How to Write a Nonprofit Fundraising Support Letter
When you write a letter requesting donations for your organization, one way to make this job easier is to think of your goal as appealing to a prospective donor's sense of social responsibility. Use emotion and statistics to draw the recipient into the plight of the people you are trying to help. Composing a professional, concise and attention-grabbing letter can help your organization reach its fundraising goals.
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Instructions
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Use business-letter block format, which means the text is single spaced and aligned along the left margin set up 1 inch from the edge of the page. Use your organization's letterhead (if available) or write the name of your organization, the address and the date at the top.
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Type the address of the prospective donor. Obtain the name of a person to whom you can send the letter if you're writing to a large group or company, which makes the letter more personal than just writing, "To whom it may concern."
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Begin the body of the letter by grabbing the recipient's attention. An effective method is to start with a question that relates to the purpose of your organization. If you work for a homeless children's charity, you could write: "In the time it took you to read this sentence, 200 children joined the ranks of the homeless." Another way to get your recipient's attention is to narrate a quick story about the success your organization has had with an individual or a group that reflects your larger goal.
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State the reason for your letter and what the recipient can do to further that goal. Specify your organization's need in a manner that is not ambiguous. For example, after writing that your organization has set a fundraising goal of $50,000 for an upcoming clothing drive, write: "We are asking you to donate $5,000, which will provide 100 children with enough clothes for a full year." By stating the end result of the donation, you give the recipient a clear idea of how the money will be used.
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Give the recipient an option. If you want $5,000, ask for it, but give the recipient the option to send a lesser amount, and explain what that donation will provide. It doesn't hurt to get any amount of money, whether it meets your ultimate goal or not. A recipient may balk at your original figure, but alternate amounts could compel that person to make a donation.
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State the deadline. Setting a time limit makes your request more urgent, and in many instances a donation is needed for an upcoming event anyway.
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Close the letter by thanking the recipient for his consideration. If you are sending the letter to a past donor, express gratitude for the person's previous generosity. Type "Sincerely," or "Yours truly" and skip four lines. Type your name and your full work title so the recipient knows your position. Handwrite a signature between the closing and your typed name.
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Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope with your letter to make it convenient for the recipient to mail back a donation check.
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Tips & Warnings
Your opening is the key to whether the rest of your letter is read. Take care to make sure it's strong.
Use active voice to give your letter a sense of immediacy.
Follow up within a week to ensure the recipient received the letter.
State your organization's purpose, success and needs without resorting to exaggeration or hyperbole.
