The Perfect Fundraising Letter
Daniel Mansoor is the founder of GoodWorks -- a fundraising and development consultancy that seeks to improve the performance of nonprofits and the rewards of giving.
"What makes for a great fundraising letter?" [No such thing as perfect!]
This question was posed to me at the completion of a three-hour workshop I led in Cleveland this past Friday. We'd spent time discussing the "science of giving" and the importance of creativity and design in fundraising work. But this question about the principal way we fundraise for charitable gifts (direct mail) got me thinking. For some reason, the answer came quickly: "Write a letter that when the reader is done they really understand the soul of the letter's author!"
"What about the message of the letter?" Yes, that's critical too, but in the end the reader must feel two connections to motivate their giving: (1) a connection to those who are helped through their donation, and (2) a connection with the author of the letter.
We give when we can imagine how those who benefit from our altruism are "like us" or similar to us. We give when we respect, admire, relate to the person who wrote the letter. Despite the appearance to the contrary, giving is a communal (or pro-social) activity. We respond when others we respect or who seem like us give. We also want to trust the person asking us to give.
Trust and authenticity must be conveyed in our solicitations - whether face-to-face, by phone, email or letter. So get personal when you write. Get emotional. And definitely be original.
At the Friday workshop, as I described my philosophy, I thought of the letter I wrote to my college classmates -- a letter I have been writing annually for 20 years to raise funds for the Class Memorial Scholarship Fund. So I quickly retrieved the letter and read it to the audience. I was grateful for their reaction. Please share yours and please comment on this blog.
Director, Principal & Major Gifts at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
6 年I have a personal connection to my fundraising work at Dana-Farber. I often share my personal experience with donors in in-person meetings but your post has inspired me to incorporate it into my writing. Thank you for these important reminders.?
Executive Director, Planned Giving at American Technion Society
6 年Dan, You inspired me far more than you realized as my boss at Brandeis many years ago with your compassion, values and out of the box thinking. Thank you for continuing to make us all think about what we do and how we can do it better.
Education, Nonprofits & the Arts
6 年I was fortunate to stumble upon your post on LinkedIn. ?Thank you for your personal insights and for sharing this letter---a short story that sums up your early family life and why Cornell should matter. ?I am sharing your post with some fellow board members. Thank you.
Natural Born Real Estate Pro, Hardcore Journalist, Incubator of Unorthodox Ideas, Damn Good Writer, Media Relations Guru, Content Marketing Badass, Laughs At Inept Ex-Bosses, Admires Great Ones, Fearless Lover of Life
6 年The emotional authenticity of your written word is poignant. By opening your heart, Dan, and allowing yourself to be vulnerable, you engender a genuine sense of compassion and trustworthiness. Your suggestions serve as an effective template for creating meaningful human connections that foster not only good feelings, but can inspire action. Proud to know you, my friend.
Consultant | President | Executive Director | Board Chairman | Servant Leader | Strategy | Management | Marketing
6 年Dan, A great letter.? A well told (real life) story.? Communication - It is not the words we use, or even so much what we say.? It is how we make people feel, and the actions that we help them take.