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Published March 1, 2024 • Reading Time: 10 minutesNonprofit organizations can build relationships with donors in many ways, from fundraising events to phone calls, but the common first step is to send a donation request letter .
Below, we walk through exactly what a donation request letter is, what to include in your donation request, and how to start writing. We also offer best practices for crafting donation request letters that get donors’ attention. Finally, we share six templates for individual, corporate, sponsorship , in-kind, and event appeals to jump-start your efforts.
Donation request letters are essential to any nonprofit ’s fundraising strategy and an effective tool to drive traffic to your online donation request form. These written appeals get emailed or sent to prospective and current donors via direct mail .
The purpose is to encourage supporters to give financial or in-kind donations to your campaign. Good donation request letters can help increase charitable donations with relatively minimal effort, as these reach a wide audience at once.
A donation request letter explains why your nonprofit seeks support and includes data and storytelling to show how donors can help. Your first request to a prospective donor may include:
Your donation request letter should be on official letterhead with your organization’s name and contact information at the top. In addition, you may want to highlight your tax-exempt status with the IRS and include your tax ID number to remind supporters of those benefits.
Strong donation request letters come from the perspective of someone who cares deeply about your cause and organization. This is often your executive director or development director, but it could also be board members, direct services staff, or volunteers.
Before writing your donation request letter , consider its purpose. Is it raising funds for a new facility? Are you soliciting new memberships to your recurring community? Do you need help marketing an upcoming event ? Is it to maximize your corporate sponsorships ’ matching gift ?
Clarifying your intent will help determine which details to include in the donation letter and what audiences to target.
Once you’re clear on your donation request letter ’s goal and audience, form a quick outline of components you want to include, such as:
As you craft your donation request, ensure each sentence has a purpose. Remove extraneous language to avoid losing potential donors in the details. Also, keep your language simple and straightforward while maintaining a tone and style that aligns with your brand.
Good donation request letters clearly state what you want, how the donors will benefit, how you’ll use the money, and what you’ve already accomplished. These showcase a vision for your nonprofit ’s future and a strong belief that you can achieve it with the requested funding. The following guidelines can help steer your donation request letters in the right direction.
Up to 94% of people have reported unsubscribing from a company’s communications due to irrelevant promotions or messages. You can mitigate this churn by ensuring the right messages reach the right people.
Segmenting your donor base involves grouping them based on shared characteristics that inform the messaging you send them, such as:
Donor segmentation lets you personalize outreach while still communicating with community members at scale.
The more personalized a fundraising letter , the more likely a prospective donor will read it and respond positively. In addition to donor segmentation, use individual donor data to add a personal touch to your outreach . Some ways to do this include:
Your letter’s recipient has almost certainly received donation solicitations before—probably many times. Personalization helps your fundraising letters stand out.
Storytelling is crucial when drafting your donation request. You want to show how your work has had a positive impact on local communities and what partnerships have formed as a result.
Use success stories that appeal to donors’ emotions. You can select a particular beneficiary or volunteer to highlight or have them share what your nonprofit has meant to them. Also, consider how to incorporate imagery to make your story come alive.
When you provide donors with an authentic story about your work, they become more invested in helping keep that story a reality.
Effective donation request letters include a clear call to action . This is where you ask for a financial contribution or in-kind donation , such as donated prizes or gift cards for your upcoming raffle . Depending on your goals, you may also ask recipients to register for an event or sign up for a volunteer day.
Whatever your goal, be clear about what you want donors to do. Your words should be direct. Ask for exactly what you need rather than assuming donors will know how best to help. You can also tailor your call to action based on the type of campaign you run. Here are a few examples:
Your call to action should be specific, timely, and compelling enough that people feel motivated to donate money, time, or goods the moment they receive your donation request letter .
Thanking donors is vital to showing them that you value their contributions. When donors feel appreciated, they’re more likely to remember your mission, stay involved with your cause, and give again in the future.
When you thank donors for their gifts in advance, it helps them feel good about giving and provides encouragement to act on your request. In your request letter, thank them for their time and consideration and remind them of what it will help your nonprofit accomplish. With online donation requests, direct donors to a thank-you page immediately after they donate.
And, of course, be prepared to follow up after donations with more creative ways to express your gratitude .
When you send your donation request letter matters. Giving Tuesday sees a higher volume of requests from nonprofits than other times during the calendar year. Make sure to capitalize on this trend to take advantage of donors who are more open to the idea of giving during this season.
Conversely, consider sending appeals at slower times of the year when your message is less likely to get lost in a busy holiday inbox. To ensure regular touchpoints, map out several seasonal donation request letter campaigns.
Always personalize donation request letters to your nonprofit ’s mission and unique donor community. That said, many appeals include similar elements, and employing a template can be easier than starting from a blank page.
Below are sample donation request letters to inspire your appeal letters . Customize them for fundraising campaigns focused on individual donations, corporate giving, sponsorships , in-kind donations , and event registrations.
Dear [ Donor’s name ],
My name is [Name], and I’m the [position] at [ Nonprofit ]. At [ Nonprofit ], our mission is to help [mission] by [steps nonprofit has taken].
[Give a specific example of your impact].
While we’ve made outstanding progress, [ Nonprofit ] still has work to do. We need your support for [ new project or event].
Would you donate [donation amount, items, or services] today to help us achieve our mission?
To contribute, visit our donation page at [ donation page link].
If you have any questions, I would be happy to provide you with more information about how you can help support our work.
We greatly appreciate your donation, which we’ll use to [describe how you’ll use the donations and the impact this donation will have].
Please join us! Your donation will bring us one step closer to [goal]!
Sincerely,
[Name]
[ Nonprofit ’s website]
[Email]
Dear [Supporter’s name],
Thank you so much for your past support of [ Nonprofit ]. Your [description of past financial or in-kind contributions or volunteer time] has been instrumental in allowing us to meet our mission of [mission statement].
Our vision for the future involves [who/what you plan to help and how it’ll make an impact]. We can achieve this by fostering a strong network of volunteers and supporters.
In the last year , we leveraged [number] hours of volunteer time and raised [amount raised]. This wouldn’t have been possible without our generous donors and volunteers like yourself.
That’s why I’m reaching out today—our work isn’t finished, and I know you’ll stand with us to ensure we achieve [goal].
Would you donate [donation amount, items, or services that you need] today to help us hit our goal?
To contribute, visit our donation page at [ donation page link].
Our charitable organization relies on financial support and volunteer hours to provide assistance to [who you help]. By supporting us again, you’ll provide [describe how you’ll use the donations and the impact these donations will have].
If you have any questions, I would be happy to provide you with more information about how you can help fuel our work.
Your generosity will make a difference in the lives of [who you help]. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[ Nonprofit ’s website]
[Email]
Dear [ Donor’s name ],
My name is [Name], and I’m the [position] at [ Nonprofit ]. At [ Nonprofit ], our mission is to help [beneficiaries] by [steps your nonprofit has taken].
[Give a specific example of your impact].
Right now, we’re in great need of [in-kind items you’re requesting] to help us [how you’ll use the items for your mission].
Would you donate [type and number of in-kind items] today to help us keep supporting [your cause]?
To contribute, you can [instructions for delivering in-kind donations ].
If you have any questions, I would be happy to provide you with more information about how you can help support our work. If you’d prefer to give financially, visit our donation page at [ donation page address].
We greatly appreciate your support, which we’ll use to [describe how you’ll use the in-kind donations and the impact these donations will have].
Keep an eye on our social media channels as we thank our community and people like you for their generosity in light of this need!
Sincerely,
[Name]
[ Nonprofit ’s website]
[Email]
Dear [Attendee’s name],
My name is [Name], and I’m the [position] at [ Nonprofit ]. At [ Nonprofit ], our mission is to help [beneficiaries] by [steps your nonprofit has taken].
We host a gala each year to raise critical funding for our cause. Our event has grown significantly over the past [number of years of existence]. We’re excited to surpass last year ’s attendance of [number] guests through several new additions to the event, including [how your event is unique this year].
This is all to support our goal of generating [dollar amount you hope to raise] from the evening’s festivities for [your cause].
Join in this success by registering for a ticket at [event registration website]!
If you’d like to provide an additional donation or support the event in another way, visit [event information website] or contact us at [ contact information ].
Your attendance and generous donation will make it possible for us to continue our mission and provide vital resources to [who you help].
Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to seeing you at the gala soon!
Sincerely,
[Name]
[ Nonprofit ’s website]
[Email]
Donation request letters allow you to share your nonprofit ’s story and encourage various types of donations to fuel your ongoing mission. With personalization, strong calls to action , and the right timing, nonprofits can deploy donation appeals that inspire supporters to get and stay involved.
Use the above templates and our free on-demand training course as a starting point, but don’t forget to customize your letters to speak to your unique donor segments and highlight the inspiring elements of your specific campaigns.
Writing effective donation appeals
