THE ULTIMATE
GUIDE
TO
WRITING
MAJOR
DONOR LETTERS
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Direct mail isn’t dead. It’s very
much alive, and it’s one of the
best ways to engage donors,
especially your major donors.
IN THIS GUIDE,
YOU’LL DISCOVER
THE STRATEGY,
TECHNIQUES, AND
FORMATS THE
EXPERTS USE TO
CREATE LETTERS
THAT WORK.
With this information, now every
letter you send will have the
power to engage, persuade,
and cultivate one of the most
important donor segments for any
nonprot – your major donors.
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THE STRATEGY
Send Your Letter to the Right Person
Show ‘em that You Know ‘em
Use the Word “You”
Include These Important Letter Elements
Provide Value
Tell a Story
Create Variety for Your Donors
End on a Strong Note
Read It Out Loud
THE FOUR TYPES OF LETTERS
The Invitation Letter
The Cultivation Letter
The Solicitation Letter
The Stewardship Letter
SOME FINAL THOUGHTS
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THE
STRATEGY
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D
irect mail letters that work all have two things
in common – they’re based on sound strategy and
proven techniques. It’s vital to have this underpinning
in place in order to set yourself up for success when writing to
major donors. Here’s what you should consider to make the
letters you send to your major donors as effective as possible.
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START BY
QUALIFYING
YOUR LIST
I
f you’re a major gifts ofcer, you’re probably responsible
for a group of donors in your caseload or portfolio. The
collection of donors might have been prepared after a
review of some transactional data, including a donor’s recency
of giving, frequency of giving, and the monetary value of their
gifts (also known as RFM). You might have a team behind you
that conducts prospect research. Or you might enlist the help
of a wealth screening or predictive analytics and modeling rm
to help you identify the best donors for your portfolio. That’s
great! Identication is an important part of the process for
assembling a target list.
But the next step, the qualication stage, is more critical,
because you want to send your major gifts letters only to
qualied prospects.
Just because someone matches a certain prole does not
mean they should be on your caseload. They might not
want to have a personal relationship with you (or any other
fundraiser). They might just want an arm’s-length relationship
instead. Don’t push these people too hard, too fast. Don’t be
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like so many overzealous (or over-pressured) fundraisers
who skip the qualication stage and jump right into
cultivation. And don’t be like the fundraisers who skip both the
qualication and cultivation stages to surprise supporters with
their solicitation letters.
Major donors tell us they get appeals two or three times a
year asking for donations of $1,000, $5,000, or more from
organizations they’ve never given to and have not opted into
communications with. Letters like these, sent to suspects –
hi-capacity people you suspect might have an interest in your
mission at a high level, but have never engaged deeply with
you before – might generate some response. But the other
people on your suspects list might balk, feeling they shouldn’t
have been on your list in the rst place. Or worse, they might
recoil because they were asked for too much too soon.
IDENTIFICATION
QUALIFICATION
CULTIVATION SOLICITATION NEGOTIATION STEWARDSHIP
IDENTIFICATION
QUALIFICATION
CULTIVATION
SOLICITATION NEGOTIATION STEWARDSHIP
Don´t skip the qualication and cultivation steps.
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According to Richard Perry and Jeff Schreifels of Veritus
Group, for every three donors who meet your major gift
criteria, only one will want to relate to you personally. Having a
donor on your caseload costs money. Qualifying them ensures
that your efforts will be exponentially more cost effective.
You’ll spend less time writing, emailing, and calling people
who won’t respond, freeing up more time to communicate
with people who want to make an impact and work with you to
achieve their goals.
But just because two out of three donors might not want to
be on your caseload now doesn’t mean they’ll want to be out
forever. For many, it just means not right now. Or it means they
don’t believe they need to work with a facilitator to meet their
needs. In that case, they should still benet from cultivation
and stewardship communications, especially if they have
passion for your mission and capacity to make an impact.
They should always be updated, thanked, and invited, without
being smothered or harassed. Everyone likes invitations even
if they don’t go to the parties. With the right communications,
they might someday decide they want to talk to you so they
can realize their dreams of making an impact and nding
meaning in their life. We’ll discuss this more in the next
section, The Four Types of Letters.
So, how do you create a qualied donor list? If you want
100 qualied donors on your caseload, you’ll need to qualify
300 donors with the capacity and interest in your cause. Then
you’ll need to nd a way to determine who wants to work
with you. The best way to do this is with one-to-one donor
discovery visits, but doing 300 of those would be expensive
and time consuming.
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The next best way to develop a qualied donor list is with a
donor survey. With this tool, the most passionate supporters
with lean in and help you get to know them. The fact that
they took the survey is a qualier, but their answers will
provide you with invaluable information such as why they
care, what they care about, how they like to give, who they
might refer you to, where they are in the consideration
process, when might be a good time for you to ask, and how
you should ask. Plus, a donor survey can help you capture
wealth information you can’t buy, such as whether or not
they have children, a donor advised fund, or appreciated
assets they would like to give away. With that information,
your letters almost write themselves.
Lastly, if you’re wondering who to survey, try our Fundraising
Report Card. It’s free and thousands of nonprots around the
world use it to leverage their data.
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SHOW ‘EM THAT YOU
KNOW ‘EM
W
e have two ears and one mouth because we should
listen twice as much as we talk. Most of your
listening might happen when you’re face-to-face
with a potential donor, but a survey can be just as effective
in providing the initial discovery information you need. Then
once you’ve listened, you need to show them what you
learned by personalizing your letters and making them highly
relevant to your donors’ needs and interests.
Using the recipient’s name in your letters, instead of an
impersonal “Dear friend,” is a good start, but this is a hi-
capacity supporter – you should go a lot further! Let’s say
you have two different parts to your mission and you know
(because you surveyed and listened!) which aspects each
donor cares most about. Consider creating two versions of
your letter and segmenting your list accordingly.
Send your supporters information, stories, and volunteering
or giving opportunities that align with their wants, needs, and
interests. If they told you they won’t give property, don’t target
them with an appeal for property donations. If they say they’re
interested in saving cats, don’t send them opportunities to
save dogs. Your donor has a personal mission that they’re
looking for you to facilitate on their behalf. Know what that
mission is, and do your best to help them accomplish it.
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USE THE WORD
“YOU”
A
n amazing thing happens when you use the word “you.”
Instead of writing to a faceless list of prospects, you
write as if you’re speaking to one person with hopes,
aspirations, plans, and desires. When you’re talking to just one
person, you can’t help but adopt a “you mindset,” meaning
that you think about how you can provide value to that person,
instead of the other way around. You can easily describe how
your organization can help her nd meaning in her life and the
outcomes that she can expect from her support.
Unfortunately, most organizations make their major donor
letters about themselves, saying things like, “We are helping
the poor,” “Won’t you help us save the children,” and our
personal favorite, “Won’t you send in a gift to allow us to save
this or that.”
WRONG! Instead, it’s important to provide value. In
other words, help your donors realize the best versions of
themselves. Help them feel like the heroes in their own life
stories. Describe to them what their gifts will do. Talk about the
impact and the outcomes they can help bring about, rather than
the process that makes the outcomes possible. Bottom line,
make them feel good!
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For instance, let’s say an organization needs a new $10,000
piece of equipment to perform laser eye surgeries. Most
nonprots focus on the process – the machine, how advanced
it is, how excited the doctors will be to use it, and so on. The
best organizations talk about outcomes thanks to the kindness
and generosity of others: the mother of two who will be able to
see and the transformation that will create in her life thanks to
you, your support and support from so many others like you.
(Notice I used the word “you” and referenced the story of a
specic person - more on that later).
They might delicately mention that hundreds of people will
be helped. They might touch on the efciency and the ROI
of the machine. But they will focus heavily on outcomes and
the donor’s role in making them happen: “This woman who is
blind today will be able to see because of you.”
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INCLUDE THESE
IMPORTANT
LETTER ELEMENTS
W
e estimate that 80% of donors will scan your letter
or proposal. But they’ll read it only if they see
something interesting during their scan. That means
you should use design (formatting, bolding, underlining, and
so on) to call out the most important elements of your letter.
Just like we do.
Take great care in selecting which sentences to highlight –
they will be the rst things the donor reads. We recommend
highlighting three or four sentences that either summarize
the letter or request for the donor to send in a gift (if you are
writing a solicitation letter).
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Donor’s Name
Here is some
handwritten text
Sender’s Name
P.S.
2. THE DONOR’S NAME
People like to make
sure it was sent to them
specically and if the
sender spelled their name
correctly
1. HANDWRITTEN TEXT
Special little notes that could
make them feel special
3. ANY UNDERLINED,
BOLDED OR
HIGHLIGHTED COPY
This helps them skim the
letter easily for convenience
4. THE SIGNATURE
Supporters like to see
if the sender signed
it personally
5. THE SENDER’S NAME
Because the donor wants
to see who sent the letter
6. THE P.S.
Supporters gure the P.S. will help them
get the gist of the letter quickly so they can
see “what’s in it for them”
Based on eye-camera studies
Professor Siegfried Vogele
Dean of the Institute for Direct Marketing
Munich, Germany
6 MOST-READ PARTS OF ANY DONOR LETTER
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Here are the most-read portions of any letter in order of
importance. If you aren’t focusing on these portions of your letter
to grab attention and engage donors, you’re making a mistake.
1
Handwritten text.
2
The donor’s name.
3
Underlined and bolded copy.
4
The sender’s signature.
5
The sender’s name.
6
The P.S.
A major gift letter should feel more special than a mass
mailing. Select high-quality paper and packaging. Send your
letters in an oversized envelope with additional information or
special enclosures, such as a photo, a handwritten letter from
someone helped by your organization, a drawing from a child,
or something else that signies hands-on treatment. Show
donors you care enough to offer something unique, something
of value to them. Because that’s what they’re “buying” when
they make a donation to your organization. They’re “buying” a
sense of purpose, they’re “buying” the warm fuzzies, they’re
“buying” a way to make a real difference and feel good. Show
them their generosity matters and they are awesome.
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PROVIDE
VALUE
C
reating value is easier said than done. Most
fundraisers still believe their job is to show the donor
how great their organization is – and they are failing!
Theyfail for two simple reasons:
1
They don’t recognize that value is in the eye of
the beholder.The donor decides the value, not the
organization or the fundraiser!
2
They don’t understand that value is about benets and
costs.The donor considers giving $10,000 or $50,000
(whatever amount), and they instantly begin to think about
what they’ll get at that cost. Will they get notoriety? Will
they get to live on in the minds of others? Will they get
to feel like a hero in their own life story? Will they get to
change something they want fixed in the world?
The potential value your supporters perceive they can
attain from giving could be tremendous. It might even be
incalculable. But the value could also be greatly diminished
or entirely lost if donors don’tperceive that they can getwhat
they want.
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You stand between your donors and your organization (and its
beneciaries). You can help facilitate the exchange of money
for value. You can be the bridge. You can grease the skids.
You can make it easy or make it hard.You can make it a
pleasure or a chore. All of that depends on your ability to rst
create value and then deliver an opportunity (in your letter) for
each supporter to take advantage of it.
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TELL
A STORY
S
torytelling is essential. It helps elicit emotions that build
desire and move donors through the decision-making
process. Choosing the right story at the right time is
important. For instance, early in the relationship with you and
your organization, a supporter might be looking for someone to
“guide” them, to help them understand what you can do for them.
Here are three kinds of stories about you that can be used
at this stage. Consider including one or all of these in your
major gifts letters with varying lengths, especially when the
relationship is new (from What Great Salespeople Do: The
Science of Selling Through Emotional Connection and the
Power of Story):
1
The Who I Am Story – Describes who you are and
your life journey succinctly (with emotion), including how
you are connected to the cause, the reason why you’re
reaching out to the donor now, why it matters so much,
why you care, why it’s important, and so on. People give
through people. So be real about who you are and you’ll
gain their trust.
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2
The Who I’ve Helped Story – Describes with detail (and
emotion) what other donors experienced and how they
beneted as a result of supporting your organization’s
mission. Remember, it’s not about you! It’s about the
donor and how she benets from giving as a result
of your partnership with her. Think of yourself as the
facilitator of her giving. Explain how you’ve helped others
get what they want. Once your donors realize that they
can trust you and that you can help them achieve their
unique philanthropic goals, they’ll be more likely to
partner with you.
3
The Who I Represent Story – Describes the history and
mission of your organization. You might use a timeline or
infographic to describe what the organization did, what it
does, what it wants to do, who it helps, and why all of that
is important (and urgent). People give when they have
belief and condence in an organization’s ability to take
on what one, lone donor couldn’t possibly contend with
on her own. Prove your organization can get the job done
on her behalf. But do it with a story.
After telling your story, you may want to consider handing control
back to the donor. After all, people won’t give because of your
story. They’ll give because of theirs and how it entwines with
your organization’s mission. So, ask them to share their own
story with you online, by phone, or even with a return letter. If
you’re smart, you’ll recognize that this is your opportunity to
collect the information you need to determine what story you
should tell next. That next story should move the donor through
the decision-making process. Here’s an example used in a
stewardship letter:
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Dear, ________,
I thought you’d like to know how you helped a fellow
Soldier in need recently.
Staff Sergeant William Flores was facing real
hardship and hurting. Living in Atlanta, his wife
Sabrina was diagnosed with leukemia. The only
treatment was a bone marrow transplant, and the
only match was her sister Jennifer. But she lived
across the world in Spain. SSG Flores and his
family desperately needed help and, thanks to your
generosity, he got it.
Struggling with medical debt, he requested a loan
for Jennifer’s travel expenses. Through a grant,
[XYX Organization] was able to cover those travel
expenses with no need for them to pay it back. “God
sends angels,” said William, ghting back tears last
time I saw him. “Having so many supportive people,
it’s a big comfort.”
Your stories can be short or long. Either way, it is essential
that they include the following components:
1
A relatable character for whom your donors will have empathy;
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2
A problem that, of course, ties back to the mission your
organization shares with the donor;
3
Emotions expressed by the characters in your story, by
you (thanks to your rst-hand experience) or implied by
others (like Jennifer);
4
A solution that came about thanks to the donor and
her generous support. Remember, donors don’t give to
fundraisers or organizations, they give through them.
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CREATE
VARIETY
FOR YOUR DONORS
Y
ou can’t bore your donors into giving. You have to
provide variety and novelty in the offers you deliver to
your supporters. Novelty engages donors and helps
them move through the consideration process. People are
naturally drawn to opportunities to acquire new information or
become involved in fresh, new experiences, because it makes
them feel good.
Researchers at University College London studied this in 2006.
They found that novel information and experiences trigger the
release of dopamine – the feel-good chemicals – making us
feel there’s a reward waiting around the corner. Their research
suggests that we associate positivity with novel offers.
Researchers also found that novelty improves memory. By
combining new information with familiar information during
learning sessions, their subjects’ memories of the familiar
increased by 19 percent. So, providing your supporters
with new information or new ways of engaging with familiar
concepts may help them understand and retain your
organization’s mission, need, and how they can make an
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impact. And besides, people get tired of hearing the same
message over and over. With novelty, we’re talking about bringing
something new into the mix of your offers for engagement.
Bottom line, if you want people to engage with you and remember
what your organization can do on behalf of donors like them who
want to make an impact, make sure your offers are new and
interesting.
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END ON A
STRONG
NOTE
I
n effective communications, the closing is just as important
as the beginning. So, here are some great ways to end the
letters you send to major donors (especially when you are
soliciting a gift):
1
[First name], I’m really counting on you!
2
[First name], when you look back on this moment, you’ll
be so glad you [mission-oriented copy here].
3
[First name], this is your chance to make a huge impact
on [mission-oriented copy here].
4
[First name], you may not know their names and they
may not know yours, but your thoughtful generosity will
help [mission-oriented copy here].
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5
[First name], your investment in [mission-oriented copy
here] will make a difference in their lives for generations
to come.
6
[First name], your compassion will give our children and
grandchildren [mission-oriented copy here].
7
[First name], with your help [beneciaries] will be able to
[mission-oriented copy here].
8
[First name], you will be so glad that you decided to help!
By the way, did you notice how many times I wrote “you”
instead of “I”?
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READ IT
OUT LOUD
W
hen you’ve nished writing your letter, take a minute
to picture your grandmother (or another dear friend
or relative). How is grandma feeling? How does she
sound? What does she want her family and friends to think of
her? What is she concerned about?
Do you have a clear image in your head? Good. Now read
your letter out loud. If it doesn’t sound approachable, earnest,
and natural, you have some re-writing to do.
You can’t expect donors to wade through copy that sounds
like a Ph.D. dissertation or like it was written by someone
in junior high. Value their time and show them that you care
about your relationship. Make sure your letter is clear, easy to
read, and sounds like it’s going to a trusted friend.
That means eliminating jargon. According to research by
Dr. Russell James at Texas Tech University, philanthropy
is a social act that relies on the mechanisms of family
bonding, so warm, simple family words will always
outperform cold, complex formal words. Instead of saying,
“By making a transfer of assets through a donor advised
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fund, supporters can realize a tax deduction and immense
personal satisfaction.” Try, “Your gift is tax deductible and will
preserve beautiful farmland for generations to come.” The
second example is more heartfelt, conversational, direct,
and encourages the reader to imagine the legacy she could
leave for future generations. When you can get donors in this
reective mindset, thinking about their own life story and how
they can be the hero in it, they’re much more receptive to
giving opportunities.
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THE
FOUR
TYPES
OF LETTERS
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F
or the most part, the time a donor spends thinking
about charitable giving happens without your presence.
But your donors do want to engage with you, and
will use multiple channels to do so. Similarly, you and
your organization should be using multiple channels to
communicate with your donors. Engaging and cultivating
major donors isn’t a one-time thing. It’s a process that
involves a series of touch points that gain power over time,
guiding your donor to the decision to give.
Face-to-face, one-on-one engagement is best, but it’s
expensive, and the donor doesn’t always want to interact with
you in this way. If donors see a post on Facebook, it may be
emotional, but it’s rarely personalized for them. The same
thing goes for watching a video. Even an email, while it may
be more personal, is digital and can still feel cold.
These channels and others have their place, but the truth is
that a direct mail letter is often the easiest and most effective
way to connect. If it’s done right, it can enrich the relationship
more than any other kind of communication. A letter conveys
warmth and shows you are committed to the relationship. It’s
a personal experience that you took the time to create. That
means a lot for the person receiving it.
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Here are the four types of letters to send to major gifts supporters:
1
Invitation letter: This will encourage your donor to opt-in
to a deeper one-on-one relationship with you, get more
involved or see your organization’s work rsthand.
2
Cultivation letter: This will show the difference your
donor could make or is making and the great work she
might be able to support or is contributing to at your
organization. It should be welcoming and make her
feel as though she can be or already is part of a team
working single mindedly toward a shared mission.
3
Solicitation letter: This is a very specic request of the
donor, and it should detail an urgent need and how she
can be a hero by answering that need.
4
Stewardship letter: This letter should explain what was
done with the donor’s gift, and thank her with emotion
and sincerity for her generosity.
Let’s go into more detail about each of these.
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THE
INVITATION
LETTER
T
he invitation letter is a pathway for an opt-in relationship
with your supporter. It’s a personal communication
inviting them to enjoy benets once they engage with
you, your organization, and its mission on a deeper level. It
might ask the supporter to become more involved. It might
offer opportunities to volunteer, take a tour, attend an event,
see your work rsthand, join the board, and so on. Or it might
simply ask the supporter if they would like to engage with you,
the facilitator, to learn more about how you help others like
them meet their needs and philanthropic interests. Donors
should not be treated as targets. They should be invited to be
on your radar. Then, those who opt-in for a deeper relationship
will be highly qualied and more likely to give over time.
A letter that includes a donor survey is the most effective type
of invitation. You’ve probably heard the old adage, “If you
want money, ask for advice. And, if you want advice, ask for
money.” People love to share their opinions, and they love it
even more if you show them that you listened. When you send
out a survey and ask for advice, you bring people into the fold
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and make them feel needed and appreciated while gathering
invaluable information about their wants, needs, passions,
desires, and interests for your long-term, relationship-building
cultivation efforts.
People who respond to the survey are not only self-qualifying
but also telling you everything you need to know to cultivate
and solicit them: why they care, who they might want to honor,
when you should reach out to them, how you should reach
out to them, and more. They might also tell you about assets
they’d consider giving, whether or not they ever had children
and other important information for raising major gifts. If you
survey them, they will give you all you need to succeed. And
that’s more than what you’d get if you were to chat with them
at a volunteer event. So, the other invitations are good, but
this is your most effective option.
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THE
CULTIVATION
LETTER
A
lthough many might consider the solicitation letter
to be critical, your cultivation letters are actually the
most important of the four letters because they build
trust and condence in you and your organization over time.
They link your donor with your mission and build interest
and then desire, compelling your donor to become more
passionate about your cause. In fact, if cultivation is done
right, your supporter might self-solicit, making your “ask” easy
and expected. Donors who’ve been cultivated properly gain
belief and condence in your organization to get the job done
on their behalf, making it feel natural to reach out to them in
times of need with offers that are meaningful to them. The
idea is to show donors they can realize the best versions
of themselves by partnering with your organization. To do
this, you need to understand your supporters’ wants, needs,
interests, and why they care.
If you follow the MarketSmart blog (SmartIdeas), you’ve
probably read about our CEO, Greg Warner, and his wife, who
is diabetic. Because of this, we often support diabetes-related
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33
nonprots. Greg wants a cure for diabetes because he loves
his wife and wants her to be healthy. But his wife needs a
cure. In terms of interests, he’s passionate about partnering
with organizations to create a scientic breakthrough, but his
wife, who’s tired of hearing about a cure being just around the
corner, prefers to support other initiatives. As you can see,
wants, needs, and interests can vary greatly among donors –
even within the same household! Each donor is like a Rubik’s
cube, with each square corresponding to a different want,
need, interest, verbatim, digital data point, action, and so on.
There are an innite number of combinations, making the
solution massively challenging for the fundraiser.
In your college sociology class you probably heard about a
guy named Maslow, who created a “hierarchy of needs.” At
the bottom of the list are your most elemental needs, things
like food, water, shelter, and sleep. After that comes safety
and security – the need to be a part of a community and to
feel love and connection with other people. The next stage is
status, a feeling that you’ve accomplished something and are
respected. And at the pinnacle of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
is self-actualization, the need to nd meaning in your life.
People want to be a part of something bigger than
themselves, and it’s especially true of your major donors.
They’re accomplished people. They’ve fullled their lower-
level needs, but they often struggle to reach the top of
Maslow’s pyramid. They’re good at accumulating wealth, but
when it comes to self-actualization, they often use their money
in ways that don’t create a lasting impact.
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34
My favorite example is Oprah. Oprah’s philanthropic journey
began with a decision to give everyone in her audience a car.
She did this for a while before realizing that her gifts weren’t
making her feel fullled. Growing up poor, Oprah was the
beneciary of charitable organizations, and she felt the need
to give back. As the granddaughter of a woman who never
graduated from high school, she had an interest in the power
of education to lift people out of poverty. So when her good
friend, Nelson Mandela, approached her with an opportunity to
build a school in South Africa, the stars aligned. Now the Oprah
Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa enrolls
300 disadvantaged students, and Oprah’s legacy lives on as
these remarkable young women take their place in the world.
A big part of your job as a major gifts ofcer is to help donors
reach this experience of self-actualization and nd meaning
in their lives through successful philanthropy. This kind of
giving isn’t just a tally of annual fund gifts, but tackles the root
cause of a problem, creating a ripple effect of good that ideally
outlives the donor. Help your donor be the hero in her own
life story. Help her be effective with her giving. Help her move
from “donor” to “philanthropist.”
So how do you do this in a single letter? Well, you don’t.
Donor cultivation should be a series of interactions that unite
the donor’s wants, needs, and interests with your cause. But
well-executed cultivation letters over time can do a lot of the
legwork for you.
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35
The rst step is to identify what’s meaningful to your supporter
based on her persona. In their book, The Seven Faces of
Philanthropy, Russ Alan Prince and Karen Maru File outline
the following major donor personas:
1
The Communitarian: Doing good makes sense to
these local business owners who often get involved
with a nonprot to build relationships and help their
communities prosper.
2
The Devout: Doing good is God’s will and a moral
obligation.
3
The Investor: Doing good should be examined like any
other business strategy with careful analysis of the “win-
win” potential and the opportunity to obtain tax benets.
4
The Socialite: Doing good is fun because it allows
them to socialize with their networks through fundraising
events.
5
The Altruist: Doing good is something that will allow
them to grow spiritually and selessly.
6
The Repayer: Doing good is a way to pay back an
institution or organization that helped them or someone
they love at one time in their life.
7
The Dynast: Doing good is a family tradition and
responsibility.
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If you followed my advice in the “Basics” section of this
eBook and you employed a survey, you already have a list
of qualied donors who’ve opted into communication with
you. And because of the information from that donor survey
and through other interactions, you should have a good idea
of which persona your donors best t. With that in mind,
build trust and grow the relationship by sending them highly
relevant offers for engagement that makes them feel good
because it meets their wants, needs, and interests. Don’t try
to educate them about initiatives they don’t care about. That
will turn them off.
Here’s an example of how to do it. Let’s say you have major
gifts prospects that t the Investor persona. You should craft
your communications to this group to help them recognize
the “win-win” potential of the gift and possibly include a
calculation of their individual tax and estate benets. But, for
a group that ts the Socialite persona, consider inviting them
to your organization’s signature event. In fact, send them two
invitations, and ask them to invite a friend who they feel would
want to support your organization’s mission. Consider adding a
hand-written sticky note to the invitation or include a list of other
people they might know who already said they’ll be attending.
Once you’ve determined the right type of offer to send,
make sure you’re presenting it in the right way. A cultivation
letter should never talk about the organization, but should
emphasize how your donor and others like her are making
a difference. For example, instead of saying, “Give to our
organization so we can make a difference in the lives of
children.” Try, “Checkout this video so you can see how your
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37
support is making a lasting difference in the lives of children
and in our community.” See how the cultivation offer is simple
and provides value?
Or, even better, tell stories of how others have realized the
best versions of themselves by giving. For instance, send
a letter along with a picture of the school children another
donor helped. Be sure the picture shows them benetting
from the books, clothes, shoes and furniture delivered
by your organization’s eld staff thanks to her generous
support. Consider having the children sign the letter. That
would be powerful!
Remember, people give through organizations, not to
organizations. Your efforts need to make your donors feel
good. They must provide opportunities for self-reection and
self-actualization. Then, then they’ll move themselves through
the consideration process and even solicit themselves once
they believe in your mission and your ability to carry it out on
their behalf.
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38
THE
SOLICITATION
LETTER
Y
our solicitation letters will be the most direct. They
will ask for money or some type of deep involvement
and work best after your donor has already received
invitation and cultivation letters. As I mentioned, you never
want to move from identifying a prospect to asking for a gift,
skipping the qualication and cultivation stages.
In our globalized, digital world, many of your most active
supporters may live far from your headquarters, and that
makes in-person solicitations difcult and expensive. Plus,
because most of the thinking donors do about your cause
happens without your presence, it makes sense and will save
time and money to send a solicitation letter that encourages
donors to reect on building their personal mission and how
they can accomplish it through your organization.
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39
But before you start writing your solicitation letter, you must
know:
1
The need (the reason the gift is needed)
2
How much you’d like them to give
3
Exactly what their gift will accomplish
4
How you’d like them to respond
5
When you’d like them to respond by
The reason major donor letters fail is because they are sent to
the wrong people, at the wrong time (not ready to be asked)
while ignoring their personas, needs, and interests. But they
also fail because the ve points mentioned above aren’t
included or communicated well. If you’ve thought about these
things before you start, and include them in your letter, you’re
well on your way to success.
When communicating the need, be sure to make it as clear
and compelling as possible. Too often, nonprots don’t talk
about the need because they’ve internalized it.
Although you know all about your organization’s need, and
it seems obvious that people should give, it might not be so
obvious to your donor. She spends far less time thinking about
this stuff than you do. So, be specic. The more dire, the better.
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40
For instance, if your organization has a nancial shortfall,
how big is it? If people are homeless, what is it like to be
homeless? If medical research is not supported, what’s the
human cost? If you’re asking your donors to solve the world’s
problems with their gifts, you’re taking a huge risk to assume
that they know the problem is as big and urgent as you know
it is.
Next, you need to communicate how much you’re asking the
donor for. Every solicitation letter you send to a major donor
should have a gift ask amount customized for that donor’s
letter. The most successful major gift fundraisers know each
donor, their giving history, and their giving potential. They use
that information, along with the specic need they’re trying to
meet, to determine how much to ask for. Your gift ask should
fall into one of two categories:
1
Fully customized: the amount is set for each donor
based on how much you think they can give at this time
(and is often based on a giving goal you’ve set for your
donor for the year)
2
Semi-customized: this is a gift ask based on the donor’s
most recent gift
Fundraisers are often too vague in their ask, and it weakens
the credibility of the need. If any amount will work, how
big and urgent is your need really? If you need $1 million
dollars for a new piece of medical equipment that will save
hundreds of lives, consider making a giving chart with different
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41
giving levels that show the number of gifts needed at each
level to meet your goal. You might also try productizing the
opportunity. For example:
█ $512 feeds one classroom of children for one week
█ $8,371 feeds one classroom for a year
█ $16,742 feeds two classrooms for a year
Notice that these are not round numbers, because they
should be real gures! Be specic and honest with your
needs, and encourage supporters to give at a level that will
make a lasting impact.
When asking for a specic amount, be sure to include what
the donor’s gift will accomplish, and remember that stories
work better than statistics. You should never say, “Did you
know that 7 people every minute go hungry” or “1.5 acres
of rainforest are lost every second.” Statistics drain emotion
from your letters. Giving isn’t a pragmatic decision. It’s an
emotional decision, and your donors don’t connect with cold
statistics. But they do connect with people and stories. So,
instead, focus on humanizing your need. Try including a photo
of someone who will benet from your donor’s generosity, and
explain how a gift will change that person’s life.
Once you’ve communicated your need, asked for a specic
amount, and explained what impact the donor’s gift will have,
include a call to action. The letter should make it clear what
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42
you’d like your donor to do after reading the letter. You should
say something like the following at least two times in your
letter: “I hope you’ll ll out the enclosed response form and
send it to me with a check today.” This is important: Tell your
donor what you want her to do. Give them your direct address
instead of a post ofce box. Remember, people give to people
in support of causes, not dubious boxes with numbers.
Finally, include a deadline. This reinforces the urgency of your
need. Let donors know what will happen if you cannot raise
the money in time. Then, remember to end on a strong note,
thanking your donor for her previous support and reiterating
that her gifts will make a lasting impact so she’ll feel like a
hero in her own life story.
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43
THE
STEWARDSHIP
LETTER
T
he stewardship letter is often overlooked, but it’s
integral because donors are going to wonder what you
did with their money. So you owe it to them to report
back about how they made a difference. If you neglect this
step, you’re leaving the door open for your donors to feel
remorse, driving them to nd another charity that will treat
them right.
Be thankful for the donor, not the donation. You should
have a “you mindset” when you write all donor letters, but
it’s especially important in stewardship letters. Three very
powerful words to use are “because of you.” Because of you,
students were fed. Because of you, people were clothed.
Because of you, animals were saved. Don’t focus on what
your organization accomplished. Instead, tell your donor what
she’s accomplished with her gift and how thankful you and
others are for her.
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44
You should thank your donors frequently, but it’s important to
keep your communications interesting by offering something
new and novel. Here are some ideas:
█ Include quotes or testimonials in your letter. Better yet,
enclose printed photos with captions written on the back
from your organization’s beneciaries.
█ If you work with children, consider asking the kids to write
a note or draw a picture, and include that with your letter.
█ Tell the story of someone who benetted from the donor’s
gift, or have the beneciary write the story in her own words.
█ Send a handwritten card.
█ Make a photo book showing the success of the donor’s project.
█ Send an engraved plaque ofcially honoring the donor’s
outstanding support.
█ Acknowledge the anniversary of your donor’s gift, giving
her an update on the continued impact of her generosity.
█ Alternate who the thank you is coming from. Your
gratitude probably doesn’t mean as much to the donor as
that of a child she has fed or a family she has helped to
house or a noted activist for your cause.
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45
█ Are there certain objects that are associated with your
cause? Incorporate them. A horse rescue thanked a
major donor by telling the story of a neglected horse with
deformed feet that she helped save. They also included a
bronzed shoe from the rst set of horseshoes that saved
his life. A wildlife preservation organization pressed
fall leaves and sent them to donors, thanking them for
preserving this beauty to be enjoyed forever.
Donors give in order to feel good, so your stewardship letter
should help them feel like they got what they wanted and
accomplished what they set out to accomplish, which is to
realize the best version of themselves. Self-actualization
is the reward for giving. Not a tax receipt (although you
should provide that to them as well). Give your donors
this opportunity to reect on the amazing things they
have accomplished through your organization. Give them
something they can treasure long after the check is signed.
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46
SOME
FINAL
THOUGHTS
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47
I
n this guide we’ve covered a lot of the thinking that goes
into major gift letters as well as the specic techniques that
help make them effective. We’ve covered everything from
dening the audience, to storytelling, to striking the right tone,
to using the right letter formats, and more.
These things are important, because the better your
fundraising letters are, the better you’re serving your
donors. And that’s what donor communications is all about.
Fundraising should never be an intrusion in our donors’ lives.
The reality is that donors want to give. They want to make a
difference. They want to change our world for the better. It’s
true of all donors, and it’s especially true of major donors.
The people giving at higher levels know they have the
resources to make an even greater impact. Many feel they
have a responsibility to give. They’re just looking for the right
opportunity, and it’s up to us as fundraisers to help them nd
it and facilitate the exchange of money for value. When we do
that well, our cause benets, the ones we serve benet, and
our donors themselves benet. Everyone wins – what could
be better than that?
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APPENDIX
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GENERAL
MAJOR DONOR
LETTER WRITING
CHECKLIST
The supporters on my list have been qualied.
The supporters on my list have been cultivated appropriately.
I have personalized my communications with information I
know about the donor.
I am using special paper and packaging that reects
hands-on treatment.
I am using the word “you,” and have focused on how the donor
can benet and make an impact, NOT on my organization and
how great we are.
I have humanized my request with stories and not just statistics.
I have used formatting, like bolded or underlined copy, to
highlight key messages.
I have included a handwritten note on the letter or other
special enclosure.
My key message is highlighted in the P.S.
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I know what the donor values and have included an
opportunity for her to realize that benet through supporting
my organization.
I have included something novel in or with my letter that will
delight the donor.
My ending is strong and repeats the key message
of the letter.
I have read the letter out loud and it sounds natural
and sincere.
I have chosen family words over formal words.
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51
INVITATION LETTER
CHECKLIST
My letter is phrased in a way that allows donors to “opt-in” to
communications with my organization.
My letter includes a donor survey.
My letter clearly invites the donor to get more involved in a
specic way (i.e. attend an event, see our work rst-hand, take
a tour, etc.).
I know what the donor values and have included an opportunity
for her to realize that benet through my organization.
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52
CULTIVATION
LETTER
CHECKLIST
The people receiving my cultivation letter have opted in to
communications with my organization.
The people receiving my cultivation letter have been qualied.
I have reached out to the qualied, opted-in donors through
several channels they prefer as part of a robust cultivation
process, including through email, donor surveys, special
events, in-person chats, LinkedIn, invitations, etc.
I have identied my donor’s wants, needs, and interests.
I have given my donor the opportunity to fulll her wants,
needs, and interests through my organization.
My letter does not focus on my organization and how great
it is, but rather how my donor can make a difference.
My letter offers the donor an opportunity to feel good
about themselves.
My letter includes specic stories about the impact we are
making together.
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53
SOLICITATION
LETTER
CHECKLIST
The people receiving my solicitation letter have opted in to
communications with my organization.
The people receiving my solicitation letter have been qualied.
The people receiving my solicitation have carefully cultivated with
direct mail letters, emails, special invites, phone calls and in-
person communication through the channels the donor prefers.
I have clearly communicated a specic need and included
compelling stories to illustrate its urgency.
I have asked the donor to for a specic amount of money that
correlates with a real, demonstrable need.
I have shown the donor what her gift can accomplish in a
moving, emotional way.
I have clearly told the donor the methods by which
she can respond.
I have clearly told the donor when I’d like her to respond by.
I have thanked the donor for her previous support.
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54
STEWARDSHIP
LETTER
CHECKLIST
I am sending this stewardship letter in a timely manner
following a donor’s gift.
I am thankful for the donor, not the donation and I make use
of the phrase “because of you.”
I thank my donors frequently with sincerity.
I am thanking my donor in a unique and memorable way
by including something novel with my letter that will inspire,
surprise and delight.
I am giving the donor something she values in return
for her generosity.
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55
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more major gifts — faster. MajorGiftmaker gives
you a 360° view of individual donors’ interests,
demographics, and preferences.
Donors want to give where they live. With
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of smarter fundraising by connecting the
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?
We help our clients raise more money year over year by focusing on the core aspects of fundraising:
Asking, Thanking, and Reporting.
We teach and execute industry best-practices for each of those three elements, with 40 years of
understanding how they work together to deepen your relationships with your donors and increase
your net revenue.
?
Ask Thank Report
?
WWW.ASKTHANKREPORTREPEAT.COM
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?
survey
Generate more major gifts and uncover previously
undisclosed planned gifts with donor surveys.
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WWW.iMARKETSMART.COM
find more legacy gifts. Individual tracking reports
qualified and interested donor prospects, and
or affiliates.
Generate more leads, cultivate more donors and
show who is interested in your organization
and why, so you can engage and build effective
relationships with potential donors.
Take the guesswork out of marketing by
using proven technology to rank, score, and
automatically nurture leads with relevant, timely,
personalized messages. You’ll maximize your gift
disclosures by spending your time with the most
letting Giftmaker+ take care of the rest.
Find passionate donors in real time, and close
more major gifts — faster. MajorGiftmaker gives
you a 360° view of individual donors’ interests,
demographics, and preferences.
Donors want to give where they live. With
GiftmakerConnect, you can tap into the power
of smarter fundraising by connecting the
disconnected and empowering your chapters
?
We help our clients raise more money year over year by focusing on the core aspects of fundraising:
Asking, Thanking, and Reporting.
We teach and execute industry best-practices for each of those three elements, with 40 years of
understanding how they work together to deepen your relationships with your donors and increase
your net revenue.
?
Ask Thank Report
?
WWW.ASKTHANKREPORTREPEAT.COM
Ask Thank Report Repeat
?
survey
Generate more major gifts and uncover previously
undisclosed planned gifts with donor surveys.
WWW.ASKTHANKREPORTREPEAT.COM
WWW.iMARKETSMART.COM
find more legacy gifts. Individual tracking reports
qualified and interested donor prospects, and
or affiliates.
Generate more leads, cultivate more donors and
show who is interested in your organization
and why, so you can engage and build effective
relationships with potential donors.
Take the guesswork out of marketing by
using proven technology to rank, score, and
automatically nurture leads with relevant, timely,
personalized messages. You’ll maximize your gift
disclosures by spending your time with the most
letting Giftmaker+ take care of the rest.
Find passionate donors in real time, and close
more major gifts — faster. MajorGiftmaker gives
you a 360° view of individual donors’ interests,
demographics, and preferences.
Donors want to give where they live. With
GiftmakerConnect, you can tap into the power
of smarter fundraising by connecting the
disconnected and empowering your chapters
?
We help our clients raise more money year over year by focusing on the core aspects of fundraising:
Asking, Thanking, and Reporting.
We teach and execute industry best-practices for each of those three elements, with 40 years of
understanding how they work together to deepen your relationships with your donors and increase
your net revenue.
?
Ask Thank Report
?
WWW.ASKTHANKREPORTREPEAT.COM
Ask Thank Report Repeat
?
survey
Generate more major gifts and uncover previously
undisclosed planned gifts with donor surveys.
WWW.ASKTHANKREPORTREPEAT.COM
WWW.iMARKETSMART.COM
find more legacy gifts. Individual tracking reports
qualified and interested donor prospects, and
or affiliates.
Generate more leads, cultivate more donors and
show who is interested in your organization
and why, so you can engage and build effective
relationships with potential donors.
Take the guesswork out of marketing by
using proven technology to rank, score, and
automatically nurture leads with relevant, timely,
personalized messages. You’ll maximize your gift
disclosures by spending your time with the most
letting Giftmaker+ take care of the rest.
Find passionate donors in real time, and close
more major gifts — faster. MajorGiftmaker gives
you a 360° view of individual donors’ interests,
demographics, and preferences.
Donors want to give where they live. With
GiftmakerConnect, you can tap into the power
of smarter fundraising by connecting the
disconnected and empowering your chapters
?
We help our clients raise more money year over year by focusing on the core aspects of fundraising:
Asking, Thanking, and Reporting.
We teach and execute industry best-practices for each of those three elements, with 40 years of
understanding how they work together to deepen your relationships with your donors and increase
your net revenue.
?
Ask Thank Report
?
WWW.ASKTHANKREPORTREPEAT.COM
Ask Thank Report Repeat
?
survey
Generate more major gifts and uncover previously
undisclosed planned gifts with donor surveys.
WWW.ASKTHANKREPORTREPEAT.COM
WWW.iMARKETSMART.COM
find more legacy gifts. Individual tracking reports
qualified and interested donor prospects, and
or affiliates.
Find passionate donors in real time, and close
more major gifts — faster. MajorGiftmaker gives
you a 360° view of individual donors’ interests,
demographics, and preferences.
Generate more major gifts and uncover previously
undisclosed planned gifts with donor surveys.
Take the guesswork out of marketing by using proven
technology to rank, score, and automatically
nurture leads with relevant, timely, personalized
messages. You’ll maximize your gift disclosures
by spending your time with the most qualied and
interested donor prospects, and letting Giftmaker+
take care of the rest.
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