GUIDELINES
- The prizes asked may be used for the activity prizes given at the fundraising event, or they can be bonuses that will be sent together with the fundraising letter or after they sent a donation. Request letters should be sent in advance before the actual fundraising event.
- Explain why the fundraiser is important, and discuss where the money raised will be utilized for,
- Give the details of the prizes being asked.
- Explain how the prizes will be aggregated.
- Give an exact date on when the prizes must be sent.
- Express your gratitude to the readers for their time (and past support), and tell them again that you are expecting that they will support your fundraising event.
SAMPLE LETTER
[Address line]
[State, ZIP Code]
[Letter Date]
[Address line]
[State, ZIP Code]
[Subject: Normally bold, summarizes the intention of the letter] -Optional-
Dear [Recipients Name],
We will be having our Blueridge Elementary School Festival this coming November 15. This festival financially supports all our reading programs at school - the Read-o-Olympics, Read with Dad, Mommy and Me, Time to Read Aloud, Word Fairies, and our yearly Storytelling Competition.
As a highlight of the festival, we announced to the students that they should come in the costumes of their favorite fairy tale character, and we will be giving out prizes to the unique and artistic costumes.
Given this, we are asking you if you can provide us with the prizes. We only need twelve: two for girls and two for boys in the kindergarten to the First Grade, Second to Third Grade, and lastly, Fourth to Fifth grade age groups. Educational toys and books would be great. We need to have these prizes by November 1st.
During the event, we will announce that your company provided the prizes.
We deeply appreciate your generosity. I will be calling you three days from receipt of this letter to confirm your donations.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
[Senders Name]
[Senders Title] -Optional-
[Enclosures: number] - Optional -
cc: [Name of copy recipient] - Optional -
Sample letter to request prizes for a school festival.
Further things to consider when writing request letters to donors
Request Letters
Request letters are letters written to ask formally or politely for something. Any matter that requires a humble and polite appeal can be put forward using a request letter. It could be a job interview, a promotion, or a favor; a request letter will get the job done. A request letter can be formal or informal depending on the recipient. If you are requesting a friend to do a task for you, for instance, you can choose to go informal. But if you are requesting your manager for a promotion, the letter has to be formal. Either way, a request letter must be sent early enough to give the recipient ample time to process and respond to the request.
When writing request letters, you need to be brief and direct, avoiding any auxiliary information that might weaken the message you are conveying. State exactly and clearly what you are requesting for giving reasons for it. If you are requesting for a raise, for example, explain in details why you think you deserve one. Maintain a polite tone throughout the letter. Close the letter by thanking the recipient in advance and expressing your anticipation for his/her consideration.
Letters to Donors
Letters to donors are letters written to people who have donated something, especially money, voluntarily to a fund or charity. Usually, these are fundraising letters to invite donors to fundraisers or thank-you letters to express gratitude and appreciation for donations. Whatever the reason for your letter, writing to donors maintains a great relationship and can help you secure future funding. This simple gesture shows them that you can be trusted and that you are doing something that is of benefit to the community. It also shows the donors that your cause is worthy of their money and time.
When writing letters to donors, it is important to know the exact message you want to convey. Most letters to donors can be tricky to write, especially those asking for donations. You don't want to write something that the recipient will give a cursory glance and carry to the trash! Grab the recipient's attention from the start. For fundraising letters, clearly state how the donation will be used. If you are writing to thank the recipient for a donation, let him/her know how the donation helped. Be brief and straightforward. End the letter on a positive tone.
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