Fundraising Letter Template
Increasingly several people devoting a lot of their time to various causes that allows them to help other, less fortunate people. Many of these non profit organizations, from time to time, organize events to raise funds for the cause that they are working for. There are many fundraising ideas for non-profit organizations that come into use at such events but the one thing that is uniform, is the sponsorship and donations that the organizations need in order to make the event a success. If you are in charge of raising funds for any such organization, then you will have to write fundraising letters to send out to prospective sponsors and donors. If you are looking for a template to help you in your letter writing process, then read on.
How to Write a Fundraising Letter
Whenever you are asking for donations, remember that you should approach sponsors in a way that reflects the professionalism of the organization you belong to. Writing a fundraising letter becomes easier if you have a template that can serve as a guideline for you. But there are certain pointers that should always be referred to while drafting a donation letter.
- While the letter maybe drafted for a cause that you have an attachment for, remember to always keep the tone of the letter professional. Always start the letter with a formal salutation.
- It is easy to get carried away while writing a letter to raise funds for a cause, but avoid doing so and make the letter as brief as possible. Do not elaborate on the situation unnecessarily.
- While it is important to express the concern that you feel for the cause, it is also essential that you do not sound needy and make the letter sycophantic in nature. You should convince the addressee to be a part of a good cause not force him to do so.
- Ensure that you always end the letter with an expression of gratitude towards the addressee for reading the letter that you have sent him/her and considering your cause worthy of donation.
If you need to write a donation request letter, then you are probably scratching your head trying to figure out the correct template for the same. Given below is a donation letter template which will guide you in drafting your own letter.
Your Name
Name of Your Organization
Address
Date
Name of Client
Client's Address
Salutation/Greetings
Dear Ms./Mr. (addressee), or To whom it may concern
It is in the first paragraph of the letter that you will introduce not only yourself, but also the cause that you are working for, the organization's name and your association with the organization. It is important that you mention, in what capacity you work for the organization. Mention why you want to raise funds, how you are going about the same and how the funds are going to be diverted for the cause.
In the second paragraph, you should give the details of the event that you are organizing in order to raise funds and in what particular way you would like the addressee to help out during the event. Since this letter is intended to be a fundraising letter, you will have to mention the benefit that the addressee will gain out of supporting your cause.
In the final paragraph of the letter, your should thank the addressee and his/her organization for sparing valuable time in paying attention to the letter. Also mention your contact details again so that the addressee can get in touch with you whenever he needs to.
Valediction/Goodbye
Yours sincerely,
(Your name)
Example
Understanding a template becomes easier when it is explained in the form of a sample donation letter, with proper content in place. The letter given below exemplifies a situation wherein the person requesting for a donation is not asking for monetary donation but for funds in the form of a service.
Mellisa Belisimio
Read2Write
Elm Street
Orange County
California
42301-43341
03/14/2010
Nigel Deeley
Proprietor
Bon Appetit
3 New Main Road
Orange County
California
42301-43339
Dear Mr. Deeley,
I, the undersigned am writing to you on behalf on Read2Write, an organization that is working to promote adult literacy in third world countries. As an organization we firmly believe that lack of education is the prime cause of the slow development rate in most of the underdeveloped nations. Every year, we organize a fundraising event to raise money and promote donations for the cause that we are working towards. As the coordinator of this annual fundraising event, this year, my team and I have approached top and upcoming fashion designers of the likes of Stella Armani, to participate in a special fashion show and display their latest collections. Their collection will then be auctioned and the proceeds will be used to fund adult literacy programs in Nepal and Bangladesh.
Clothes 4 Words, the fashion show will be organized on the 30th of May. We have already contacted several designers and models who have expressed their willingness to participate in the same. We would be grateful if you decide to join hands with our organization and take responsibility for the catering of food for the event. In return for your generosity, we would be more than willing to include your restaurant's name on all the publicity material that we are designing.
I would like to thank you for sparing your valuable time in reading this letter and would be grateful if you consider our request to join us in our fundraising efforts. In case you have any queries you can feel free to contact me at the address mentioned earlier in the letter or at the email id, If you have any queries regarding our organization or the event being organized, please feel free to contact me at the address given above or write to the email id, mellisa_belisimio@read2writetoday.org.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely
(Signature)
Mellisa Belisimio
If the fundraising letter that you send out gets a response and you receive a donation or contribution for your cause, then it is your duty to send out a donation thank you letter. Many books and websites have fundraising letter formats and samples of thank you letters for donation, which will help you draft a letter of your own. While this is an easier option, it is always better to just refer to a template and then write a letter on your own to give it a personal touch.
