Fundraising letter is an attempt to attract donors to help you financially in some cause that you’re championing individually or as a team. This article helps you on how to go about writing one.
It is easier to support a cause or fight for it by requesting many people to participate in it. When thousands of community members join a cause, it not only gets man power, resources like money, time, and motivation, start to flow intensely. It is good if we can brighten up the lives of our less fortunate brethren in some way by asking people to donate modestly for any cause. So, if you’re venturing into a social cause you will have to generate funds. Being professional in such endeavors shows your commitment to the cause. Hence, you can’t be sloppy in just arguing people to invest in your cause. You don’t have to be stubborn and chase people. You have to be humble and express your concerns and requests in a polite manner. Fundraising letters can go a long way in giving your cause a great expression.
Writing Fundraising Letters
The art of effective letter writing is hidden in the sentence, “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Being verbose will not help your cause of raising funds through a letter. You must, in essence, mobilize your efforts to write a simple and crisp letter. In doing so, you may require the following tips.
- Begin with formal greetings. Don’t sound impolite by not even bothering about the authority who may read your letter.
- Make your point just within the first two lines as that will give the reader an idea about what you want to say. Beating around the bush hardly helps.
- Don’t forget to mention any past donors help. That will throw a positive message to the reader, as the prospective donor will know you’ve got supporters and he is not the sole one.
- The envelope you post your letter in, must have some information on it. For instance, a simple line can be, “we need your help”.
- Thank the donor first if he has already contributed in any of your efforts in the past.
- Be focused on your main objective. Do mention about the exact amount of money you need. Unless you state your requirements clearly, there is going to be no help. The request may be discarded as ambiguous.
- The tone of your letter must be always professional. You simply can’t let your emotions run free. Stay calm, even if you’re championing a cause close to your heart.
- Possibly, include a return envelope if you’re sending a letter so that they can reply to you.
- Be patient as firms do take time to accept requests. Meanwhile, making follow-up calls isn’t a bad idea.
Template
Before getting to the sample letter, focus on this template that will help you to understand what you should write in such letters.
| Your name: ______________ Designation: ______________ Name of the organization/Charity/trust: _____________ Complete Address: ____________ Date: __________ Salutations/Greetings 1st Paragraph: In the very first paragraph, you’ll talk about the cause you’re supporting along with a brief introduction about yourself. Mention how you’re related to the cause and what prompts you to volunteer in this fundraising program. 2nd Paragraph: Mention where else you’ve requested for funds. You should talk about the firms and organizations who’re willing to help you. You can talk about how your efforts are proving beneficial for the cause. 3rd Paragraph: In this paragraph, you’ll mention what you’re expecting from the donor. Tell in exact amounts the money you need. No approximate figures or lump sum amount needs to be mentioned. You’ve got to mention everything as per your requirements. 4th Paragraph: Thank the reader for his valuable time and for reading the letter. Enclosures: If you’ve got pamphlets and documents that you think will help your cause, do enclose them along with the letter. |
Example
So, now that we have seen a template, here is a sample letter for better understanding.
| Christina Molarei Augustus Montessori School 3535 – Parker Canal Park Avenue Road USA – 474758 7th October, 2010 John Seins Request: Arranging a Raffle Prize Dear Mr. John, I’m writing this letter to you on behalf of Augustus Montessori School. The school cultural team, ‘CreativeFlowers’ are planning for the Annual day fundraising event – ‘The Mega Sports Event’ which takes place on 1st December, 2010. This will consist of morning to afternoon events, dedicated to students and their families in which several sports competitions, like athletics and others will be conducted. There will also be special programs for parents. In the last 4 years, we have been able to attract big firms like the ‘Champion Bikes’, the famous bike manufacturing firm and the publishing house, ‘Reading is Fun’ to give fabulous prizes to winners. The money raised at the event will be used to expand our school library facilities that has seen a setback in the last few years. We are hoping that HandiKraft Fun Unlimited will be able to supply us with raffle prizes. HandiKraft Fun gift baskets, as you know, are very popular among kids and they will love to get such nice gifts. Nonetheless, any suitable products that you think is manageable from your side, is welcome by us. If you’re willing to help us, please send your donation directly to the school at the address above. Since we wish that you’re completely sure about your donations, you can contact us for more inquire on the email id: [email protected] or call between 9am to 9pm any day on 7474-57547-6464. We would love to seek an appointment from you and tell you more about the program. Thank you in advance from everyone at Augustus Montessori School. We appreciate your time and effort spent in reading this letter. Yours sincerely, |
Besides these, there are various formats of these letters that may be used. A through research on the Internet will help you find many customized templates. The sole objective of a fundraising letter is to ensure that fundraising activities get a boost and you’re able to achieve your goal of getting decent money for your good cause.
