Fundraiser Letter Writing Tips - Part 1:

Writing an excellent Fundraiser letter is often a really important part of a successful fundraising campaign!

And with the following tips and advice, you can really nail your fundraising letters. By using a set structure and the following tips, anyone can write a really successful appeal!

These tips will also help you with your Online Donations elevator pitch.

Let's Begin...

You can quick jump through the following links to all the headings and tips...

Part 1

• Know What You Are Asking For
• Know Your Reader
• Address The Right Person
• Get To The Point
• Include a PS.

Part 2

• Set The Scene
• Structure Your Fundraiser Letters
• Make It Long

Part 3

• Be Direct About Asking For Money
• Provide A Deadline
• Provide a Return Envelope
• Thank
• Follow Up

Know What You Are Asking For:

Your first step is to actually know exactly what you are asking for before you ask for it.

If you don't know what you're talking about, or what you're requesting, how is your reader ever going to know what you're asking for?

So, know exactly what you are raising funds for, how much you need, and how much you will be requesting from donors!

Know Your Reader:

The second thing is to know exactly who you are writing to. Is it to parents, individual businessmen, companies, grants organizations, or previous donors?

Different letters will be more appealing to different types of people. So by knowing who your target audience will be, you will be able to write a more successful fundraiser letter.

You may find that you will need to write a few different letters to accommodate for the different types of audiences that you are writing to...

If that's the case then write your initial letter to one audience and then change and adapt it to be more suitable for your other readers!

And always remember to thank your previous donors, right at the beginning of your letters to them!

Address The Right Person:

For companies and grants organizations you must first do your research and make sure you are addressing your letter to the right department of the company, and to the right person.

The last thing you want is for your letter to be past around from department to department until it finally reaches the right person (likely once it's too late!).

You will also come across more professional and more impressive if you have the right name on your letter.

It will also make the letter more personal which is exactly what you want.

Get To The Point:

It is really important to get to the point and make your case early.

Explain your organization, and/or project and/or need near the beginning of your fundraiser letter.

What problem are you trying to solve? What need are you trying to fulfill, or what are trying to help with?

Include a PS.:

People never really understand the power of a post script. It is such an amazing tool to boost your percentage of positive replies!

Here's why...

The majority of your fundraiser letter will go unread by most of your readers (especially the skimmers), but the PS is almost always read. It's the piece of info that stands out at the end of your letter!

So the point is to use a Postscript, not as it's supposed to be (info that was accidently left out of the main letter body), but rather as a tool that will catch the attention and interest of the reader, and call him to action!

Recommended Grant/Fundraising Letter Resources:

Tom Ahern's Donor-Centric Communications
A must watch video on how one simple change to Donor Communications caused 1000% growth in donations!!

5 Days To Writing Effective Grant Proposals by Pam Grow
Pamela Grow gives an excellent process to writing effective fundraising letters in this eBook.

It also comes with a handy toolkit filled with successful sample letters!

Other books to read are:

Donation Fundraising Letters , How to Write Successful Fundraising Letters, and Let's Write a Grant.

This Is Part 1 Of Fundraiser Letter Writing Tips...

Click below to go to part 2 or part 3...

Writing Tips For Fundraiser Letters Part 2

Fundraising Letter Writing Tips Part 3

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Fundraising Ideas Home › Letters › Tips & Techniques Part 1