Gathering donations for a specific cause requires a certain amount of tact and selling ability to make certain the full impact of the request is felt. One such method to gather donations that works across many fields of life is the donation letter. Requests for donations in a letter have the advantage of being able to reach an extremely wide audience in a tangible form, and can have as much
. personal touch or standardization as needed. Access to mailing lists offer a chance to target donation requests more precisely. Designing the proper template for a specific need depends on the organization backing the request and the specific need. The language used for the donation letter should reflect both the organization making the request and the nature of the cause for which the donations are being requested. When the request is being made in the name of a religious organization, direct special attention to the vows different religions ask of their members. Appealing to these vows is an effective means of connecting with that specific audience, but may not resonate as well with other organizations. An effective tactic in asking for specific amounts is to break down the amount over the per day cost during a month (use 30 days as a standard dividing amount), or otherwise compare a standardized amount of donation to some other object like coffee or fast food. Specific language practices across all types of donation letters include containing at least semi-formal wording and present essential reasons to make the donation, what the donation is directly used for and what might happen without the donation. If the donations are meant for a specific location or person, adding a picture provides additional emotional and visceral reaction. Do not include hostile or overly demanding - aggravating or alienating potential donors is a good way to not reach a donation mark. More Reference Links: http://www.fundraiserhelp.com/donation-request-letters.htm http://stepbystepfundraising.com/donation-letter-template/
