Fundraising Letter Templates

Fundraising Letter Templates Harm Your Non-Profit's Reputation and Response Rates
By Alan Sharpe

Fundraising letter templates are a mistake. They insult donors. They mislead fundraisers. And they don’t work. You cannot generate sustainable income, build relationships and retain loyal donors by mailing fill-in-the-blanks letters. Here are some sound reasons for avoiding boilerplate appeals.

1. They are, by definition, too generic

On the website of one fundraising coach is a “very general donation request letter” that you are encouraged to customize by filling in “the details that are specific to your organization.” The problem with this approach is that non-profit organizations are radically different.

What, for example, does Mothers Against Drunk Driving have in common with the Boy Scouts of America? What common goals does the Sydney Opera House share with The National Rifle Association? Could you take one “very general donation request letter” and customize it to meet the unique needs, case for support, brand image, voice and personality of each of these organizations? I think that idea is [fill in the blank] ___________________.

2. They miss the main goal of fundraising letters

The goal of every appeal letter you mail is not to raise a gift but to retain a giver. You are after the donor first, their donation second. The most important gift in fundraising is not the first, but the second. You can twist a gift out of just about anyone, once. But getting subsequent gifts is where your challenge lies. And where you demonstrate your expertise. The big failing with fundraising letter templates is that they are after money only. Donors sense that attitude when they read the letter (assuming they do).