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~Sponsorship Letters~
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Ash22
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 1:56 pm    Post subject: ~Sponsorship Letters~ Reply with quote
I am raising money for an organization called People to People (or PTP). I am doing monthy fundraisers and my fundraiser for December is a sponsorship letter sent out to 50 different companies/businesses asking for donations. It will be on a christmas card with the words "It's the Giving Season..." printed on the front. My question for all of you is, what kind of businesses and companies do I send a letter to? I am completely lost!! everyone has been telling me on other forums "local businesses" but what KIND of local business? like Walmart and Target? Restaurants? Malls? Craft Stores? Banks? Electric Companies? WHAT?! If you have any clue what Im asking, I beg of you, help me! I need to get these letters out by the end of this week, and I cant send them out without knowing WHERE im sending them too! please please please help me! thanks in advance! Very Happy
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Ash22
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 4:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
anybody? please?
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Kimberly
Site Admin


Joined: 28 Sep 2004
Posts: 812
PostPosted: Tue Nov 29, 2005 9:18 am    Post subject: Re: ~Sponsorship Letters~ Reply with quote
Ash22 wrote:
I am raising money for an organization called People to People (or PTP). I am doing monthy fundraisers and my fundraiser for December is a sponsorship letter sent out to 50 different companies/businesses asking for donations. It will be on a christmas card with the words "It's the Giving Season..." printed on the front. My question for all of you is, what kind of businesses and companies do I send a letter to? I am completely lost!! everyone has been telling me on other forums "local businesses" but what KIND of local business? like Walmart and Target? Restaurants? Malls? Craft Stores? Banks? Electric Companies? WHAT?! If you have any clue what Im asking, I beg of you, help me! I need to get these letters out by the end of this week, and I cant send them out without knowing WHERE im sending them too! please please please help me! thanks in advance! Very Happy


It's fairly easy to find information about local businesses (addresses, contact name, phone number, etc.) at your local Chamber of Commerce.

It's difficult to get donations from companies that have no relationship with you or that have no idea what kind of fundraising you are doing.

Generally, you get a better response from local companies. You're more likely to get a donation if you get your fundraising letter into the hands of a decision maker.

There's a couple of articles you should read:

http://www.fundraiserhelp.com/fundraising-letter.htm

http://www.fundraiserhelp.com/how-to-write-a-fundraising-letter.htm

http://www.fundraiserhelp.com/fundraising-tips-merchant-plan.htm

Remember that using donation request letters works best when you have cultivated an interested audience over time with a monthly newsletter.

If you're requesting money from strangers who have little or no idea what your group is doing, then your response rate will be much lower.

Good luck!

Kimberly
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deb2303
Guest
PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 12:56 pm    Post subject: Donation Request Letters Reply with quote
When donation requests are sent to strangers with no advance knowledge of who/what you and your group are, you'll be lucky to get a 2% response rate.

With only 50 pieces being mailed, that means only a single donation.

My advice would be to start building a regular mailing list for a monthly newsletter about your cause. That way you can develop a steady group of interested/caring supporters over time.

That list should eventually generate a 10-12% response when you ask for donations because they know who you are and what your group is doing.

Deb
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doug
Guest
PostPosted: Thu Dec 01, 2005 12:16 pm    Post subject: Re: Donation Request Letters Reply with quote
deb2303 wrote:
When donation requests are sent to strangers with no advance knowledge of who/what you and your group are, you'll be lucky to get a 2% response rate.

With only 50 pieces being mailed, that means only a single donation.

My advice would be to start building a regular mailing list for a monthly newsletter about your cause. That way you can develop a steady group of interested/caring supporters over time.

That list should eventually generate a 10-12% response when you ask for donations because they know who you are and what your group is doing.

Deb


I agree. You've got to have someone interested in your cause to get a donation.

Blindly mailing requests for donations will never do as well as a targeted list mailing.

Just because it's a business doesn't mean that they'll support your cause when you ask for a donation, even if you take the time to get an executive's name included in your mailing address.

Also, when you ask for donations, do everything you can to make it easy for people to give. Include a tear-off form to fill out with a check box next to suggested donation amounts.

Have your website listed so people can find out more about your cause. Take donations on your website via PayPal.

Put out press releases about what your group does with the money it raises and post those on your site.

The more credibility you have, the more likely people are to donate to your cause.
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Kimberly
Site Admin


Joined: 28 Sep 2004
Posts: 812
PostPosted: Wed Dec 14, 2005 11:52 am    Post subject: Donation Request Letters Reply with quote
There's a good thread about this in one of the other forums:

http://www.fundraiserhelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=320

Kimberly
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Guest
PostPosted: Wed Dec 21, 2005 10:45 am    Post subject: Re: Donation Request Letters Reply with quote
Kimberly wrote:
There's a good thread about this in one of the other forums:

http://www.fundraiserhelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=320

Kimberly


There is great stuff in the other thread:


How to write a fundraising letter:
Deliver good news - Always start the letter with a series of good news bullets to build momentum and make entire letter entertaining and informative.

- Use foreshadowing to tease reader and keep him or her reading.
- Create a "widow" at the end of the first page (a thought that's finished on second page)
- Make your reader turn the page.

Describe what you want to do next
- Tell what you're going to do.
- Why you're going to do it.
- How you're going to do it.
- What results you expect.

List suggested contribution amounts
- Use even numbers in graduated amounts
- Offer a monthly auto charge credit card option ($10 a month is $120 a year)
- Include a blank line for write-in amounts

Remind readers that their contribution is your budget
- Your successes have been possible because of their past contributions
- Thank them!

Use P.S.'s for skimmers
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