Fundraising Letters
02/05/2007Fundraising letters generally follow the scheme established in the beginning of this lesson. These types of letters all have especially strong central appeals that get the reader's attention and keep him/her reading. Furthermore, these sorts of letters (often written by marketing professionals) are sent to a narrowly defined audience (cat lovers, registered Democrats, supporters of the death penalty, etc.). But even this carefully chosen target audience is fickle. Often the writer of such letters is fortunate if 5% of the recipients respond positively.
Central appeals in these sorts of letters cannot be generic, but must instead establish common ground with the reader to keep him/her reading. Generally the writer begins by telling a story about an individual or situation that needs improvement. For example, if you are raising funds for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, your letter might begin with a story of a terribly abused animal (you might even include some rather graphic pictures). Your ability to raise money for a worthy cause or get people to support a candidate or issue will depend on your ability to get the reader to share your pain, outrage, and/or desire to help. You must tap into the reader's emotions and provide a vivid word picture. The Central Appeal
Next, your persuasive evidence should flow from that central appeal. You go from that small picture you've established in your opening, to a much wider picture of the issue or situation. For example, readers who are animal lovers will be outraged to know how common are such horrible cases of animal abuse, and how difficult it is for well-meaning people to put a stop to such a situation. Persuasive Evidence
Now is your chance to explain how your organization helps change this situation. What does the ASPCA do to stop animal abuse? And even more important, why does the ASPCA need the reader's money to help continue their work? Be specific.
One final note about fundraising letters--sometimes they can be as long as three or four pages, especially if you're organization isn't something small and part of the reader's immediate community. (It takes a lot of persuading for people to part with their hard-earned cash.) If your letter will be this long, break it up into small paragraphs for easy reading.
Once you've given your reader enough persuasive evidence, it's time to ask him/her to do something (give money, vote a certain way, write their representatives, etc.). Make your request clear. Your Request
Finally, make it easy to do as you ask. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope to send a donation, and perhaps even a form suggesting a range of acceptable donations. You might also want to tell readers whether or not their contributions are tax deductible.
Examples of Fundraising Letters
Here are some examples of fundraising letters.