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How to Write a Direct Mail Fundraising Letter (Four Tips)
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By Alan Sharpe
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1. Address your reader as a friend, not as"Friend."
When was the last time you received aletter from someone dear to you, addressing you as "DearFriend?" Never, right? The days of the Dear Friend letter aredead. I heard recently of a chairman of the board of a nationalcharity who has given his charity millions of dollars andhundreds of hours of his time, yet he still receives fundraisingappeals from this charity addressing him as "Dear Friend." Ouch.
2. Arrest attention with an opening that resonates withyour donors.
Assume your reader is standing overa trash can with a stack of today's mail, reading the openingsentence of each letter before deciding its fate. You have onlya few seconds to grab the reader's interest. So make it azinger. Here are two openings for the same non-profit. Which onegrabs your attention and makes you want to read on?
Opening 1: "I am writing to you to ask if you would like tosupport a low-income housing building project in yourneighbourhood."
Opening 2: "If I invited you to walk over to your neighbour'shouse with a bundle of roof shingles under your arm as a gift,what would you do?"
3. Put flesh and bones on your need.
Onetruth in fundraising is that people give to people to helppeople. So always describe your need in terms of people, notprograms, not ministry, not money.
INSTEAD OF SAYING . . . We operate three vans.
SAY . . .The three vans that we use for emergency medical relief play avital role in saving lives throughout the year.
INSTEAD OF SAYING . . . Essential medicines in many countriesare not affordable.
SAY . . . Phillip Mbago is dying froma treatable disease for no other reason than this--he can'tafford his cure.
4. Ask for funds by painting a picture.
Don't just ask for a donation. Show your readers how theirdonations will make a difference. Instead of saying, "Send agift today," say, "Your gift to Habitat for Humanity today meansthat another family will soon move into a simple, decent,affordable home--thanks to you."
? 2005 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online andin print provided the links remain live and the content remainsunaltered (including the "About the author" message).
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