Fundraising letters: How to write a compelling appeal
It’s fall, which is the perfect time to start thinking about the holiday season. Yes, you read that right. Fall is the busiest time of year for non-profit organizations, especially for those planning to do a year-end appeal. Even if your campaign won’t launch until later in the fall, it’s still important to take the time now to plan a campaign that will stand out and resonate with your donors.
Your fundraising appeal letter needs to be personal and inspiring in order to truly connect with your community of donors. That’s because they are going to receive a lot of appeal letters as the season ramps up and yours needs to stand out from the crowd.
Here is what you need to know about what to include in your donor appeal letter and how to write it.
Address your donor personally. By addressing each donor personally, your audience won’t feel like they are just one of many. They will build a deeper connection to what’s to come simply by reading their own name at the top of the page.
Start with a bold statement. Capture your audience’s attention with a bold statement or bold question. That’s how you will hook your audience into reading on.
Tell an engaging story. Storytelling is the most powerful way in which we communicate with each other. Donors make decisions on an emotional level so to get the response rate you want, you need to reach them by pulling on their heartstrings and compelling them to act. The number of people helped by the number of programs you offer is important, but that same information wrapped into one person’s story is a far more compelling and authentic way to connect with your audience.
Define the problem and outline your goal. A compelling story helps your audience connect with your organization; to truly want to give, they need to know the challenge your organization, and your clients, face. Be as direct as possible when explaining the problem and the need because their donation is the solution, so donors need to understand how it will make a difference.
Emphasize urgency with a strong call to action. Donors respond better to urgent needs rather than ones they can put aside until later. Your call to action needs to do more than say donate now, it needs to tell donors why they need to give today and what’s at risk if they don’t. Check out five different ways to write calls to action here.
Don’t forget to include a postscript on your letter. It may seem redundant to do so, but the P.S. is often the most-read section of the letter. The P.S. is a chance to reinforce your message, include yet another strong call to action and to make sure that your donor appeal letter leaves a lasting impression.