Solicitation Letter for Donations
Solicitation letters give a personal touch to donation requests. They are meant to make the readers aware about a certain charitable organization or a charitable cause. The basic idea behind these letters is to reach out to the readers and inspire them to donate some money for a noble cause. Here is how solicitation letters for donations should be worded.
Quick Glance
- Length: 1 page
- Word Count: 200 to 400 words
- What to Avoid: Exaggeration and ornate language
LifeLine
1030, Palms Court,
Winston Street,
Los Angeles, California
(Registration number:CHAR-15842)
Date: November 3rd 2012
Ms. Edwina Marvin
Westward Mansion
11th Avenue South,
Los Angeles, California
Dear Ms. Marvin,
Greetings!
The LifeLine was established in the year 1998. This NGO strives to spread awareness about AIDS in the community. As part of our efforts, we initiated an annual competition event called 'Express Yourself' in the year 1999. This competition provides a platform to the AIDS patients to spread awareness about the disease. It also gives them a unique opportunity to showcase their hidden talents.
This year, approximately 80 AIDS patients from across the country are expected to participate in this event. We are determined to generate a minimum of US$80000 as donations for helping the AIDS patients who participate in this event. The details of the event are as below.
Express Yourself 2012
Venue: Stanley World Auditorium, Los Angeles
Date: World AIDS Day (December 1st, 2012)
Time: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
For the physical and emotional healing of AIDS patients, this program is always an awaited time. By helping this program through finances, we are trying to do our bit for the society. You have always been one of our most generous donors. Considering your long term association with our NGO, we solicit a donation from you with an amount starting from US$20. You may even choose to sponsor event participants, with a donation of US$1000 per participant. We assure you that your generous donation would be 100% tax deductible.
Raising US$80000 is not a simple task. But we believe that we can do it if we work together as one team. If you are interested in helping us, please make your check payable in favor of 'LifeLine' and mail it to the address mentioned above. Your contribution to this cause would be highly appreciated. We shall mail you a donation receipt and entry passes for two to the 'Express Yourself' event as soon as we receive your check.
If you have any more questions regarding our programs, please feel free to email us at abc@xyzmail.com. Alternately, you can reach us on our number 92929 - 8282 - 28282 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays.
We sincerely thank you for giving your precious time in going through this write up.
Sincerely,
-s/d
Mr. Alan Cross
LifeLine
Do Not Forget...
Your letter needs to be long enough to cover the crucial details of the charitable cause and short enough to keep the readers' interest alive. Avoid over-detailing and restrict the entire length to just one face of the page.
Don't sound overtly emotional and imploring all through your letter. Use a smart and formal language only.
Be grammatically correct throughout the letter. Correct grammar creates a good 'first impression' on your readers.
Mention the registration number of your NGO at the beginning of the letter. This number is issued by the commissioner of charities as soon as the NGO gets registered.
Avoid exaggerating details of your charitable work. e.g. avoid mentioning names of celebrities who are not connected with your charity even slightly.
Be especially careful when you are mentioning certain numerical data and facts. e.g. amount in donations received last year.
Do not impose restrictions on the donation amount. It's better to give the minimum amount required to serve the purpose. However, you are free to use a language that indirectly encourages the reader to contribute a higher amount.
Solicitation letters for donations may work wonders in your endeavor to seek financial assistance. Just mention your request honestly and send it across to old benefactors and prospective new donors. Once done, wait patiently for a few days and I am sure a good amount of donations will start flowing in.
