| Writing Fundraising Letters - 7 Helpful Strategies
By Sandra
Sims
Writing fundraising letters
can be an effective way to
request donations to a charitable
cause. Letters are used for
a variety of purposes and can
be sent to a large number of
people or a select few. The
results of a writing a fundraising
letter can vary greatly depending
on the purpose of the letter,
the way the letter is written,
and the audience that receives
the letter.
Here are 7 strategies to use
when writing fundraising letters
so they are more interesting,
compelling and responsive.
1. Write to ONE person -
When you start writing the
fundraising letter, imagine
you are writing to only one
person, not a group of people.
This will help you get into
the best frame of mind to write
the letter. It also will help
your letter sound more personable.
Use singular word forms, not
plural - avoid words and phrases
like "some of you" when addressing
the reader. Instead use the
personal, singular form "you." This
mirrors the way that the letter
will be read by the recipient.
2. Be Specific -
When writing fundraising letters
the more specific you can be,
the better your message will
be understood and the greater
the response rate. Ask your
reader to make a specific response,
such as a donation of money,
goods or services. You can
offer several specific dollar
amounts include a specific
date that you need the response
by.
If your appeal will benefit
a specific project, mission
or program, say so. Describe
how the donations will help
with this particular project.
Include a few brief details
about where the donation will
be used and the positive results
it will bring.
3. Stay Focused -
When writing a fundraising
letter stay focused on the
outcome you would like to see.
Make one request and communicate
this message clearly. Avoid
discussing topics that are
not directly related to your
appeal or that do not support
the message of your letter.
4. Descriptive Phrases -
Use the most descriptive adjectives
and adverbs in your letter
to clarify your message. However,
when writing fundraising letters
be especially careful not to
over embellish or exaggerate.
5. Keep it Simple -
It's important to include information
about your organization and
why you're writing. However,
a fundraising letter is not
the place to include lengthy
official mission statements
or a long description of your
future plans.
When writing fundraising letters
don't go overboard with extremely
detailed numbers and jargon
that the reader may not be
familiar with. Remember to
focus on information that is
relevant and compelling to
the potential reader.
6. Personalization -
If you are writing a fundraising
letter to a specific donor,
include specific information
related to them. If it's a
repeat donor, discuss ways
that his or her previous contributions
have made a difference in your
organization.
7. Narratives & Success
Stories - One of
the most successful ways
that you can get your message
across is to describe a story
of a specific person or situation
that your organization has
helped.
If your group has made some
major achievements and successes
these can also be of use. When
writing a fundraising letter
remember to include stories
that will engage the reader,
not just show off accomplishments.
If you are
having trouble getting started
writing your letter, first
start with a fundraising
letter template. Then
revise the letter based upon
your own situation and the
request you are making. By
using the template and the
strategies above, writing fundraising
letters will become much easier.
Sandra
Sims has been fundraising for
various charities for over
10 years and is dedicated to
helping non profits raise more
for their causes. Visit her Step
By Step Fundraising website
to get your free copy of the
special report.
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