Fundraising Appeal Letters That Raise More Money

The Art and Science of Nonprofit Solicitation Packages

Jul 27, 2009 Molly Schar

The best appeal packages are not designed to educate or entertain nonprofit donors. They are designed to move donors to act with their financial contribution.

In-person gift solicitations by a personal friend or respected colleague are by far the most effective method to garner large-dollar donations to support the work of nonprofit organizations. Except for the top major donors, however, most nonprofits must solicit donors from afar. The sending of solicitation appeals by postal mail or – more commonly these days – email can be a cost-effective way to raise money from entry-level and mid-level donors.

An effective fundraising letter, says direct mail guru Mal Warwick in How to Write Successful Fundraising Letters (2001), has the same basic elements asa face-to-face solicitation. The goal of the fundraiser – in-person solicitor or letter-writer – is to engage the prospective donor in a dialogue that prompts agreement with certain points to lead the donor along to a final “YES!”

Fundraising Appeal Elements

Experienced producers of successful fundraising appeals often follow a formula to include elements known to prompt donors to send a check (or click the “donate now” button on websites). Warwick offers eight steps to writing a fundraising appeal package:

Develop the marketing concept. This is a quick synopsis (paragraph or so) of the offer the organization is making. In it, the writer outlines how much money the organization is requesting, who will sign the letter and whether the letter will include elements like a survey, special gift or response deadline.
Determine the contents of the package. Though fundraising appeal packages are commonly known simply as appeal letters, the strategic writer will consider the package as a whole. How long will the letter be and how will it be formatted? If it’s a mail piece, what kind of envelope will it use? If it’s an email letter, how will the subject line read? “These are never casual choices,” says Warwick.
Draft the reply device. Don’t leave this important step until the end. The reply device is basically a summary of your entire appeal and should reflect the kind of language used elsewhere. The reply device should make the donor feel great about her decision to give.
Write the outer envelope. When determining the contents of the package, the writer decided how to use the outer envelope (if the appeal goes by mail). A very brief teaser might be appropriate, or the writer might decide to draft the envelope to resemble a personal letter.
Write the lead. Not surprisingly, the opening paragraph is one of the most important parts of the appeal package (behind envelope teaser copy and the P.S.). It is often just one sentence – possibly a question – and should be written to grab the reader’s attention.
Write the P.S. Research shows that the P.S. is the real lead about 90% of the time. This is nearly always the first thing prospective donors read. Use the postscript to convey the strongest elements of the appeal.
Consider subheads and underlining. As readers scan a letter, subheads and underlined words and phrases will pop out. Use these tools strategically – and sparingly – to trigger reader emotions.
Write the text. Finally, the writer gets to really write. Using the popular AIDA formula, the writer should grab the reader’s attention, add interest, stimulate desire and issue a call to action.

Using Emotional Triggers to Appeal to Donors

In How to Write Fundraising Materials That Raise More Money (2008), Tom Ahern offers insight into the top fundraising emotional triggers: anger, exclusivity, fear, flattery, greed, guilt and salvation. Ahern suggests writers employ pairs of emotions to go from the “catalyzing trigger” where you introduce the problem to the “calming trigger” where you offer the solution. After that emotional transition, the reader is glad to find the solution and more likely to fund it. For example:

Anger … to compassion
Fear … to hope
Disgust … to exhilaration
Anger … to optimism
Guilt … to relief
Flattery … to surprise

Create Space for the Donor to Help

By writing in second person, fundraisers make an important shift from the “we” perspective to the “you” perspective. An effective appeal will talk about how efficient the nonprofit is, but also about where there is opportunity to accomplish more. Share that opportunity with the donor and give donors the credit for accomplishments. Donors want to give through organizations before they give to organizations.