How,Write,The,Perfect,Fundrais business, insurance How To Write The Perfect Fundraising Letter

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You know you have a good cause worthyof support, but writing a fundraising letter that convinces potentialdonors of this is not always easy. In order to help, we’ve broughttogether some of the best insight to help you write the perfectfundraising letter every time.In this article you will find specificadvice on how to craft each of the three major parts of a fundraisingletter, an example letter, and extra tips to help guide you.1. The IntroductionGrab thereader’s attention – Start your letter with somethingthat will captivate the reader: a bold question, statement or storyof a specific person or situation that your charity has helped.Telling a story and creating a scene is one of the most successfulways to get your message across. It gives the reader a glimpse intoyour world and reminds them why your mission is so important.Update readeron what their last donation achieved– Research shows that telling donors what their last donationachieved before asking for another gift is the key holding onto yourdonors and moving them up the donor pyramid. (See “Research ShowsNew Dos and Don’ts of Fundraising” in the Sumac Library). Focus on aspecific program or initiative – Organizations that havemultiple project areas may be inclined to include information abouteverything they do in one letter, but this is a mistake. Talkingabout everything is likely to overwhelm the reader. Instead, focus ona particular project or theme and provide details and stories to makeit real for the reader.Thank donorsand tell them they are necessary – If you are writing toprevious donors, be sure to thank them for their previouscontributions and tell them that they are still needed; that yourequire their help to keep your services going. 2. The ask Explain thecause – Youwant to leave people with the impression that it is absolutelycritical that you continue to do what you do. In order to do that,you need to show that there is a need and that your organization iscritical in effectively addressing that need.Suggest donation amountsand what it will achieve – You should list suggesteddonation amounts that are appropriate for the particular donor. Also,be sure to state the impact of the gift so donors know exactly whatthey are giving. For example: your donation of $25 will feed andclothe a hungry child for a month.Detail theconsequences of not acting – In order to show the donorthat their donation is important, you may also want to statethe impact of not acting. For instance: “Every donation isimportant and the need is always great. Without donations like yours,more children will have to go without; without shelter, food andclean water.” You have to be very careful, however, not to soundlike you are whining. If the message focuses too much on negativeimpacts, it will be a downer and will be much less effective.3. The ClosingThank donorsin advance for their support –Make sure to thank donors in advance. It subtly assumes that theywill contribute to the cause and shows that you have faith in them todo the right thing.Tell themagain why their contribution is so important –You may also want to reinforce here why you need theirhelp and what are the consequences of not acting. Other Bits of Useful Advice Only send afundraising letter after a thank you letter– A fundraising letter that is received before an appropriatethank you letter, will not be very well received. Therefore, alwayssend a thank you letter after every single donation and within acouple of days if possible. While a fundraising letter is a goodplace to reinforce your appreciation, it does not replace the needfor a thank you letter. Choose youraudience – Before you even begin to write a fundraisingletter, you have to chose your audience. Are you writing to currentdonors? Is this an acquisition mailing? You also want to target yourletters depending on gift range. After all, donors giving $50 giftswill be interested in different information than donors making $5000gifts. Targeting fundraising letters to particular audiences vastlyimproves response rates. Make it apackage –Always include a stamped return envelope and a replycard to make it as easy as possible to donate. The reply card shouldlist gift options and also include a blank space so they can enter adifferent amount. You may also want to give them the option ofpre-authorized monthly payments. PersonalizeLetters –You neverever want to address your letter: “Dear Supporter.” Usingthe person’s name is important. In their eyes, it means the letterwas intended for them, not just some supporter, so it makes them payattention.Make itfriendly – Write the letter as if you were speaking with afriend. Don’t worry about writing perfect sentences. If it’sdifficult to write or taking too long, you are thinking too much. Letthe words flow from you. Include a P.S. – Includinga P.S.allows you to reinforce the message or to addadditional information that ends on a positive note. Make itauthentic – Be sure to use a real signature from someone ofimportance in the organization and whom people will recognize. On theenvelope, use real stamps and labels. Labels work better than peekenvelopes which appear mass produced. Suggestappropriate gift amounts – Targeting fundraising lettersdepending on past giving patterns is incredibly important since youneed to be able to recommend appropriate gift amounts. For instance,if someone usually donates $20, you might want to suggest $20, $50and $100 and if someone usually donates $100, you might want tosuggest $100, $200 and $500. Do not offergifts – offering items like t-shirts, mugs, and personalmailing labels as gifts for donating is a bad idea and has anoverwhelmingly negative impact on people’s decision to give. (See“Research Shows New Dos and Don’ts of Fundraising”)