10 Fundraising Letters Asking for Donations (With Free Samples to Help You Get Started)
How often have you heard back from your donors after you send fundraising letters asking for donations? If you run a charitable organisation, you need appeals that stand out and make people respond. But, how can you do that?
With tons of letters to send out often and very little time on your hands, it can be challenging to level up your fundraising efforts. Imagine a situation where you need to host a charity dinner, but you couldn’t find a sponsor yet. Or, you require more volunteers to help you with this dinner event. Luckily, the answer to all these issues is to write and mail a letter for fundraising support to relevant people.
These letters work more efficiently than we realise. But, you should craft attention-grabbing and powerful messages to see any results. Your intended recipients might get a couple of mail items each week. You must ensure that they give adequate time and significance to your donation letter for nonprofit organisations!
In this blog, we have addressed questions like such—to help you write the ideal fundraising letter asking for donations. Keep reading to learn about the different letters you can use subject to the purpose of your campaign.
The Elements of An Effective Letter for Fundraising Support
Cause-based institutions, churches, schools, etc., use fundraising letters to gather support for their objectives. It helps them communicate their message to potential donors and increase awareness about their mission. Thus, we have mentioned some standard elements to include in an impactful letter, irrespective of the organisation type you are running:
Header
The header is the first thing a reader sees. So, remember to include your institution’s name and logo in your fundraising letter asking for donations. It generates brand recall and credibility among your target audience. Hence, they can identify your nonprofit on other platforms and stay hooked on your cause.
Contact Information
Your next step is to write your physical address and contact number in your fundraising letters asking for donations. Make it simple for the recipients to connect with you to resolve their queries or donate.
Listing a representative’s name, email address, number, and website link can do the job.
Date
Include the mailing date to give your letter a professional look.
Salutation
Decide whether you want to add a formal or informal salutation to your donation letter for nonprofit. Address your potential donors by their preferred names only. For example, ‘Dear Dr Michael’ or ‘Dear Mrs Parker,’ etc. You may use salutations, like ‘Hi Ricky,’ if you already know the donor individually and have a strong connection with them.
Acknowledge the Donor’s Past Involvements
If you are writing a letter for fundraising support to a past or existing donor, be sure to acknowledge them. It reflects that you treat your donors well and appreciate their help.
However, there are many problems regarding personalising your letters in this way. For example, you may work with a database of thousands of donors, and it is hard to personalise content for each letter. Here are a few standard lines to include in your fundraising letter asking for donations to overcome this issue:
“You are a big part of our organisation, and we cannot thank you enough for your donations over the years. They have helped us serve our community in more ways than one, and we are grateful.”
The Need
Talk about why you need the recipient’s help. Explain your motives in easy-to-understand language to motivate readers to help you. Also, the primary focus of your letter for fundraising support should be on who needs the help—some needy families or children who lost their parents in an earthquake. Be as specific as possible to drive more engagement and donations.
The Solution
Your fundraising letter asking for donations must describe how a donor’s help can bring you closer to your goals. Outline the specific solution to your needs, allowing them to understand how they can make a difference.
Make the Donors Feel Important
Always highlight your donors as heroes because they make everything possible for your organisation. Tell them how much you value their engagement and thank them whenever you get the opportunity. You will notice that the best fundraising letters examples are donor-centric, humble, and friendly.
Call to Action
Never assume that the readers know what to do next by the end of your letter for fundraising support. Include an upfront call to action, reinforcing your message and encouraging recipients to respond.
Sign Off
You may want to sign a letter from your institution like the others. But, it is better to select a board member, employee, or volunteer to represent your nonprofit. It establishes more personal relationships between you and your donors. Also, these 1:1 contacts help you bring in more donations.
Postscript
Most people go down straight to read the postscript. Hence, consider adding it if you don’t already use it for your fundraising letters asking for donations. It explains your letter content in short and reinstates your CTA.
Here’s a template to give a better sense of how to write a fundraising letter asking for donations:
[Representative’s full name]
[Your address]
[Date]
To,
[Recipient’s name]
[Mailing address]
[Salutation]
[Introduction – Introduce yourself if you are writing the letter for fundraising support to new, potential donors. Talk about the reason for you writing the letter]
[The body of your letter]
[Call to action]
[Contact details]
[Closing paragraph]
[Sign Off]
[P.S. line]
At PostGrid, we get many questions, like how to draft a letter for fundraising support that can attract the maximum responses. For instance, one of our clients was worried about not using the correct layout for their letter and adding personalised details.
We had a meeting with the Senior Manager where they pointed out their concerns. Luckily, PostGrid’s variable data printing capabilities can help personalise various aspects of every letter. All they need to do is add the variable data to the sheet and upload the file to their dashboard.
Also, PostGrid offers several pre-built templates to help them draft fundraising letters asking for donations efficiently. Hence, we were able to resolve the client’s issues and enable them to send thousands of fundraising appeals every month.
The 10 Best Fundraising Letters Examples
Here are some examples of fundraising letters asking for donations for different occasions:
#1 Standard Fundraising Letter
You need to have a standard letter format when asking for donations. It makes it simple to build your campaign-specific letters over this format. Ensure that your message is:
- Short and precise.
- Donor-centric.
- Personalised.
Though standard fundraising letters seem generic, try customising them according to your past interactions with the donors. For instance, first-time donors should get a different message than recurring, long-term contributors. Also, don’t forget to add the P.S. line to the standard format because it can result in more engagement.
Make it quick and effortless for recipients to reply by sending a pre-stamped and pre-addressed envelope with the donation letter for nonprofit firms.
#2 Sponsorship Letters
Sponsorship letters are similar to standard fundraising letters asking for donations but relate to specific events. Usually, nonprofits send sponsorship appeals for conducting marathons, fun runs, walk-a-thons, and other fundraising events.
You may need to offer some incentives in exchange for sponsorships, like:
- Seats or entry passes to the event.
- The sponsor’s name and logo (for businesses) on all promotional materials and event decorations.
- Specific merchandise related to the marathon, conference, etc.
One of the best practices while sending a sponsorship letter for fundraising support is to ask recipients what they want. Perhaps, they might want a listing on your website or the records of all attendees. Therefore, try to enquire and address your sponsor’s needs for better collaborations.
#3 Volunteer Request Letters
It is one of the most common letters that nonprofits need to send. They might also pair these messages with social media posts to encourage people to sign up as volunteers.
Also, it is easier to get volunteers than sponsors or donors using a letter for fundraising support. Yet, you may need to spell out the benefits of working with your charitable organisation. For example, you can talk about the activities you conduct throughout the year and let volunteers decide the type of work they want to perform.
#4 Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Letters
Did you see social media influencers, celebrities, and other individuals set up fundraisers? If yes, you are already familiar with peer-to-peer fundraising letters asking for donations.
It is when nonprofits approach specific companies or people to conduct their fundraising events to collect funds. Thus, they connect with their connections, like family, friends, neighbours, and coworkers, to solicit gifts on your behalf.
You need to help the participants design their fundraiser pages and offer them a template for a fundraising letter asking for donations. They can send it to their audience and bag valuable contributions to your nonprofit.
#5 Matching Gifts Letter for Fundraising Support
The matching gifts program is quite popular among corporates, but many employees are still unaware of it. This program requires companies to donate the same amount as their employees to a specific charitable organisation. Thus, employees can double the impact of their donations.
First, you should check whether your potential donors are eligible under the matching gifts scheme. It helps you segment your mailing lists properly before sending a donation letter to nonprofit firms.
Or, you can mention the ways to check eligibility and submit a request in your letter. It is one of the best ways to get double contributions in a short period.
#6 School Fundraising Letters
Along with cause-based institutions, schools and other financial organisations also send fundraising letters asking for donations. Schools need to deal with several constituents, and they need a robust fundraising strategy to request gifts from community members.
Furthermore, they need a different sample fundraising letter asking for donations for every group of supporters. For instance, they need a separate template to address the parents of their current students. Similarly, they must draft a different donation letter to send to alumni.
Remember to outline how you would use the funds and what impact would it have on the current student community. Also, provide easy ways to donate, like sending a cheque or contributing on your website.
#7 Church Fundraising Letters
Religious organisations also operate on a nonprofit basis to serve the members of their congregations. They are involved in numerous fundraising events, including collecting funds after the Sunday mass and charity meetings. Therefore, they need to send a donation letter for nonprofit firms to every congregation member, soliciting contributions.
Remember to mention the amount you want the member to donate and how you will use it. Also, avoid spamming your members with fundraising letters asking for donations because they are already contributing in other ways. A crucial practice is to divide your database into small segments you can target at different times of the year.
#8 Animal Rescue and Support Fundraising Letters
Many animal rescue organisations are dependent on donations for their daily functioning. The funds they collect help them to provide medical aid to needy animals, their food, shelter, etc. Hence, they can print and mail fundraising letters asking for donations that talk about the significance of your work.
Also, try tapping into the reader’s emotions to convince them to help you. You can discuss your past works and include images demonstrating how you make a broad difference in the lives of several animals.
It is best to send a tailored donation letter for nonprofit organisations to specific groups. For instance, you can target people who already have pets. Or, you can reach out to companies that have contributed to similar nonprofits in the past.
#9 Auction Item Request Letters
You must collect many valuable items before you can host an auction to raise money for a specific cause. Naturally, it does not make sense to arrange these things yourself, so you need to write a letter for fundraising support asking for collectibles.
Mention who will benefit from the funds you raise at the auction. Also, specify the different items you are looking for to avoid confusion. Don’t forget to invite all the donors to the auction as a gesture of goodwill and appreciation.
#10 Old Age Home Fundraising Letters
Almost all old age centres depend on community members for financial support and volunteer help. Thus, they often need to send fundraising letters asking for donations to an intended audience.
However, putting together a targeted mailing list for home fundraising is hard. You can build a list of the family and friends of the senior citizens residing at these centres as your prime target to send a donation letter to nonprofit institutions.
Furthermore, you can make more segmented lists using demographics, like:
- Location: To connect with people who reside in the vicinity and conduct location-based marketing.
- Age: To solicit gifts from specific age groups.
- Past involvement: To find people already involved in helping senior citizens.
Luckily, PostGrid helps you build such lists from scratch to fuel your campaign to send fundraising letters asking for donations.
Sample Fundraising Letter Asking for Donations
Every philanthropic letter has a different purpose, and your message must reflect these objectives. Below are two sample letters to help you understand better:
#1 Standard Letter
Mia Holt
Starlight Nonprofit Organisation for Children
Wiradjuri Country
805 Church Street
Coolamon NSW 2071
Date: 12th July 2022
To,
Armie Tonkins
50 Rivera Street
Bindibu Country
Coolamon NSW 2071
Dear Mr Armie,
We hope this letter finds you well! We are pleased to inform you that we could meet our campaign goals because of your past contributions. Once again, the community came together to help the children staying at the Starlight Orphanage for kids.
Today, we are writing this fundraising letter asking for donations for our upcoming campaign to feed a thousand children outside our organisation. It is time we extend our help to other kids who need us and take them under our wing.
You can cause a significant impact on their lives with a small donation of between $100 and $500. Also, we will be able to save enough funds for their education.
We request you to please consider our request and donate via our website before 20th August 2022. Please remember that these donations are exempt from tax.
You can also donate offline by sending a cheque to our address using the pre-addressed envelope we have provided with this donation letter for nonprofits.
Reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns, and we will be happy to address them.
Thank you in advance for your kind support.
Sincerely,
[Signature]
#2 Animal Rescue Fundraising
[Nonprofit Letterhead]
12th July 2022
To,
Sam Blanchett
7 Glebe Point RD
Sydney NSW 2037
Dear Mr Sam,
We write this letter to talk about our animal rescue organisation that has been helping street animals for the past 14 years. This month, we are trying to raise money to fulfil the medical needs of the rescued animals. Most of them need surgery urgently, and we are short of funds to help them.
You can donate as little as possible and still help these animals majorly. A contribution of $50 can cover the surgery of one animal. Please refer to the attached booklet with this letter for fundraising support or visit our website to know more about our work.
You may register as a donor online and start contributing in two simple steps. Please know that a small help from your side helps us make our community a better place for everyone to live.
Feel free to connect with us for more information.
Thanking you in advance.
Sincerely,
[Signature]
Whom to Send Fundraising Letters Asking for Donations: Individual Vs. Corporate
Nonprofits craft two kinds of fundraising letters, depending on the recipients—individuals or businesses. Below, we have listed some differences between them to enable you to make your messages more relevant to each category:
Individual fundraising letters address individual donors, including families and couples who contribute collectively. These personalised appeals help the potential donors understand the cause in-depth and motivate them to be a part of it. Generally, such individual appeals request a one-time contribution or recurring gifts over a specific period.
Also, an individual letter for fundraising support may ask people to act as volunteers.
On the other hand, a corporate donation letter for nonprofit organisations requests businesses to become a sponsor. Nonprofits send these letters to all local, national, and international companies soliciting support to run their institution.
Also, many companies are required to carry out their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Your goal is to find and connect with such businesses with a tailored message.
Email Vs. Direct Mail to Send Donation Letter for Nonprofit Firms
Another controversy among charitable organisations is which channel is better: email or direct mail. Let us look at the numbers to find the answer to this question. Direct mail has an open rate of 90%! Hence, if you send out fundraising letters asking for donations to 100 recipients, at least 90 people give attention to them. On the contrary, only 20 to 30 people out of 100 read your emails.
Thus, you have better chances of getting donations via snail mail than email, but that’s not all. 69% of millennials prefer print correspondence over digital. Furthermore, 30% of millennials say mail is more effective than email for pushing them to complete the CTA.
With a response rate of 4.4%, direct mail fundraising letters asking for donations are far more result-bearing than email. Moreover, you can now conduct your direct mail campaigns via automated solutions like PostGrid to eliminate manual effort. Hence, you can run an offline mailing campaign as effortlessly as an email marketing campaign.
Here’s one of our customer testimonials that talk about the same:
“We wanted a smart tool that lets us run a direct mail program online. Our company was already conducting five to six email campaigns every month, and we did get some results. But, it was high time we put our efforts to better use and drive more donations. Now, we can get twice as many responses as email campaigns with direct mail using PostGrid. Also, we can manage our budget better because of their affordable memberships.” – Vice President of Marketing.
Tips to Write an Effective Fundraising Letter Asking for Donations
If you want to add more value to your letters and drive further engagement, refer to the best practices below:
- Be personal: Don’t shy away from opening up about your needs and establishing one-to-one bonds with the readers. Most of the donations come in from people who are already aware of your fundraising efforts, so try to use a personal and friendly tone.
- Guide recipients to your online channels: Some people prefer to donate online. Hence, ensure to add links to your digital fundraisers where they can contribute quickly. The more payment options you provide, the more donations you can solicit using your donation letter for nonprofit organisations.
- Add relevant images: Imagery is one of the most crucial aspects of a fundraising appeal. It hooks your readers to your message and makes them want to donate. Try using real-life pictures depicting your work to create a deeper impact.
- Keep it authentic: Avoid adding too much information in one letter. Instead, ask readers to visit your website to know your organisation better. Also, refrain from talking too much about your history and focus on your current activities. These practices help you to create trust and authenticity through your fundraising letters asking for donations.
- Suggest appropriate amounts: Don’t keep your readers thinking about how much they need to donate. It is advisable to suggest the required amounts in your letter for fundraising support to help you raise enough funds by motivating donors.
- Target the right audience: Always segment your audience according to relevant factors to improve your campaign performance. Also, avoid mailing to the same people too often because it can tarnish your brand image.
How Can PostGrid’s Direct Mail Solutions Help You With Your Fundraising Efforts?
PostGrid’s direct mail API and software allow nonprofit organisations to send effective fundraising letters asking for donations. Here’s how:
- Offering templates: We offer several pre-built letter templates to help you craft your messages in no time. You can also add variable data using our API integrations. The API enables you to fetch the donor data from your system within seconds to auto-fill your letters.
- Verifying addresses: Our address verification feature automatically standardises and validates every address in your mailing list. Hence, you can send your fundraising letters asking for donations to only deliverable, correct addresses.
- Tracking letters: PostGrid’s direct mail services also help you track your letters as they move through the Australia Post network. You can stay updated during every stage, from printing to distribution.
- Monitoring campaigns: Knowing your campaign analytics allows you to draft your upcoming fundraising letter asking for donations more effectively. You can use the insights and reports to improve your efforts and see a massive change in your performance.
PostGrid helps you throughout the campaign and ensures that you get a positive ROI. Also, you can select any plan based on your mailing requirements at affordable rates. Request a demo now to get more details on how PostGrid helps you send successful fundraising letters asking for donations!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are fundraising letters asking for donations?
Fundraising letters are appeals that nonprofit firms send to potential donors, asking for in-kind donations, standard contributions, auction items, sponsorships, etc. These letters also help the organisation get volunteers to assist them in their daily operations or for specific events.
How long should a letter for fundraising support be?
All fundraising letters should be concise and to the point. You can stick with one page unless you need to discuss a story that could take up to two pages. Please ensure that your readers know what you expect from them by the end of the first page.
Avoid discussing irrelevant details that could distract your audience from the prime message. You can include a booklet or pamphlet with your donation letter for nonprofit if you want to give readers some additional information.
How to send a fundraising letter to the target audience?
You can send out your appeals via several platforms, including social media, email, and direct mail. Ensure to customise your efforts according to the channel you want to use. It helps you use the best tactics for specific platforms and increase engagement.
Your best choice is to collaborate with a direct mail API like PostGrid and send offline fundraising letters asking for donations. It allows you to send well-curated letters with high-quality images, graphics, and texts.
Why is it crucial for nonprofit organisations to send fundraising letters asking for donations?
Fundraising letters are significant to nonprofits and charitable organisations because they demonstrate their financial requirements and provide a way for donors to contribute. They also facilitate strong and fruitful nonprofit-donor relationships in the long run.
When should you send out your fundraising appeals, and how often?
All companies and individuals try to find nonprofits to donate to during specific times of the year. For example, almost everyone wishes to contribute during the holiday season, making November and December the most charitable months of the year.
You can also print and mail your letter for fundraising support during the pre-tax season. Since donations are exempt from tax, you can see a sharp hike in contributions around this time.
Also, you should plan how often you need to conduct a campaign. It depends on the length of your campaign, the response time of your audience, and the urgency you create.
How many fundraising letters asking for donations should I mail?
It is up to you to decide how many letters you want to mail. Often, the purpose of mailing and budget dictate the campaign size. Choose a direct mail API like PostGrid that allows you to send any number of letters with the same efficiency.
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