How To Write A Donation Letter – You know you have a good cause that deserves support, but writing a fundraising letter that convinces potential donors isn’t always easy.
In this article you’ll find tips for creating the five main parts of a fundraising letter with examples, fundraising letters, and tips to help guide you.
How To Write A Donation Letter
To understand how to write the perfect fundraising letter, let’s take a look at this fundraising letter from Sunny Days Community Center, which is looking to raise money for their breakfast club program.
Donor Acknowledgment Letters
Click on the image to download the fundraising letter template in word format (PS There are more templates below).
Edit Letters – You will never need to edit your letter: “Dear Friend/Supporter.” Using a personal name is important. In their view, it means that this letter was written for them, not another supporter, so it makes them listen.
You can edit fundraising letters yourself with donor information such as name, address, greeting, and donation history from your nonprofit CRM software.
Using someone’s first name establishes a direct relationship with them and encourages them to read again. People are more likely to respond to charity fundraising letters when they are written directly – adding a name to the mailers has increased response rates by 30% – 140% in some cases!
Donor Acknowledgment Letter Tips To Make Them Memorable
Grab the reader’s attention – Start your letter with something that will interest the reader: a clear question, statement or story about someone or a situation that your organization has benefited from.
Telling a story and creating an event is one of the most effective ways to get your message across. It gives the reader a glimpse of your world and reminds them why your purpose is important. Appeal to their hearts by giving your readers specific information about why the problem you are solving is important to how your project is solving it.
It had been a long and difficult journey in the Sudan, and at the end of it we met the weak, tired and starving bodies of children, youths, and elders all rushing to us. Ribs protruded and stomachs depressed. Legs as weak and thin as matchsticks. It was the most amazing sight we had ever seen.
But with this sight came their smiles, their laughter, their cries of joy, and their warm hugs. Tears flowed down all of our shoulders as we were hugged and thanked by many different people.
Free Fundraising Letter Templates
Update the reader on what their last donation earned – Research shows that telling donors what their last donation earned before they ask for another gift is the key to holding on to your donors and moving them up the donor pyramid.
Adding a personal touch also shows that your letter is not part of a generic mass campaign, but is written just for them.
Focus on one project or project – Organizations with many project areas may want to include information about all their activities in one letter, but this is a mistake. Talking about everything may overwhelm the reader and make them feel helpless or unable to solve your problems.
Instead, focus on a particular project or theme and provide evidence and stories to make it real for the reader. This will help readers feel like they can make a difference and do something positive quickly and easily – making them more likely to respond with a check!
How To Write A Sponsorship Letter (+ 7 Templates)
Thank donors and let them know they are needed – If you are writing to previous donors, be sure to thank them for what they have done in the past and tell them they are still needed; that you need their help to continue your services.
Making donors feel valued and appreciated builds their commitment to your cause and can help convert one-time donors into regular donors.
Explain why – You want to leave people with the impression that it’s important to keep doing what you do. To do that, you need to show that there is a need and that your organization is important in effectively meeting that need.
Give your goal – Tell donors exactly what you want within a specific time frame to help them understand how their donations will be used and who will benefit. Without a clear purpose donors won’t know where their money is going or how they can make a difference. Having a goal can give them a sense of purpose and may even prompt them to ask friends to help if they see that you are getting closer to achieving your campaign goal.
Charity Donation Thank You Letter
Indicate the amount of donations and what you will receive – You should also list the suggested donation amounts due to each donor. Be sure to state the nature of the gift so donors know exactly what they are giving.
Explain the consequences of inaction – To show the donor that their contribution is important, you may also want to state the consequences of inaction. You have to be very careful, however, that you don’t sound like you’re being overly abusive. If the message is too focused on such triggers, it will be inferior and will be less effective.
Example: “Every gift that is important and needed is always great. Without donations like yours, many children will have to go without; without shelter, food and clean water.”
Thank donors in advance for their support – Make sure to thank donors in advance. It subtly assumes that they will contribute to the cause and shows that you have faith in them to do the right thing.
Sample Thank You Letters To A Donor
Tell them again why their contribution is important – You may want to emphasize here why you need their help and the consequences of not doing so.
Include an upcoming event or highlight your inquiry – Did you know that content is the most read part of your newsletter?
Unlike emails, donors often look at the beginning of the letter and go right to the postscript. Make sure you don’t miss out on this opportunity to grab attention by adding this section to your fundraising letter.
You can rephrase your request for donations or include information about an exciting event or upcoming fundraiser that donors can attend.
How To Write The Perfect Donation Letter (+ Examples & Template)
If you’re wondering how to get started writing your fundraising letter, we’ve got you covered! Here are four of the best fundraising letter templates for nonprofits.
Download these fundraising letter templates in Word format to use as the basis of your fundraising letter.
For more fundraising templates, check out our free fundraising templates for every sector, including social services, education, professional organizations, wildlife sanctuaries, and more.
Many companies take their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies very seriously and donate large sums of money to charities every year. But getting a piece of this pie requires a strategic approach.
Charity Appeal Letter Examples
Most corporate fundraising letters are used to solicit generous donations, volunteer opportunities, or sponsor events. This is because many companies have policies around their offers, and approvals can take a long time and involve a lot of decision making.
Since you can’t just walk into a company office and ask for donations, fundraising letters are a great way to introduce your organization and ask for something companies can easily help.
They often like to give in-kind and will happily offer places to host fundraisers. HR teams are always looking for ways to engage employees so approaching them with a volunteer opportunity can be a great way to get your foot in the door.
Don’t expect companies to write a check as soon as they receive your letter! Reaching out to them with small requests first can build a strong relationship between your organization and the company – and can lead to long-term giving.
Free Donation Receipt Templates
So far we’ve been talking about fundraising letters (ie the ones you send through the post). If you’ve only been sending emails up until now, you may want to consider including direct mail in your communication strategy.
Direct mail can be an effective way to connect with older generations and Baby Boomers. Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), make up 43% of all U.S. donors.
While email has the potential for hyperlinks and instant contributions, the next time you’re planning your communication strategy be sure to think through the benefits of mailing. Are most of your donors older? Do you need to expand your donor pool? Then direct mail may be appropriate!
– A collection letter received before a proper thank you letter, is not very welcome. Therefore, always send a thank you letter after each donation and within a few days if possible. While a fundraising letter is a good place to demonstrate your faith, it does not replace the need for a thank you letter.
Donation Acknowledgment Letter Templates Free Word, Pdf, Excel Format Download
– Before you even start writing a fundraising letter, you need to choose your audience. Are you applying to donors now? Is this a purchase order? You also want to target your characters based on the type of gifts. After all, donors who make gifts of $50 will be interested in different information than donors who make gifts of $500. Fundraising letters
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