Raising money to help people in need or for humanitarian reasons is what a charitable organization does. Unlike business organizations, nonprofit organizations don’t have a constant flow of cash or a fixed source of money to support their needs. They get funds by conducting charity fundraising activities and sending out charity fundraising letters to the organization’s patrons and potential sponsors. A charity fundraising letter is also a means of communicating upcoming fundraising events so that the public will know. Let’s take a closer look at what a fundraising letter is and how it is written.

FREE 10+ Charity Fundraising Letter Samples & Templates in MS Word | PDF

1. Charity Fundraising Letter Template

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2. Sample Charity Fundraising Letter

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3. Charity Fundraising Request Letter

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4. Formal Charity Fundraising Letter

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5. Charity Fundraising Mail Letter

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6. Charity Fundraising Letter Format

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7. Simple Charity Fundraising Letter

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8. Basic Charity Fundraising Letter

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9. Standard Charity Fundraising Letter

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10. Donation Fundraising Letter Sample

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11. Sample Fundraising Letter Template

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What Is a Charity Fundraising Letter?

Charity fundraising letters are like donation letters or charity request letters because they are used to formally ask donations from individuals or other organizations. Letters requesting for donations or funds are typically one page or two pages long, but should not be longer than two pages. In this letter, you would provide details of the things that your organization needs, as well as conveying your thanks to the help already provided by sponsors from previous fundraising activities. Write the letter as if you are directly talking to the donors on how they can help your cause.

It is also important to possess persuasive writing skills when writing a letter of request to have high chances of getting donations or support. A regular letter requesting for donations with the enclosed reason will do, but it cannot guarantee to raise the needed funds successfully. There are a lot of charitable organizations seeking funds from the same companies, so you need to write your letter as if you’re making a life-changing proposal letter.

How to Write a Charity Fundraising Letter

As mentioned, persuasive writing skills are a must when you want to come up with an effective charity fundraising letter. This skill makes writing the letter easy in some way. But you can always make a well-written fundraising letter by applying the best practices below.

1. Proper Letter Format

The appropriate letter format for writing a charity fundraising letter or other letters requesting for something is a formal letter format. There are letter templates that you find online to help you easily accomplish this step. Remember to keep your letter short and simple. Always use polite and straightforward words to make your letter look and sound professional.

2. Introduce Your Organization

Start writing the body of your letter by introducing your organization. Provide your organization’s name, address, contact details, years in service, and the people who are behind its operations. Put all this information in the first paragraph. It’s important to tell your potential sponsors who you are and what your organization is up to.

3. Using the Sponsor’s Preferred Name

Never start your letter with “Dear Donor/Sponsor,” especially if they have previous involvement with your organization. It is best to use the name your sponsor prefers because this establishes trust right at the start of your letter. While this is one of the best practices for writing a fundraising letter, it is not applicable all the time. You can’t be casual to a potential sponsor or someone who is yet to know of your organization. That would definitely creep them out.

4. Offer Other Ways of Involvement

Aside from cash donations, let your potential sponsor know that you also accept donations in-kind or volunteer work for charitable events. Don’t just ask for money because your organization may seem greedy, and your potential sponsor may not pledge any donations as a result.

5. Affix Your Signature

A letter with the name and handwritten signature of the organization’s leader adds a genuine and personal touch to the letter. It may seem like nothing, but it actually helps your cause to connect to more donors.

FAQ’s

What are the parts of a charity fundraising letter?

A formal letter, such as a charity fundraising letter, has five main parts, which includes a heading, greeting, body of the letter, complimentary close, and the signature line. The heading is the part where you put the sender and recipient’s name, address, and contact information. The greeting is how you will start your letter. The body of the letter contains the reason for writing, which usually consists of 3-5 paragraphs. It is followed by a complimentary close, and the name and signature of the organization’s leader.

What is the difference between a sponsorship letter and a donation request letter?

A sponsorship letter contains a specific type of incentive to donors in exchange for their donations. This is usually done to help an organization cover the costs of a fundraising event, such as a gala or marathon. Examples of incentives offered in exchange for donations are a specific booth during the event, advertisement space, and inclusion in the organization’s online list of partners.

When should I send a charity fundraising letter?

You can send a charity fundraising letter anytime, but the best time to send one during end-of-year fundraising. That is because it is most effective during this time of year. It’s also good practice to send several letters to your donors every year, but not too much that it would stuff their mailboxes and annoy them.

One of the best ways to write fundraising letters for charity is by using a simple but complete fundraising letter template. You can choose any from the samples above, have it customized and use it as your organization’s general template. These samples are free for download, so you should definitely check them out!

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