Sample Fundraising Letters

To help you understand the basic construction of a fundraising letter, I’ve broken it into pieces. My notes are in blue. This particular fundraising letter is for a childrens' shelter.

  
Roxbury Rescue Mission 
  
  Defending Those Too little To Help Themselves

Sample Fundraising Letters - Painting a Story. It's a very effective way of grabbing the reader right off the bat.

Dear Friend,

The day “Maria” came to us, I hardly heard the knock- it was so faint. I knew immediately she had been on the street for some time. I made her a thick sandwich and fetched her a bowl of hot chili. It disappeared in the time it took to get her a glass of water and a change of clean clothes.
She turned her back to me to change.

 It was then that I noticed she had an unusual wound on her back- right between her shoulder blades. I took her to the mission doctor the very next day. I told Dr. Paxton about it and showed him “Maria”-as I came to call her. She still refused to talk – as children at the end of their rope often do.

Dr. Paxton looked at it and said, “It’s a burn… ‘bout the size of the end of a lit cigar.” Maria’s eyes welled up – just for a second before she shut them, turning her face to the floor. The doctor asked her about it – she kept a shamed silence. A barrage of calls to Maria’s residence ensues.

Same old story. No one’s home...

Sounds unreal doesn’t it? I can assure you it’s very real. I see it day in and out. You can’t imagine the horrors some kids face. The feeling of being neglected, full of despair– totally alone.

So often children like Maria are traumatized to the point of not talking. I think they just shut it all off – hoping it goes away but it doesn’t. Until someone helps it go away. Who will defend those too little to defend themselves? The Roxbury Rescue Mission.

For over 17 years we’ve been their voice. When no one else will listen we will. When no one else has a smile and a hug we do.

Sample Fundraising Letters - Prove Your Non-profit has value. Note how I prove Roxbury provides value to the community.

We provide hot food, clean clothes and hope for those little ones with none. With generous help from kind-hearted folks like you, with just a 37 bed facility, we’ve been able to save thousands of children from the clutches of the street since we opened our doors.

The Roxbury Rescue Mission shelters abused and neglected children between the ages of 2 and 21. We shield the children from the streets – giving them the chance to finish school, learn critical life skills or in the best case, to be reunited with their families.

So many give up on these little ones – they’re damaged goods or so they say. I’ve personally seen hundreds grow up to be successful, well balanced and compassionate people. Because they know life can turn on a dime. They take nothing for granted. Their compassion enriches our society and strengthens our neighborhoods. They become the kind of people we want living next door to us.

You know, I often find that just giving children a little breathing room from the horror of the street is enough to give them hope and the courage to imagine- if even for just a second- a different life.
This is where the journey to recovery begins. This is where we bring our resources, our staff, our love together to struggle over the transformation from hopeless to hopeful.
 

It’s not easy and it takes more than saying “everything is going to be all right.” You have to show them with hot food, clean clothes and a safe environment. This is where you can help us with a small donation. We can’t do it all by ourselves- as much as we wish we could.

Sample Fundraising Letters - Inject Believability With Detail. Note how real it now seems with this detailed grocery list.

A lot of people think why give? What difference will $10 or $20 do? And so they throw this plea for help in the trash. You won’t believe how far we can stretch a ten dollar bill with the help of friends like our local grocer here in Roxbury.

And caring friends like you. Here’s what $10 will buy: 

5 lbs. of long grain rice
3 packs of #2 pencils
a 10 bar pack of soap
1 box of 60 watt light bulbs (4 count pack)
11 pounds of bananas and…
5 loaves of bread

Sample Fundraising Letters - A Call to Action. Make them want to open their wallets.

So please while this plea for help lies in your hand won’t you consider a tax deductible donation for $10 or more?
I know that if you could give hope to just 1 child like Maria you would. I pray you can understand that 1 minute of your time to write a check can change the next 70 years of a child’s life. I know of no better way to say to Maria that she’s not forgotten and that life will get better. For Maria it did. When her silence broke, she spoke:

  “I’m Katie Ann…thank you for helping me.”

That’s when you know they’ve turned the corner. That tiny spark of hope has blossomed. You can see it in their eyes…they walk a little taller… they smile a little easier. The confidence that life on the street took returns to them… It’s beautiful.

Sample Fundraising Letters - Tug at the Donor's Heart. But keep it real.

But what about the others? There are hundreds of them.
Who will knock tomorrow night? Won’t you join me in making sure no child will be turned back into the night because of a lack of funds?

I know you’ll do what ever you can. God bless you and your loved ones.

Sincerely,
Katherine Metz
Director

Sample Fundraising Letters - Final Push For The Sale. Ask Again For Money!

P.S. Your support in our mission to save the helpless in Roxbury will really make a big difference. 89 cents out of every dollar we receive goes directly to buy things for our children, your children, just like the above list.

Right now, while everything is right in front of you, won’t you take a minute to write a tax deductible donation and slip it into the reply envelope I’ve given you? Katie Ann and the hundreds that will follow desperately need your help!

  Return to A List of Fundraising Ideas From Sample Fundraising Letters