The advocacy toolkit for your cause** (Lead magnet). Many supporters want to help and don’t know how beyond a donation. A toolkit with sample letters and a meeting checklist gives them a job, and keeps them involved between appeals. Brief: A community advocacy toolkit for a local food bank: how hunger shows up in one county, how to write to a council member, how to speak at a public meeting and how to run a food drive at work, with sample letters and a checklist. Use only the figures I supply, each with its source and date, and invent no story. Reader: a supporter who has given twice and wants to do more than donate. Voice: warm, direct and practical, second person, no guilt. Open it in Chapbook: https://chapbook.ink/start/?type=lead_magnet&topic=A+community+advocacy+toolkit+for+a+local+food+bank%3A+how+hunger+shows+up+in+one+county%2C+how+to+write+to+a+council+member%2C+how+to+speak+at+a+public+meeting+and+how+to+run+a+food+drive+at+work%2C+with+sample+letters+and+a+checklist.+Use+only+the+figures+I+supply%2C+each+with+its+source+and+date%2C+and+invent+no+story.+Reader%3A+a+supporter+who+has+given+twice+and+wants+to+do+more+than+donate.+Voice%3A+warm%2C+direct+and+practical%2C+second+person%2C+no+guilt.&ref=ideas-lead-magnets-for-nonprofits-1 2. **A first-day handbook for volunteers** (Illustrated guide). New volunteers quit quietly when no one tells them what to do. A short handbook answers the questions they’re too shy to ask, and gives you a reason to collect their details early. Brief: An illustrated first-day handbook for new volunteers at an animal shelter: where to go, who to ask, how to handle common situations, what to do if something goes wrong and how shifts work, one picture per section. Use only the procedures I upload. Reader: a retiree on their first shift, afraid of doing it wrong. Voice: friendly and exact, no jargon, no invented policies. Open it in Chapbook: https://chapbook.ink/start/?type=guide&topic=An+illustrated+first-day+handbook+for+new+volunteers+at+an+animal+shelter%3A+where+to+go%2C+who+to+ask%2C+how+to+handle+common+situations%2C+what+to+do+if+something+goes+wrong+and+how+shifts+work%2C+one+picture+per+section.+Use+only+the+procedures+I+upload.+Reader%3A+a+retiree+on+their+first+shift%2C+afraid+of+doing+it+wrong.+Voice%3A+friendly+and+exact%2C+no+jargon%2C+no+invented+policies.&ref=ideas-lead-magnets-for-nonprofits-2 3. **Where the money went, in plain words** (Brochure). Donors want to know what their gift did. A clear report on your year, using only your audited numbers and real stories told with permission, can be read in one sitting and forwarded. Brief: A short annual impact report for a literacy charity: what we did this year, where each dollar went, one story told with permission, what did not work and what comes next. Use only the audited figures and stories I upload, and invent no number. Reader: a donor who gave fifty dollars last year. Voice: plain and honest, first person plural, no guilt or crisis language. Open it in Chapbook: https://chapbook.ink/start/?type=brochure&topic=A+short+annual+impact+report+for+a+literacy+charity%3A+what+we+did+this+year%2C+where+each+dollar+went%2C+one+story+told+with+permission%2C+what+did+not+work+and+what+comes+next.+Use+only+the+audited+figures+and+stories+I+upload%2C+and+invent+no+number.+Reader%3A+a+donor+who+gave+fifty+dollars+last+year.+Voice%3A+plain+and+honest%2C+first+person+plural%2C+no+guilt+or+crisis+language.&ref=ideas-lead-magnets-for-nonprofits-3 4. **A family activity pack about your cause** (Activity pack). Parents and teachers look for simple ways to talk about a cause with children. A printable pack is easy to share in schools and gives you a list of the parents and teachers who asked for it. Brief: A printable activity pack for families from a river conservation charity: eight coloring pages of original river animals and plants, a word search, a maze following the water to the sea, a matching page and a what-did-you-see worksheet, for ages 6 to 8, given to parents and teachers from a book page. Reader: a parent or teacher planning a weekend walk or a class project. Voice: short, curious instructions a child can follow, and a brief note for the grown-up. Every character is our own. Open it in Chapbook: https://chapbook.ink/start/?type=activity_pack&topic=A+printable+activity+pack+for+families+from+a+river+conservation+charity%3A+eight+coloring+pages+of+original+river+animals+and+plants%2C+a+word+search%2C+a+maze+following+the+water+to+the+sea%2C+a+matching+page+and+a+what-did-you-see+worksheet%2C+for+ages+6+to+8%2C+given+to+parents+and+teachers+from+a+book+page.+Reader%3A+a+parent+or+teacher+planning+a+weekend+walk+or+a+class+project.+Voice%3A+short%2C+curious+instructions+a+child+can+follow%2C+and+a+brief+note+for+the+grown-up.+Every+character+is+our+own.&ref=ideas-lead-magnets-for-nonprofits-4 5. **A guide for the people you serve** (Illustrated guide). A plain guide to the help that’s out there may be the most useful thing you publish. It reaches people when they need it, and partners can hand it on to others who need it too. Brief: A plain illustrated guide for family caregivers of someone with dementia: what to do in the first months, how to ask for help, how to look after yourself and where local services fit, with marked blanks for local numbers. Reader: an adult child who has just heard the diagnosis. Voice: kind and plain, no medical or legal advice, and it says to ask their doctor or a local adviser about their own situation. Open it in Chapbook: https://chapbook.ink/start/?type=guide&topic=A+plain+illustrated+guide+for+family+caregivers+of+someone+with+dementia%3A+what+to+do+in+the+first+months%2C+how+to+ask+for+help%2C+how+to+look+after+yourself+and+where+local+services+fit%2C+with+marked+blanks+for+local+numbers.+Reader%3A+an+adult+child+who+has+just+heard+the+diagnosis.+Voice%3A+kind+and+plain%2C+no+medical+or+legal+advice%2C+and+it+says+to+ask+their+doctor+or+a+local+adviser+about+their+own+situation.&ref=ideas-lead-magnets-for-nonprofits-5 6. **A fundraiser’s workbook for supporters** (Workbook). Peer-to-peer fundraising is hard for a first-timer. A workbook on how to ask friends, set a goal and say thanks gives them courage, and it gives you better fundraisers. Brief: A workbook for a first-time charity fundraiser running a sponsored walk: picking a goal, writing the first message, who to ask and in what order, how to follow up without nagging and how to say thank you, with one exercise per step and fill-in scripts. Reader: a supporter who has signed up and fears asking friends for money. Voice: encouraging and practical, second person, no invented totals. Open it in Chapbook: https://chapbook.ink/start/?type=workbook&topic=A+workbook+for+a+first-time+charity+fundraiser+running+a+sponsored+walk%3A+picking+a+goal%2C+writing+the+first+message%2C+who+to+ask+and+in+what+order%2C+how+to+follow+up+without+nagging+and+how+to+say+thank+you%2C+with+one+exercise+per+step+and+fill-in+scripts.+Reader%3A+a+supporter+who+has+signed+up+and+fears+asking+friends+for+money.+Voice%3A+encouraging+and+practical%2C+second+person%2C+no+invented+totals.&ref=ideas-lead-magnets-for-nonprofits-6 7. **Your history, for the anniversary** (Collection). An anniversary is a real reason to tell your story. A short book of the people and moments behind the work gives longtime supporters something to keep, and new ones a way to catch up. Brief: A collection of six stories for the twenty-fifth anniversary of a community health center: the founders, a hard year, the people who stayed and what has changed in the neighborhood. Use only the archive and interviews I upload, with each person's permission, and invent no person, date or figure. Reader: a longtime donor or a new board member. Voice: warm and plain, first person plural, no sentimentality about the people we serve. Open it in Chapbook: https://chapbook.ink/start/?type=collection&topic=A+collection+of+six+stories+for+the+twenty-fifth+anniversary+of+a+community+health+center%3A+the+founders%2C+a+hard+year%2C+the+people+who+stayed+and+what+has+changed+in+the+neighborhood.+Use+only+the+archive+and+interviews+I+upload%2C+with+each+person%27s+permission%2C+and+invent+no+person%2C+date+or+figure.+Reader%3A+a+longtime+donor+or+a+new+board+member.+Voice%3A+warm+and+plain%2C+first+person+plural%2C+no+sentimentality+about+the+people+we+serve.&ref=ideas-lead-magnets-for-nonprofits-7 8. **A board member’s orientation** (Lead magnet). New board members are often passionate and unsure what the role involves. An orientation guide makes for a better first meeting, and helps recruit people who were hesitant to say yes. Brief: An orientation guide for new board members of a small nonprofit: what the board does and does not do, reading the financial statements, how meetings run, fundraising expectations and questions to ask in your first year. Reader: a new board member who has never served on one. Voice: friendly and plain, general information only, and it says to take legal and accounting questions to the organization's own advisers. Open it in Chapbook: https://chapbook.ink/start/?type=lead_magnet&topic=An+orientation+guide+for+new+board+members+of+a+small+nonprofit%3A+what+the+board+does+and+does+not+do%2C+reading+the+financial+statements%2C+how+meetings+run%2C+fundraising+expectations+and+questions+to+ask+in+your+first+year.+Reader%3A+a+new+board+member+who+has+never+served+on+one.+Voice%3A+friendly+and+plain%2C+general+information+only%2C+and+it+says+to+take+legal+and+accounting+questions+to+the+organization%27s+own+advisers.&ref=ideas-lead-magnets-for-nonprofits-8 9. **A quarterly note from the field** (Newsletter). Supporters who only hear from you when you need money stop opening your mail. A short issue on what happened this quarter, with no appeal in it, gives them a reason to keep reading. Brief: A quarterly newsletter issue from a refugee resettlement charity: what happened this quarter, one story told with permission, one thing a supporter can do and upcoming dates. Use only the facts and stories I supply. Reader: a past donor who has not given this year. Voice: brief and warm, first person plural, no crisis language, no identifying details of anyone at risk. Open it in Chapbook: https://chapbook.ink/start/?type=newsletter&topic=A+quarterly+newsletter+issue+from+a+refugee+resettlement+charity%3A+what+happened+this+quarter%2C+one+story+told+with+permission%2C+one+thing+a+supporter+can+do+and+upcoming+dates.+Use+only+the+facts+and+stories+I+supply.+Reader%3A+a+past+donor+who+has+not+given+this+year.+Voice%3A+brief+and+warm%2C+first+person+plural%2C+no+crisis+language%2C+no+identifying+details+of+anyone+at+risk.&ref=ideas-lead-magnets-for-nonprofits-9 10. **The book on your issue** (Nonfiction book). A book that makes your issue understandable gives a director something to bring to a funder, a council hearing or a journalist. Its long life makes it worth the effort. Brief: A general-audience book on why rural communities lose their local newspapers and what residents have done about it: how a town learns what is happening, what replaced the paper, and who is trying what. Use only the sources I upload, cited inline, and invent no town, person or figure. Reader: a civic-minded resident or a local funder. Voice: clear and curious, first person plural, honest about what has not worked. Open it in Chapbook: https://chapbook.ink/start/?type=nonfiction&topic=A+general-audience+book+on+why+rural+communities+lose+their+local+newspapers+and+what+residents+have+done+about+it%3A+how+a+town+learns+what+is+happening%2C+what+replaced+the+paper%2C+and+who+is+trying+what.+Use+only+the+sources+I+upload%2C+cited+inline%2C+and+invent+no+town%2C+person+or+figure.+Reader%3A+a+civic-minded+resident+or+a+local+funder.+Voice%3A+clear+and+curious%2C+first+person+plural%2C+honest+about+what+has+not+worked.&ref=ideas-lead-magnets-for-nonprofits-10 ## How to choose one Ask what a supporter could do this month that would actually help. If it is to speak up, write the toolkit. If it is to give a Saturday, write the volunteer’s handbook. If it is to understand where their gift went, write the plain report. A family activity pack can suit an education or conservation group, and the page signs up only a parent, guardian or teacher, never the child. Use only your own figures and real stories, told with permission and with anything identifying left out. An invented beneficiary or a rounded-up number can cost you the trust your work runs on. [World Book Day](/examples/bookshop/), a sample brochure for a fictional bookshop, shows the shape a one-day event could take if you’re planning an open day. ## Every brief here opens in Chapbook Each idea comes with the paragraph Chapbook needs to start: the topic, the reader and the voice. The brief at the top of this page is a starting point, not a book we have already made from it: open it, put in your own cause and community, and add your reports as sources. Chapbook then proposes titles and an outline for you to approve before anything is drafted. ## Questions ### What is a good lead magnet for a nonprofit? Something that gives a supporter a useful job other than giving, such as a toolkit for speaking up, a first-day volunteer handbook or a family activity pack. It starts a relationship that doesn’t begin with an ask. ### Can a nonprofit use AI to write about the people it serves? Only from stories you already have permission to tell, and with care. Tell Chapbook to invent no person, quote or figure, add your own notes as sources, and leave out anything identifying. Have a staff member read every line. ### Do we need a paid plan to give the book away? Yes. Files without the watermark and the public book page start with the Creator plan at $29 a month; the outline, one chapter of up to 2,500 words and a watermarked cover are free.