{"id":24326,"date":"2021-10-18T03:25:24","date_gmt":"2021-10-18T10:25:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/donorbox.org\/nonprofit-blog\/?p=24326"},"modified":"2024-08-23T05:24:48","modified_gmt":"2024-08-23T12:24:48","slug":"donation-request-letter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/donorbox.org\/nonprofit-blog\/donation-request-letter","title":{"rendered":"Donation Request Letters: 8 Types You Need to Know (+ Examples)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Donation request letters – or simply donation letters – are one of the essential tools in a fundraiser\u2019s arsenal. These letters can be sent to individuals and businesses and are meant to appeal to the reader to take a very specific action: make a donation of some kind!<\/p>\n

Depending on the reason for the request<\/a>, the feel of these letters can either be formal or informal. Sometimes known as appeals, donation request letters can also vary in length and messaging style.<\/p>\n

This article explains eight different types of donation letters and gives examples of how organizations have used them. But before we dive into the types, let us have a look at what is a donation letter and why they’re so important!<\/p>\n

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<\/a>What is a Donation Letter or Donation Request Letter?<\/h2>\n

The purpose of donation letters is to inform donors<\/a> about your organization, why their gifts are needed, and how they can give.<\/p>\n

Many donation letters will be mailed. The cost of printing and direct mail can be costly, though, so there are other options. Emails<\/a> and social media<\/a> donation appeals have grown in popularity. Even if you choose to send your request by email, you should still include as much information as possible.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>Why are Donation Request Letters Important for Nonprofits?<\/h2>\n

Fundraising appeal letters<\/a> are used for different reasons. If your organization requests donations or sponsorships from a corporation, a formal request letter is often required. It is also a way to show you are a serious organization capable of handling a large donation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sending out request letters to businesses and individuals is a way to give specific details on your campaign and organization. It’s also an ideal way to show how donations impact the nonprofit and your beneficiaries.<\/p>\n

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When Should You Use Donation Request Letters?<\/h2>\n

Donation request letters are a nonprofit\u2019s primary tool for successful fundraising. The reasons you send these letters will depend on the type of campaign and the type of donors.<\/p>\n

Nonprofits will create campaigns for different reasons, but the most popular reasons are upcoming events or giving holidays like Christmas<\/a> and Ramadan<\/a>. During these campaigns, a donation letter is often sent in the mail or by email. These letters can introduce the organization, explain the campaign, and detail how their donations can help.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>Different Types of Donation Request Letters<\/h2>\n

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A fundraising letter comes in many forms. Below are some of the more common types of donation letters with examples to get you started.<\/p>\n

Some of these requests will look like regular letters, while others will seem like more of a one-pager. The design and text for each donation letter should be targeted specifically to your campaign and donor base. In addition, whether the tone of these letters is formal or informal depends on the type of request you are making and the population you are contacting.<\/p>\n

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1. Individual donation<\/h3>\n

As a nonprofit fundraiser<\/a>, you will quickly become comfortable writing individual donation request letters. This type of letter is the most common type of appeal letter sent to individuals or families during major campaigns to raise money.<\/p>\n

The most popular of these campaigns tends to be at the end of the year when people are in a giving mood. Known as the giving season, it’s often unofficially kicked off by Giving Tuesday<\/a>, which is on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and is an international day of giving. This is a theme to use for your end-of-year individual donation request letter!<\/p>\n

Whether you are sending out a donation letter for Giving Tuesday or another campaign, a few practices can increase the letters\u2019 response rate.<\/p>\n

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Make the letter personal<\/h4>\n

Individuals who receive a donation letter will often have a history with your organization and have donated or volunteered in the past. Keep track of this information in your donor management<\/a> system, and this knowledge can help you personalize the donation letter whenever possible.<\/p>\n

With Donorbox<\/strong><\/a>, you can add internal notes about donors to the donor record to better keep track. This will better your response.<\/p>\n

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Include details about the campaign<\/h4>\n

People give to successful programs. If you can include a success story or facts that show how your organization has already made a difference, more individuals will want to be part of it.<\/p>\n

People are also more likely to give to people – including a beneficiary story<\/a> with quotes about the impact your nonprofit has made will go a long way. Show your donors that they will make a real difference for someone, not just your faceless nonprofit!<\/p>\n

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2. Corporate donation<\/h3>\n

As your organization develops its community partnerships<\/a>, you will have the opportunity to send more corporate donation request letters. These donation request letters for businesses can be sent during your annual campaigns, when you’re looking for event sponsorships, or to give corporate partners a unique marketing<\/a> opportunity.<\/p>\n

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Encourage matching gifts<\/h4>\n

One of the ways both a corporation and your organization can benefit from a partnership<\/a> is with a matching gift campaign.<\/p>\n

After working with the corporation to finalize the details of their donation, create a matching campaign based on the amount raised from these corporations. Send out individual donation request letters and online campaign appeals to promote the matching gift campaign and the organizations.<\/p>\n

To increase donor engagement in these campaigns, use a goal meter<\/a> on the campaign’s fundraising page and social media to share how close donors are to meeting the corporation\u2019s matching amount. Corporate donors will see how their original donation has encouraged more people to give.<\/p>\n

For example, check out this<\/a> matching gift campaign, during which all donations up to $100,000 were matched through a generous grant. Securing a challenge gift<\/a> like this will encourage more donations because donors will see that their gift will go twice as far.<\/p>\n

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Get started with Donorbox<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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3. Sponsorship<\/h3>\n

Sponsorship<\/a> request letters are generally sent to local businesses and foundations before an organization\u2019s major event. These appeals will promote the event and explain the organization\u2019s needs. An event is an excellent opportunity to introduce your organization to new businesses.<\/p>\n

In your sponsorship request letters, be sure to include free tickets in exchange for their gift. This will give you the opportunity to connect with them in person and may serve as an extra incentive to sponsor!<\/p>\n

Create customized sponsorships for each business if possible. Give them the chance to promote their organization and share their gifts with their customer base online.<\/p>\n

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4. Online donation<\/h3>\n

Online donation<\/a> appeals can be sent through email or any social media platform. These appeals will be different from other donation letters for obvious reasons – people spend 5.59 seconds<\/a> reading online content, so your online appeals will have to be short and to the point. And a great hook is a must!<\/p>\n

The demographic of online donors also tends to be different from those who regularly respond to formal request letters.<\/p>\n

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Send more than one online donation request<\/h4>\n

Direct mail donation requests are typically sent out once because of printing and mailing costs. Online fundraising appeals, however, can be sent on a weekly or even daily basis! It is often best to send out at least one email and at least two to three social media posts a week during the end-of-year or other large campaigns<\/a>. Note, however, that each audience is different, so be sure to keep track of the success of these appeals so that you do not reach out to often (or not often enough)!<\/p>\n

These emails and posts will be shorter and should link to a donation page that includes more information on your campaign goals and the programs affected. They are also the ideal place to share images and videos, which will draw attention and encourage more engagement.<\/p>\n

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Include links to important information<\/h4>\n

Online donors tend to be younger and are used to researching the organizations they support. If you are sending out online donation requests, you will want to include links and ways to find more information about your organization\u2019s programs and financial data.<\/p>\n

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Add more ways to give<\/h4>\n

Donors who give online are also often willing to give in different ways – and, many times, more often! Your donors who have shown support in the past can be solicited to give weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually.<\/p>\n

Online donation platforms, like Donorbox, offer donors the opportunity to manage recurring donations<\/a> to nonprofits. Donors can set up a recurring gift in less than two minutes and control their donation amounts and intervals. You should check out Muso<\/a>‘s donation page for inspiration. They have added three different recurring giving intervals to give donors more choices while also ensuring a reliable source of funds for the nonprofit.<\/p>\n

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5. In-kind donation<\/h3>\n

In-kind<\/a> donations can be as helpful to a nonprofit organization as a financial one if the items are in need. Pet adoption centers or day cares<\/a> are examples of nonprofits that can often use in-kind donations, whether of food or toys.<\/p>\n

The challenge is that some in-kind donations given are not what is needed. This is where a donation request letter comes in handy – you have got to be specific about what in-kind gifts you’re in need of!<\/p>\n

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Link the donation letters to a list of items<\/h4>\n

If you send out your donation letter, emails, and social media posts with a specific list of items included, you will have a better chance of receiving your organization’s needs.<\/p>\n

Add this list of needed items to your website<\/a>. Once that is live, you can link all emails and social media posts as well as add that link to your mailed donation letters.<\/p>\n

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Acknowledge these gifts online<\/h4>\n

People who donate love to be thanked. Sending an acknowledgment is necessary, but have you thought of adding in-kind donors to your donor wall<\/a> or promoting their gifts on your Facebook page? By publicly acknowledging these gifts, you will let donors know you are grateful and let others know how they can support your organization too.<\/p>\n

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6. Church donation<\/h3>\n

Churches continue to need financial support from their members. With fewer members attending services every week, there is a greater need to look for other ways to collect donations. Church fundraising letters can be sent to re-connect<\/a> with both current and lapsed members to ask for needed funds – just be sure to adjust your messaging according to your audience!<\/p>\n

Donorbox<\/strong><\/a> is helping thousands of churches across the globe collect tithes and offerings online through the simplest yet most effective fundraising solution.<\/p>\n