About Donation Letters

If you are running a nonprofit agency, you know that donations are imperative. Many wonderful donors come forward simply by hearing about your agency from a loved one. However, you cannot sit on your laurels hoping donors will appear. An effective donation request letter will help you to meet your budget goals.

Function

The purpose of sending donation letters to people in your community is threefold. While you might hope to garner a sizable donation from a large, corporate donor, there are other benefits to be gained. According to a study by the Kauffman Foundation, individual donors give over 10 times the amount of corporate donors on an annual basis. So don't discount those $5, $10 or $20 dollar donations that come consistently every month. Also, getting your name into the community increases awareness of your agency.

Types

Just as there are different types of donors, your donation letters will vary as well. A general donation request may be sent out at any time. A thank you letter, sent out following a donation, can also include a follow up request for donations. Donation letters for special requests, such as funds to be earmarked for a special project, are another type. You might even send out a letter seeking donations of time, household items or office supplies.

Features

Your donation should be personally addressed whenever possible. Provide information about your agency and what you do. Including your mission and vision statements is a good idea. Be clear and concise about what you need the donation for, how much you are trying to raise, and how a donor can benefit by giving to your organization (such as a tax write-off). Include a return envelope, as well as contact information for your organization.

Time Frame

Always send a personalized thank you letter for any donation, no matter how small. The thank you letter should be sent within one week of your receipt of the donation. If you need to raise funds by a specific date, send out your donation request letters at least two months prior, if at all possible. You can even go as far as sending a letter out six months prior and a reminder in another three months.

Considerations

You can easily perform a mail merge that will allow you to generate personalized letters to hundreds of people, almost as easily as creating just one letter. Consider purchasing a mailing list, which will provide you with names and addresses of people in your community. If you live in a large city, contemplate sending mailings to one or two zip codes at a time, making postage more affordable. Check with the post office to see if you qualify for a reduced bulk mail postage rate.

Resources

• Sample donation letters
• Local direct mailing lists