Does Your Org Need Funding for Cancer or Other Health Conditions? The Basics on Donation Letters

There are many non-profit organizations around, all of which are focused on helping people with specific needs and situations. If you are running a non-profit organization for the treatment of cancer, heart disease, or other serious illnesses and conditions, for instance, then you know very well that it is not an easy task to ask for funding. But non-profit organizations subsist on donations, so you need to know how to ask for it in the proper way. This is where the right donation letter comes to mind.

The benefits of a proper donation letter

Donation letters exist for different purposes and are used by different organizations such as hospitals, churches, fire departments, schools, and more. But if you are a non-profit organization, a donation letter can help you reach out in a clear way to many individuals and organizations. With a donation letter, you can state what you need in written form, and this is often an easier way to receive donations than speaking to people outright. A good donation letter will also give the right impression about your organization, making it look more professional and organized.

How to write it

This is how to write a donation letter that works: first, make sure your format is correct. The letter should be formal, and it should begin with a letterhead. When you compose the letterhead, it should always include your physical address (as well as an email address, if applicable), and include the recipient’s full name.  After the letterhead should come a short introduction about your organization (or yourself, if you are doing it as an individual) in the beginning paragraph. The body of the donation letter is then supposed to include information about your reasons for asking for a donation.

One aspect that can give your donation letter more substance and credibility is to include examples of prior cases where people who received donations were helped. Another factor that will make for a better donation letter is the inclusion of how you will use the donation – what is it for, and what is its purpose? Don’t forget to include a polite ‘Thank you’ to the reader at the end of the letter for taking the time to read your donation letter.

Other tips

Another tip to make your donation letter more appealing is to include information about future events and further details about your organization which you think may appeal to the recipient. You can even give them an invitation to visit your facility so they can look around and see what you have already been able to accomplish. It would also be a good idea to note down a deadline (if any) to their contribution, so they will know when to send their donation as well.

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