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How to Write Your Pennygood Page

Finish a clear bio and one real photo so the first people who back you can be the ones who already know the work — craft that also helps strangers later.

By The Pennygood team · May 2026 · 6 min read

Finish a clear bio and one real photo so the first people who back you can be the ones who already know the work.

The same concrete writing helps strangers later. It does not have to do that job first.

Short answer

What belongs on a Pennygood page? Name and place, what you do now, why, what the money buys, and a clear ask.
How long should the bio be? A few short paragraphs — concrete present tense, not a mission wall.
What photo works? One real moment of the work (or a clear before/after). A phone photo beats none.
What is a sensible starting ask? Cover real monthly costs. From about $3/mo is fine. A small ask you can reach reads better than a high empty goal.
Who should see the page first? People who already know your work. Finish the page so a short message or first posts make sense. Strangers come later.

The page has one job

Make it obvious who you are, what you do, and what a little support buys.

Clear enough that about ten people who already know the work can back you from a short message or your first posts.

Not sell yourself. Not justify your worth.

The structure that works

Five parts. In this order.

Name and place. Be specific. “London” is fine. “Hackney, London” is better. People support people in their communities.
What you actually do. One to three sentences, concrete, present tense. Not “I’m passionate about community development.” Try: “Every Saturday morning I organise a litter pick in Clissold Park. We’ve been doing it for two years. About 15 people show up most weeks.”
Why you do it. One sentence. It does not need to be profound. “I moved here three years ago and wanted to feel connected to the neighbourhood” beats a mission statement.
What support makes possible. The part most people skip, and the most important. Even if it’s small: “It covers the bin bags, the grabbers, and the occasional coffee afterwards.”
Your ask. What covers real costs — not an income goal. From about $3/mo is a fine floor if that amount covers something real.

That short “what you do” block can also be the one-liner you paste into WhatsApp. Same words. Same clarity.

What makes a good description

Concrete over abstract. “I gather people at the library and we just talk” beats “I facilitate community dialogue and social connection.”
Present tense. “I run,” not “I hope to run.” “We do,” not “I’m planning to.” Write as if it’s already happening — because it should be.
Specific numbers. “About 20 people” is more credible than “a growing community.” “Every Tuesday evening” beats “regularly.”
First person, conversational. Write the way you’d explain it to someone you just met — or to a friend who already knows the work and needs the link.

What to avoid

Justifying your right to exist. Don’t spend the page apologising for asking, or proving you deserve support.
Vague mission language. “Making the world a better place” tells people nothing. “Picking up litter in Finsbury Park every Sunday” tells them exactly what you do.
Overpromising. Don’t tell backers what you’ll achieve. You’re not running a crowdfund with deliverables. Describe what you’re already doing.
A wall of text. Three short paragraphs is enough for the bio. People decide in seconds. Make it easy to skim.

The photo

Use one. A real moment. Not a professional headshot. Not a stock image.

You, doing the thing — at the clean-up, the class, the desk, the community table — or a clear before/after of one piece of work.

Short answer: — one real photo of you doing the work. A decent phone shot in good light beats no photo every time.

If you don’t have one yet, take it this week.

Friends who already know you still need to recognise the page at a glance. Strangers need the same proof.

Your ask amount

Think about monthly costs, not an income goal. Supplies, transport, venue hire, equipment — whatever makes the activity possible.

Set that as the ask. From about $3/mo is fine when it covers something real. If you hit it, you can raise it later.

Starting lower is smarter than starting high. Reaching 100% of a small ask feels more compelling than sitting at 12% of a large empty goal.

You keep: 92% before Stripe
Pennygood: 8% platform fee
Payouts: Stripe Connect, 120+ countries
Floor: about $3/mo, if it covers a real cost

Don’t invent processing cents. Those vary by country and card.

When you’re unsure what “enough” looks like for a quiet monthly ask, Is $3 a month enough? walks through the floor — real costs, not an income goal.

A before and after example

Before

“I am passionate about environmental sustainability and community engagement. I believe that together we can make a positive impact on our local environment and foster a sense of belonging amongst residents.”

After

“Every Sunday morning I organise a litter pick in Clissold Park. We’ve been going for two years — usually 15 people show up, sometimes 30. I supply the bags and grabbers. If you’ve ever walked through that park on a Sunday afternoon and thought it looked clean, this is probably why.”

Same person. Same activity. Completely different effect.

One last thing

Write it. Publish it. Don’t overthink it. You can edit anytime.

The best pages aren’t the most polished. They’re the ones that feel like a real person wrote them.

Then tell about ten people who already know the work. A short message is enough.

Put the link in your bio. When something happened this month, post it.

For how often to ask, what to say the first time, and a monthly cadence that isn’t nagging, see How often to ask your followers for support.

If the bigger question is how to receive monthly support as a person — without registering a nonprofit or company — see Monthly donations without a nonprofit.

Start your page when you’re ready.

For a live example of a simple creator page, see Musa — a soft look only. Don’t invent traction.

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