Writing a Donation Letter

A donation letter, when written well and used properly can be a great way to get others involved financially in your nonprofit.  A letter personally written to the donor asking for their help is the right and respectable way to engage donors.  A donation letter personally written to several people will get far greater results than a multitude of form letters.

When writing a donation letter, it is best to share a real story of someone impacted by the nonprofit so the potential donor can understand the impact their donation can have.  This gives your letter a human touch and an aspect they can relate to.  No one wants to give hard earned money away without knowing it is going to a good cause.

In the sample donation letter below, a brief story is shared about how past donations have been used to impact a little boy and his family. Then a vision is shared of the challenge the nonprofit centers on.  Finally, a request is made from the donor on how their donation can make a difference in the life of a little girl and her family.  The donation letter concludes by informing the donor that a personal phone call will be made in a few days to him by the executive director.  On the phone call the director would like to talk about his initial and ongoing support.

The Donation Letter

John Smith

Project Manager
Sam’s Club
123 Anywhere Drive
Anywhere, State, 98765
United States
(123) 456-7890

Date: August 17, 2011

Susan Jones
Executive Director
ABC Nonprofit
987 Sample Street
Any Town, State, 12345
United States
(987) 654-3210

Dear Mr. Smith:

I would like to share a quick story with you about a little boy named Joe.  When Joe was just 3, he was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor that required surgery and chemotherapy.  Due to complications, it also required a stay in a children’s hospital for 6 months.  As you can imagine, that is not much fun for a small child.  In addition, the parent’s insurance ran out leaving them destitute.  Thanks to ABC Nonprofit, we were able to cover many of Joe’s hospital and medical expenses and get Joe’s family back on their feet.  Joe is living a happy normal life as a 5 year old and the family is doing well.

This story is repeated hundreds of thousands of times a year by children and families throughout the US.  ABC nonprofit is dedicated to helping families like Joe’s cope with, and overcome what could be devestating circumstances.  Through donations from others who are not faced with such challenging difficulties in their own life, ABC nonprofit is able to extend compassion to these families in their time of need.

I am writing to ask for your help to meet the needs of the thousands of families we will help just like Joe’s this year.  I would personally like to ask for your donation of any amount that be used to show these families that you care about them.  ABC Nonprofit is currently helping a little girl named Abby who has Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and her family who have no insurance.