Fund Raising Letters

At its very heart, fund raising is about developing relationships and sharing information with people and institutions who may (and do) support our work. And, while communications have rapidly become speedy and electronic, words on paper still remain the bread and butter of good fund raising and relationship building.

The key to a successful relationship-building letter is to be warm, professional and engaging. It’s as simple as that: If you are hoping to engage a potential donor, be engaging. Try to avoid formulaic, stilted and elliptical prose. If you are thanking a donor for a gift already received, don’t be afraid of sounding grateful. You are! No donor wants to receive a note that feels scripted and obligatory. You should never feel like you are going through the motions when you are thanking someone. It’s bad stewardship and it will kill your soul.

A WORD ABOUT E-MAIL…

To help you in your letter writing efforts, we offer several sample notes and letters. These range from a letter of inquiry for a potential foundation supporter to a thank you note for a gift already received, from a general thank you note to a letter acknowledging an in-kind contribution. So, please, take a look at these letters and use them as a starting point for your own efforts. Remember to make them your own, using words and a tone that express who you are as a person and what your site is all about.

DON’T FORGET HAND-WRITTEN NOTES…

If you have letters you would like to share, please send them along. If you are in need of a sample of a particular kind of letter, please let us know.

CONQUERING WRITERS’ BLOCK

Sample Letters:

Thank You Letters | Here you’ll find samples of thank you letters for
a range of purposes, as well as a little pep talk about their importance

Pledges | When a donor makes a commitment to a gift over time,
these pledge agreements and reminders are helpful

In-Kind Contributions | Here is a thank you note for a gift of goods or services

Foundation Letter of Inquiry | Before you write a full proposal it is good (and often required) to test the waters a bit