The holidays are just around the corner, and end-of-year has snuck upon us once again. Read on for one of our sample donation request letters we hope will provide some inspiration and help for your appeal!
For more sample fundraising letters, browse here. For more on annual appeals, click here. For even more sample letters, see our e-book compilation.
Dear [Name]:
As a loyal friend and supporter of [nonprofit/group], you know that our mission is to give back and make a difference in the lives of others, with hiking and mountain climbing programs. What you may not know is how much your support really means to the wounded veterans, terminally ill children, and other people in pain that we serve.
One of those people that we helped this past year was Abby from Oklahoma. Sixteen, and suffering from terminal leukemia going on three years, she was no longer responding to her chemo, surgeries, or other treatments.
Knowing she didn’t have much time, Abby told a friend, “I want to escape from the doctors and needles. I want to go out in the fresh air and just live and breathe for a weekend with the people I love.”
That friend, a [nonprofit/group] supporter just like you, referred Abby and we granted her wish – we chartered a plane to Rocky Mountain National Park! With a special hiking wheel chair, our volunteer guide, Abby, her two best friends, and her mom hiked and camped for an entire weekend nowhere near a hospital.
What does a family with limited means do when their only daughter is dying of cancer? Abby’s mom, a single parent, described that receiving outreach from [nonprofit/group] empowered her when she was most lost. It helped the fear subside. It became one of the most meaningful moments of her and her daughter’s lives and helped her recover and move on.
Abby passed away just a few months after the climb, but with a framed photo of the team at a mountain peak hanging over her bed. “We can’t cure cancer. But we can give hope and a moment of joy to those who are suffering,” explained [founder of group].
Since 2006, we have helped hundreds like Abby and her friends and family. And since all of our programs are for people that otherwise could not afford them, we have done it all with generous support from friends like you. Thank you.
This year, your gift has the chance to make an even bigger impact. Our newest board member has offered a $30,000 challenge gift – every dollar you give or pledge by the end of the year will be doubled by his generous donation!
[Add suggestions for donation amounts here.]
With donated transportation and dozens of volunteers, we are able to offer a trip for an entire family like Abby’s for only $4,000. Though every gift is needed and we encourage you to give what you can, coupled with the challenge grant, every $500 we can raise gets another person up the mountain!
Thank you again for everything you do to support [nonprofit/group] and to give back to those in need! And thank you for taking the time to read through this request and considering renewing your gift or pledge this year! Your gift is very much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Executive Director
Phone
Email
[PS: Consider another call to action/to donate; thank you; appropriate message for your group.]
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For more tips on writing fundraising letters, visit 5 Essential Components of a Successful Fundraising Letter.