There's
Art
in That Appeal Letter!
What's the best way to raise money? Face-to-face, of course.
What's the best way to raise money when you have 2,000 --
or 200,000 -- people on your mailing list and not enough volunteers
to make all those visits? The solicitation letter.
Whether it's called an appeal letter, an annual letter, a
membership letter or a desperate cry for help, almost all organizations
have to send solicitation letters.
Like the Supreme Court said about pornography, a good appeal
letter is hard to define but you certainly know it when you see
it. An appeal letter is not a business letter or an essay. It
must communicate your mission and compel the reader to invest
in that mission with a check. And it has to accomplish all that
in about 500 words. The average reader will only spend two seconds
reading an appeal letter before deciding where to file it: on
the desk or in the trash.
Writing a compelling and successful appeal letter is an art
-- but lots of organizations still seem to be writing in crayon.
Here are some suggestions that can move your masterpiece from
the refrigerator door to the gallery wall:
Segment your list and write to the
segment. Current members, large donors, prospects,
one-time visitors, students, museum professionals -- these are
all different segments and need different approaches in the appeal
letter. Divide up your list and write letters that will be compelling
to each type of donor or prospect.
Don't use letterhead that lists your
board members. Use of board letterhead detracts from
the letter's message -- unless you've got big stars whose name
appeal will pull gifts.
Open with an emotional or compelling
story. Make it personal. A story about one item or
person is more interesting than a story about an entire institution
or 1,000 people.
Address only one subject,
generally what the generosity of donors has allowed you to accomplish
and why you need them to give again.
Keep it simple and direct. Remember
Mrs. Harris in 5th-grade creative writing class? She always told
you to write to your reader. And writing at the 5th-grade level
isn't a bad idea. Erudite prose might be pretty, but it won't
raise a dime if it doesn't move your audience to write the check.
Don't give too much information.
When the letter is "newsy," it distracts
from the purpose of the letter. Give news in a newsletter. Ask
for money in a solicitation letter. In fact, consider sending
a newsletter about four weeks prior to a solicitation.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Choose a theme and repeat it several times. It might seem that
repetition would make the letter boring, but people don't read
an appeal letter from first word to last.
Create a sense of urgency,
but not a crisis. Donors want to feel needed, but no one likes
to try to save a sinking ship. If there's a funding crisis, don't
mention it.
Ask recipients to give a specific
amount, even if it's a range. Don't be afraid to ask
for more than they've given before. You can't get $100 from a
$25 donor unless you ask. Consider personalizing the letter to
thank them for the exact amount of their past gift and suggest
a new -- and higher -- one.
Check your ask for signs of "begging,"
guilt for bothering the donor, or an uncomfortable tone.
Think of the ask as an opportunity for the donor to be part of
your exciting program. Don't "urge" -- suggest and
involve!
Consider highlighting or underlining
your most important points. The reader will be skimming
this.What do you want them to know? (Answer: That you are successful
now and their gift will make your organization even better.)
Use both sides of the paper.
A one-page letter gives you very little room to tell your story.
A two-page letter, printed on both sides of one sheet, is economical
and gives you the freedom to state your case.
Add a P.S. The
P.S. is the most often read part of a solicitation letter.
"The ask" (how much you want them to give) and a restatement
of your appeal should be in the P.S. A well written postscript
can substantially boost the response to your letter.
Read your letter as your donor will.
Skim. Let your eyes fall on the highlighted portions
and the P.S. Those are the parts of the letter the average reader
will see. Is your case compelling in those sections? If not,
time for a rewrite.
Create a response device that matches
the look, tone and ask of the letter. A response device
is a remittance envelope or card that the donor returns with
their check. Since the response device is often filed away with
bills for payment later, it often gets separated from the letter.
Make sure your message is duplicated on the response, which will
remind the donor why they filed it away with the bills in the
first place!
Create an insert that emphasizes
or supplements the information contained in the ask.
This is a great place to use graphics and color. Many different
kinds of inserts can work, as long as it adds to the content
of the letter. The idea of the insert is to give the reader another
perspective on your organization or project. A photo essay about
the project mentioned in the letter or a note from a well-known
supporter are good examples of successful inserts. Be creative.
Try using different sizes, colors or textures of paper for the
insert. Observe the two rules of insert use: make sure it's appealing
and connected to the letter; and don't use your museum brochure.
Limit -- but don't eliminate -- teaser
copy on the envelope. "You've won $1 million!"
We've all been taken in by that type of teaser copy at one time
or another. The teaser copy on an appeal envelope shouldn't be
so crass. If you use it, it should compel the reader to open
the envelope. Envelope: "New wing opening soon! Don't miss
the opening!" Inside the letter: you'll miss the special,
donors-only opening if you don't make a contribution.
Don't just send out one letter a
year. If you're just starting out, write at least
two a year to each segment. March, May, September, November and
December are the best months to send general appeal letters,
but your schedule may vary.
Test new letters against previously
successful letters to find flaws and gems in your approach.
To test, divide your list randomly. Send a letter with a track
record to one portion, the new letter to the other. Send the
new letter to at least 25 percent of your list -- 50 percent
is better. Compare the results. This is the simplest way for
small organizations to test appeal letters.
Solicitation letters are popular because they work. Some boards
complain that letters are expensive or not worth the effort,
but they're the best way to build a solid base of individual
donors that will stay with you for years. Crafting a good appeal
letter is an art that takes perseverance and creativity.
Now, throw away those crayons and start writing a masterpiece!
Copyright © 1999-2001
Jeane M. Vogel, Fund Raising Innovations. All rights reserved.
Jeane Vogel is a fund raising consultant
in St. Louis. Her museum clients include the Saint Louis Zoo,
Laumeier Sculpture Park, Campbell House Museum and Center for
American Archeology. She also works with human services organizations.
Her firm, Fund
Raising Innovations, specializes in developing appeal letters,
grant proposals and board development/strategic planning. Her
chapter, "Let's Get a Grant to Do That!" is featured
in Secrets of Successful Fundraising: The Best of the Non-Profit
Pros.
