For many of us, writing comes very hard. Similarly, writing donation request letters is also not everyone’s cup of tea. This is why business owners depend upon the in-house creative staff to write these important letters. Some business owners also pay or outsource to get these letters written perfectly. These letters help businesses get assistance and support for the potential causes. There are several donation opportunities for businesses. In order to avail those opportunities, first one needs to write an effective donation request letters defining your cause.

With the growing need of donation requests, a number of types of sample donation request letters are available online. You can find multiple types of donation request form templates available on our main website. If your company likely asks for donations from other authorities, you can find interesting information about it in this article.

Donation Request Letters

Business owners who require funding of any type will have to write a strong and persuasive donation letter to get funding from their venture. Additionally, these letters are essential to write in order to build relationships and rapport with donors. These letters can encourage them to donate for the relevant cause once again like they have been doing in the past.

When you are writing a donation letter to a party for the first time, you need to ensure that it is very well written and the cause you are requesting for is clearly elaborated. On the other hand, when you build a good relationship with the client and you receive donations and their support throughout, you should use a thankful approach towards them in the letter and generously request them to support the cause like they have been doing previously.

Common Reasons to Write the Donation Letters

There are different reasons to write the donation letters. Also, there are several templates besides the standard format available on our main website. Let’s take a look at the types and variations of donation letters that are normally used.

Standard Donation Request

This is the type of donation letter that is for generic reason. This is a common template used by companies which normally covers the background of the donation. Also, it covers the relationship with the recipient. For instance, if you are sending a donation request to the previous clients, you can be generous towards them and request them to send you donation on specific date. But if you are sending the letter to a new donor, you should use more persuasive approach towards them. The length of these letters likely depends upon the mission and funds you are asking for.

Individual Sponsorship Request

Sometimes, the donation letters can also be treated as sponsorship letters. The main difference between these two letters is that donations are likely raised for the community causes while sponsorships are tied to social events. Also, these requests would offer incentives and rewards attached to it. Just like standard donation letters, these letters can also be tailored to fit with respect to the organization’s needs.

Volunteer Time Request

At times, companies do not really money, they may also ask for time. For instance, if your company is looking for supporters to volunteer for a day, you can request the company to provide you with a volunteer. This content of this letter will likely focus on the work volunteer will be doing in order to accomplish and support the organization. Additionally, you can convince them by letting them know how the work would be beneficial for the people, society and both organizations.

Corporate Donation Request

These are really professional letters which are geared towards asking for donations and support from big businesses, corporations and companies. These letters normally request for in-person meeting with the leader of the organization to provide money. In-person meetings permits business leaders to express concerns ask questions and become more familiar with the organization.

Donation Request Forms

What You Need to Know Before Beginning

Many writers believe that writing donation letters is one of the trickiest parts of their job. Focusing on the basics of these letters can help you writing an impressive copy and getting better results. So, here are certain things that you should know before you begin writing donation request letters.

Know Your Target Audience

You will be able to write more effectively when you know exactly whom you are writing for. Your target audience will be the one you will be addressing to. When you know the target audience, you will understand everything from the format to the words you choose. Knowing the target audience will help you laying down everything perfectly. You can tailor the letter in order to meet their needs.

Grab Attention of the Readers

All donation letters almost look same until you add some good opening lines to it. You should grab your reader’s attention from the very beginning.  Ensure to start your letter in a way that it keeps them attentive. Additionally, donors are busy with their daily activities and may not have time to read the entire thing. They usually skim through the letter and often read the opening line. If they find it attractive and attention-grabbing, they will continue to read it. Consequently, you should ensure to make it intriguing, provocative, and compelling. You can come up with interesting statistics and data in order to grab their attention.

Be Specific and Concrete  

Busy donors do not have time to read the whole letter. They look for the main idea and cause in the letters. This is why using specific and to the point sentences in the donation letter is appreciated by them. Additionally, make sure that you provide concrete information in the letter. Adding facts, stats and data to the sentence will automatically become persuasive and convincing for the audience.

Do Not Mention Donation Amount

At times, many people think that donation is a must to be mentioned in the letter. It is not really necessary to make a request for donation in your letter. You need not focus on a specific amount. Though, specifying amount for the donation can be a good idea for specific services or items. Mostly, it is better not to highlight about it. What if a donor is willing to pay more than you asked for? This is why specifying the dollar amount in your letter may make you miss the opportunity of getting more.

Sample Donation Request Letter

Tips to Write Better Donation Letters

Writing donation letters is not really easy as you have to persuade the readers. So, here are some tips that can help you write a better and effective donation letter.

Tip # 1: Personalize It

As a writer, you may get many ideas to write and draft your donation letter. In this letter, you have to emphasize adding personal touch and human interest by using first person tone. For instance, you should use “You” in the letter. Personalizing your letter can ensure that your copy speaks personally to the reader. Referring them with you would make them feel like you and they are making a decision together.

Tip # 2: Elaborate About Benefits

It is all about give and take. Donors are likely interested to know what they will be getting back in return on providing money. They are not interested to know about your budget deficiency, they would love to invest if there is something interesting waiting for them too. These benefits can be both, tangible or intangible. For instance, intangible benefits can be when a donor donates money for saving a child’s life and bringing smile on their face. On the contrary, a tangible benefit could be a ticket to exclusive performance or any other event. If the donor can get both of them, make sure you are highlighting it.

Tip # 3: Ask for Money

When it comes to writing a donation letter, you should ensure to ask for the money explicitly. Asking for support may be a generic term that may make them think what you are asking for. Once you have explained about all the benefits and details, clearly ask for donation. Do not shy as it can be turn out to be really vague for the reader.

With clarity and explicitness, we do not mean that you can mention the amount you require but you just need to be clear that you do require money for specific cause. Providing the exact amount may bound the potential donor. They may be willing to donate more but just due to the limited dollars, they may donate you less.

Tip # 4: Make It Simple

Writing donation letter forms in simple English, shorter sentences and punchy phrases can really be effective. Using difficult vocabulary and foreign phrases can confuse the donor which can ultimately lose their interest in the letter. So, it is better to write simple English and use emotional words rather demand analysis. Additionally, make sure that you do not use acronyms and abbreviations, full forms work best. Using adverbs and adjectives sparingly can also help you in writing an effective piece. Donors are busy so they usually skim through the letter. You have to make sure that the meat of your message is written in simple English and they understand it properly.

Tip # 5: Make Them Act Today

In addition to making it simple, you should also write the letter in a way that it portrays a sense of urgency with a deadline. You can also repeat about the urgency in the middle and end it with it too. This can make them respond you and send you the money soon. Do not give them an exact date as the letter can be read late, but make sure that you are giving them a time limit so that they act promptly.

Tip # 6: Ensure About Easy Reading

One of the most important things to keep in mind about the donation letters is to ensure about easy reading. The letter should not include lengthy paragraphs, it is necessary to break them to increase readability. Also, they should be less than seven lines. If you have multiple points to discuss in your letter, use bullets to add meaning to your points. In order to call attention on words or phrases, you can also underline sparingly so that reader notices those points more.

Tip # 7: Include Call to Action

Donation letters come with a purpose, so it is necessary to include call to action. When you provide call to action to the reader or your potential donor, it will give them a way to contact you. It is necessary to add a call to action to your letter even because your reader should know what you want them to do.

Tip # 8: Revise and Edit the Mistakes

After you have written your letter, you should make sure that you revise everything you have written. You should proofread it because everyone is supposed to understand what you have to say. Proofreading will further make you find the mistakes that you may have made unintentionally such as typos, spelling mistakes etc. Ensure that the letter has a good flow and that there are no mistakes in it. Improved version of letter can help you get a positive response.

 

 

 

Final Thought

Donation letters can help you raise money for your organization, be it a for-profit one, or a nonprofit social or charity institution or cause. If you need to write a donation letter for your organization and raise funds, then you will have to send a strong letter to donor in order to secure funding. You may have different reasons to collect funds and ask for donations. You can find multiple types of donation letter templates to help you out here. Simply download these templates and save them on your computer or get them printed whenever required.

Do not forget to download our templates the next time you ask for donations!

Click to rate this post!
[Total: 2 Average: 5]
Tagged:DonaitonDonation RequestLetters
TemplateLab April 29th, 2021