Sample Fundraising Letters

How to ask people to support your fundraiser

One of the best ways to collect money is by sending letters to your friends, family and colleagues. Below, you will find a list of sample fundraising letters for various different types of fundraisers.

Direct Mail Campaign - Sample Letter

[Insert the date here]

Dear Family and Friends [or business name],

As many of you may already know, I am involved in fundraising for [name of the organization you are fundraising for here]. [Insert one sentence about what this organization does for the community and/or cause they support.]

This year we will have our [insert special event you are raising money for here - or if it is simply a general donation request, write what your organization plans to achieve this year through donor dollars, in a brief and general statement]. I am contacting you on behalf of [insert organization name here] and the fund raising team to request your support in the form of a tax-deductible donation.

For those of you who are not familiar with our organization, [insert organization name here] is a [insert about a paragraph long description of what your group does for the community or cause they are supporting. Let them know about special outings, special programs - what it is that your organization does, that you believe merits someone giving the organization a monetary donation].

I am asking you to help us out this year by giving a tax-deductible donation to [insert organization name here]. We work very hard to provide [general statement of what you provide] each year and I hope we can count on you for a generous donation of $100 or more. However, please note that any donation amount is always welcomed.

I thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to whatever support you can provide. If you are able to donate privately, please also check for matching funds through your employer. Many companies have matching programs which you may not be aware of.

If you require additional information about [insert organization name here], please contact me and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have. You may also visit [insert website here] online or contact them directly by phone at:[insert phone number here]. You can also donate online. If you are sending your donation in the form of a check, please make it payable to [insert organization name here].

[Note: The below should be added if you need donations in a timely manner to support a specific event.]

The [insert your event name here] is [insert date here], so if is at all possible, please return the donation in the enclosed, stamped and addressed envelope by [insert date here]. Thank you for your consideration. [Insert organization name here] couldn't do it without the generosity of donors like yourself.

[Insert your name here]
[Insert your email address here]
[Insert your phone number here]
[Insert organization name here]
[Insert organization address here]
[Insert organization phone number here]

Requesting Sponsors - Sample Letter

Date
Your name
Address
City, State and Zip

Dear [name],

The [insert your event here] will [insert a sentence about what the event will enable your organization to do]. This year's [name of event] is a [what you do during the event and where - such as a 30 mile walk across a city name] will be held on [insert event date here].

This event requires a tremendous commitment from walkers [or whatever your event participants do], who not only prepare for months to have the stamina to complete this event, but also raise a minimum of [whatever amount is the minimum] in donations just to participate.

This year, I'm walking [or whatever it is you will do]! I've made this commitment and need your help to meet my goal of [insert goal amount here], so that I can participate.

[Insert name here], by giving to the [insert name of event here], you'll be supporting [insert name of organization here] and helping them provide [insert what they provide and for whom here].

There are many organizations out there fundraising for worthy causes, but I hope that you will donate to [organization and event name here] and help them [whatever it is the organization does here - make sure it is different than the above paragraph].

Please take this opportunity to support the [name of event and organization here]. Your donation will do so much to help [describe the people or community briefly that the event supports].

I hope that I can count on you to help support [insert the name of the event here] and will follow up with you in a few days.

Sincerely,
Your name
Your telephone
Your email address

P.S. If you want to find out more about the [name of event here], please give me a call or log onto their website at [insert web address here].

Requesting Sponsor (Informal) - Sample Letter.

Dear Uncle Jack [or personal variation of their name],

I am writing to ask for your help. You won't believe what I have gone and gotten myself into this time. I am going to walk [or whatever you plan to do] in [the name of the event here] for the [insert the name of the organization holding the event here]. My body is already in nervous shock from the anticipation of walking [or whatever you will be doing].

Your help would be greatly appreciated. No, I don't expect you to walk along side of me - so you can breathe that sigh of relief! But a donation to the [insert organization name here] in order to sponsor me in the walk [or whatever event you will be doing] would be wonderful!

If you can help, please make your check payable to [insert name of organization here] and return it to me in the envelope I have provided. Then you can sit back with your lemonade, while I am walking [or whatever activity you will be doing for the event] across [insert name of city here]! Thank you so much!

Your niece [or whatever relationship you are to the person],
[Insert your name here]

Donation Request - Sample Letter

Dear [insert name of business or business owner here],

[Insert a general statement about the type of people you serve and what it is that they need here]. The [insert the name of your organization here] is a place that offers [insert above listed benefit for above listed people].

However, today's tough economic conditions make it difficult for [insert name or the organization] to meet those needs without help from people like you. I am writing to invite your business to donate an item or gift certificate for the charity auction [or other event you need the donation for], [insert name of event/auction here].

[Insert a brief description of the event. What it entails, how long it has been running, and how many people usually attend as well as if the event is covered by local media]. All auction items [or whatever event] are donated by businesses like yours - as well as by members of [insert organization name here], alumni [if applicable] and community members.

Fun Fair is the biggest fundraising event of the year for [insert organization name here] and will take [insert date here] at [insert location here] from [insert timeframe here].

Benefits of Supporting [insert event name here]:

Your business will be recognized on all promotional materials, received by the [insert organization name here] members, alumni [if applicable] and community leaders and attendees.

Your donation will also be acknowledged in the [insert organization name here] newsletter [if applicable].

All contributions to the [insert name of event here] are tax-deductible [if applicable].

Our members and alumni [if applicable] lean towards supporting local businesses that donate to [insert name of organization here].

You can take pride in being a good corporate citizen.

Please know that all contributions you make will positively impact our [insert name of organization and the type of people you serve]. I will follow up with you within the next two weeks to discuss your possible donation. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of our request.

Sincerely,
[Insert your name here]
[Insert your organization here]
[Insert your phone number here]

Be Sure to Follow Up

Sending fundraising letters requesting donations or support is almost useless unless you follow up with a phone call or a personal visit to the donor. Sometimes people forget. Someone may mean to respond to your request and the paper gets lost under a pile on a desk or kitchen table.

Give potential donors a friendly call and remind them of your request and see if you can count on them to be a part of your fundraising efforts. Be sure to keep your callbacks organized so that you don't have several different volunteers calling the same donor over and over again.

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When sending a donation request letter to a company who should I put it attention to??
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Posted on 2/16/2010 2:31:00 PM by Anonymous
great letters, can you give an example letter asking for money for a foundation in the memory of a deceased person. Thanks
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Posted on 12/30/2008 4:35:00 PM by Anonymous
I am planning a birthday party for my six year old and instead of gifts from friends I want to have the children bring in a gift card or a donation for a family that lost their home in a fire. There is a foundation at my sons school I want to give the donations to. What is the best way and simplest way to word the request.
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Posted on 12/4/2008 11:48:00 AM by Anonymous
I wasn't sure which direction to go or the proper aproach to writing a fundraising letter for a kidney transplant. I "thank you" doesn't seem to be enough but THANK YOU.
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Posted on 8/24/2008 11:29:00 AM by Anonymous