Donorgraphics eNewsletter - Oct 17th, 2007



	Thoughts for Today “Sweat plus sacrifice equals success.”- Charlie Finley “There is but one rule of conduct for a man to do the right thing. The cost may be dear in money, in friends, in influence, in labor, in a prolonged and painful sacrifice, but the cost not to do right is far more dear: You pay in the integrity of your manhood, in your honor, in strength of character; and, for a timely gain, you barter the infinite.” - Archer G. Jones “There are seven sins in the world: wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice and politics without principle.” - Mohandas Ghandi Steps to a Successful Fundraising Letter I touched briefly in my last newsletter about how important that end of year fundraising letter can be. For many organizations, the last two or three months of the calendar year can represent as much as 70% of their annual budget. Here are a few simple steps to writing an effective fundraising letter. Grab their attention. It may be an emotional story, a recent tragedy, or some pressing world event. The first few sentences are key to capturing and keeping your reader. Dear John & Martha, Did you know that 237,000 people were driven from their homes by the flooding in Malawi? After 3 months of severe drought the rains finally came, but when they arrived they did not bring relief – they brought death and desolation. Give them a reason to continue reading. The body of the letter needs to tell a story in much the same way a good book keeps the reader engaged. Do you remember finishing a chapter of some great novel, but you just couldn’t put it down. The characters and storyline kept you glued to each new page. Moses Cenjani is a dear friend who lives in one of the villages that was laid waste by the storms and flood water. For the past 18 years Moses has worked with me in relief efforts in the north and has faithfully served the villages in the Abak territory. I have been trying to reach Moses and his family for the past week without success. I hope you will join with me in my prayers and concerns for the Cenjani family. Moses is a good friend, but more than that, my concern for him simply serves as a visible reminder of the hundreds of thousands of others who are homeless or missing… Make your case. Closing a good fundraising letter is like setting the hook once you have caught a fish. If you don’t set it good and hard you might lose your catch. I have seen too many fundraising letters that do a good job telling the story and then wander around at the end of the letter talking about the programs and services of the organization. Your job is to use the story to convict the donor to give. I realize it sounds manipulative, but I can’t put it any better than this: SET THE HOOK AND REEL THEM IN! I am currently scheduled to leave for Malawi in a few days. I have two objectives in making this trip. First, I am going to find my friend Moses Cenjani or at the least find out what happened to him and his family. Second, I am going on his behalf to carry supplies and aid others in need. If I could reach him, I know his first request would be to help his friends and neighbors. With so many homeless, hungry and sick there is a tremendous need for food, temporary shelters and medicine. Please join with me and send a gift today, your support will go to provide aid to the most severely affected areas… Raising funds is about telling a compelling story. Don’t ever play fast and loose with the truth, but there is nothing wrong with painting a picture that your donor can see and understand. Drop us a note for information on our newest services: Developing an annual strategic plan. Demographic Research How to run your own capital campaign Fundraising Cruises & Alternative fund raising programs Content provided by: Wheeler & Associates 100 Williamsburg Place Franklin, TN 37064 (615) 427-8688 trentwheeler@comcast.net www.donorgraphics.com