How to launch an emergency appeal in hours: a readiness checklist

Why the first hours matter

When a disaster makes the news, attention and the will to give peak quickly, then fall away as the story moves on. A charity that launches on day three has missed most of the moment. ONSUR’s Türkiye wildfires appeal went live less than five hours after the first reports and raised over $1M in five days. That speed came from preparation, not luck.

Prepare before the emergency

The setup work is what slows an appeal down, so do it in a quiet week:

• A donation page template, ready to clone, with wallets and Gift Aid working.
• Message frameworks for the crises you are most likely to respond to.
• Imagery rules: what you will and won’t show, and where approved images come from.
• Ad accounts, audiences and payment methods set up and tested.
• A short sign-off list: who approves the message, the ask and the spend, and how to reach them out of hours.
• Email and SMS templates for your existing supporters.

The first five hours

1. Hour 0: confirm the facts, the ask and the channels.
2. Hours 1–3: write the message, make the first creative, clone and fill the donation page, get sign-off.
3. Hours 3–5: email and text your existing supporters first, then switch on social and search.

The first five days

• Check results every few hours and move budget to what works.
• Replace creative as the story develops: new images, new voices, field updates.
• Tell donors what their gifts are already doing.
• Watch the donation page for drop-offs and fix them the same day.

After the appeal

Report plainly on what was raised, from where and at what cost. Then update your readiness plan with what slowed you down, so the next appeal launches even faster.