When writing the perfect donor appeal letter, you might not know where to start. With these tips and tricks, I hope you’ll be able to write a brilliant letter that engages donors and raises more money!
Write as if they are your friend, because they are!
Letters to our supporters should feel like a conversation. Appeal letters shouldn’t feel like corporate communication. You’re writing to someone and asking them to do something special, so treat the letter as a special communication too. The tone needs to be friendly and engaging.
If you know your supporter’s name, use it! Start your letter with “Dear Helen” and not “Dear friend” or (worse!) “Dear supporter”. Also, reference their giving history if you know it. Say things like, “As a committed regular donor, we wanted you to be the first to know…”
It’s about them, not us
One thing that drives me nuts when I read appeal letters is a letter that is all about the great work an organisation has done – “last month, we helped over 100 cats in our shelter”.
Well, how would that organisation have done that without the support of donors! Charities are only ever a conduit between a donor and a cause.
Ensure you use “you” and “we” throughout your letter. Centre the supporter as part of the solution to the need. You could say something like “Thanks to supporters like you, Jeff was able to get the care he needed last Christmas. We hope you’ll be there for others like him this Christmas”.
“Emotion leads to action, while reason leads to conclusion.”
This is a quote from a neurologist, Donald Calne. It’s something I think about a lot when writing appeal letters. We need to write letters that are written to win over a donor’s heart, not their mind.
Too often, I see infographics as the case for support for a letter. As if seeing the data displayed in a graph will make me want to give money. Whilst these graphics can help explain data simply, it doesn’t make me feel anything (apologies to my data analyst friends).
People primarily give to people (or other beneficiaries, like animals, buildings, etc). It’s the change a donor can make to that special someone/thing that motivates them. We need to use storytelling to connect our donors to the difference their donation will make.
It’s about the itch and scratch
An appeal letter should follow a very simple formula. We explain the need (the reason for writing), how a donation would help solve this problem (the ask), and then what would happen with that donation (the impact). If you can’t explain the need or the impact easily, then you need to question why you’re asking for money in the first place!
Your case for support is key, and your donor must be at the heart of the solution.
Keep it simple
The average reading age in the UK is around 9-11 years old. Keep this in mind when writing your copy. It doesn’t mean you should write as if you’re writing to a child, but make sure you’re not overcomplicating things. If you work for a medical charity, for example, explain medical terms simply.
Don’t use jargon or acronyms in your letters. Be very clear in what you’re writing to someone about. You should be able to explain the need in just a few sentences.
Accessibility is important
Many of the donors receiving your appeal letters might be older or have an accessibility need. It’s important to ensure that your letter can be read and opened by your donors.
Make sure you use an easy-to-read, larger font. Use the largest font size you can; the recommended standard is 14pt, but no smaller than 12pt. Also, choose a sans-serif font (e.g., Arial).
You need to ensure you have a strong colour contrast between the text and the paper. Black font on white background is standard for a reason.
Don’t have overly busy design, keep the design clear and simple. Also, ensure your headings are clear and bold.
Use science!
Behavioural science is well used in donor appeal letters. There are many easy things to do to boost the science of giving in your letters. Use a P.S. as a quick way to reinforce your call to action. Lots of donors will read your letter by reading the salutation, the first paragraph, and then the P.S. Ensure your ask is in your P.S., so your donors know what the letter is for immediately.
Use headings, bold, and underlining to draw attention to key calls to action and quotes. If a donor skim reads your letter, they should still be able to understand the story. Hopefully, it will also highlight the need to the donor to read the whole letter.
Ask, ask, and don’t forget to ask
This is a truly important tip. You need to be very specific in what you want the donor to do. They’re not mind readers! If you are asking for money, then ask and say how much.
You also need to ask more than once throughout the letter, ideally at least two or three times. These asks should also be underlined or bolded.
One thing to avoid is to say “just $25” or “only $30”. We don’t know the financial situation of our donors, so never assume a gift, no matter the size, is easily manageable for everyone we write to. A gift is just that, a gift, not a demand.
I hope with these tips and tricks, you’ll be writing the perfect donor appeal letter in no time.
P.S. (see what I did there!) Don’t forget the thanking! Make sure you send a thank-you letter and send it quickly.
Written by Kate McGranaghan Chow, Head of Individual Giving, Legacies and E-commerce at Young Lives vs Cancer
Kate has worked in the charity sector for over 15 years, specialising in public fundraising. She has been lucky enough to work in a variety of charities, including King’s College London, Macmillan Cancer Support, Comic Relief, and the MS Society.
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