We’ve come to expect the appeal letters asking us to donate to a charity. Although the national organizations may send out several pieces in a glossy packet – including stickers and return address labels, small and local organizations are also relying more and more on the appeal letter to generate undesignated dollars to pay for operations.
It’s often a challenge for organizations to write the “perfect appeal” letter and some may turn to the same letter over and over again and hope for decent results. Since appeal letters reach donors directly, it is a mistake not to put time and energy into creating a document that both represents the mission of the agency and inspires the donors to give. As many already know, a 10% return rate (donations coming in from 10% of the total constituents to whom letters are mailed) is considered a successful fundraising drive by mail. But, what are the “tricks of the trade” to writing good fundraising letters?
First, there are no tricks. There have been studies and comparisons done to try to come up with an ideal formula for fundraising letters. While some good suggestions have come from these studies, there is still room for unpredictability in the world of direct mail appeals. I am going to go on a limb and also state that what worked in appeal letters ten years ago, or in a large city, or for a national campaign – may not work today, in your city, with your organizations. So, where do you start?
Start with the mission. What is it that your organization does for the community and what are you doing well? Donors like to give to something that is working and that has a positive impact on the community. While the occasional “help us now or our doors will close” might work, the negative impression it generates in the community may do more harm to fundraising efforts in the long run. So think about what you are doing well and how you can tell that story (or stories) well in a letter.
Let the nature of the work you do influence the “style” of your mail piece. If your organization provides hospice for the terminally ill or services to individuals in crisis, a light-hearted, whimsical piece would not be a good fit. However, if your organization provides educational or artistic experiences for school-age children, by all means let the children tell the story – whimsy, kid-speak and all! In other words, fundraising appeals for performing arts and human services will most likely not look identical. And they shouldn’t. Donors want to support you in doing what you do best.
Put some thought into who’s signature the letter will contain. Who has the most influence in the community – is it someone within your organization or out in the community? There is a “rule” in fundraising that people do not give money to causes, they give money to people. That is partially true. I think that some people do give to causes, but many people do respond to a request from a “peer.” If you have the capability and the resources, you might consider sending out a different letter to different segments of your donors and supporters. There are many ways you can divide your donors if you have the capability in your record-keeping: by age, interest level, donation amount. Some common “signers” for fundraising letters are: the executive director, board member/director, and a high visibility community leader. But don’t overlook potential signers from more “humble” origins – a client or family affected by your services, a participant or a passionate staff member can all be fine choices. Performing arts organizations often choose to have appeals signed by the artistic director or conductor as this is the person people most identify with the organization – but why not a performer or other original perspective? It might be just the change to set your appeal apart from the others.
It is common belief that the longer the appeal letter, the more money that is raised. I don’t necessarily believe that is still the case. We are busier and busier people and are also less likely to read our mail as closely as in previous decades. We are so used to being marketed to that we have been trained to respond to gloss and color and images. The challenge for nonprofits – especially small, local ones – is to compete creatively while not looking like you’ve spent too much money on your appeal. That can be a real turn-off to donors. You just really need to know your supporters and get a feel for what they expect, and what they respond to.
This leads me to an important element to successful annual appeals and direct mail drives – keeping records. Keep records and samples of the appeals you send out so you will have data on what works and what doesn’t. Your record-keeping doesn’t have to be complicated: How many pieces were mailed, to whom, the time of year, and a copy of the appeal – followed by the response in terms of numbers and donations. I like to keep an “average amount of donation” as well. It can be another good number for gauging the success of your appeal. If something really works, you may want to do another version of it, while if something tanks, you’ll remind yourself not to do it again!
Fundraising letters are a key component to an organization’s fundraising efforts – the influx of unrestricted revenue is often the lifeblood of the budget. Don’t be afraid to ask your supporters for money using the direct appeal (we’re used to it) and, don’t be afraid to use creativity and a sense of “public relations” as you create your appeal letters – if you tell your story well in a way your donors respond to, it will strengthen your agency and improve your ability to carry out your mission.
