Applying for Funding to Trusts & Foundations

Often times, applying for grants with major funders, such as Trusts & Foundations, require you to submit a full application as well as a covering letter. 

Writing a fundraising letter on behalf of your organization is a very important part of many fundraising efforts. 

The application letter that you send to supporters and potential supporters is a direct representation of your group.  It is a chance – perhaps your only chance – to relate your mission, goals and needs to people who can help.

The letter is as important as a personal visit, and great care should be taken to be sure that all necessary information is included and that it is presented in as compelling a way as possible. 

Here are some tips for writing a winning fundraising letter.

·          Be Professional – It seems as though this shouldn’t need to be said, but it does.  Sending a letter with misspellings and improper grammar presents a negative image of your group to potential donors.  If you aren’t great at writing then have a few people proofread your letter.  You may even consider hiring a writer to help with your letters and other written material.  That small investment could bring big rewards.

·          Don’t Open With a Plea – Do not start your letter with “We need your help”.  It’s likely that the recipient of the letter receives dozens of such requests each year, so you need to find a way to make the opening of the letter compelling enough that the reader will keep reading.  Consider starting with a true story of a way that your organization has helped someone, or is making a difference in the community.  Specific examples, such as “Maria was 16, pregnant and had nowhere to turn…” is better than more general examples such as “We help pregnant teens in our community.”

·          Say What You Want – When making the plea for donations, be specific about the needs of your group.  A good example of why this is important comes from a small non-profit in Virginia. The purpose of the group was to help young homeless women become self-sufficient.  What the group needed was donations of housing, household items and mass transit tokens.  A letter was sent to individuals and businesses that beautifully told about the mission of the group.  It ended with a request for donations to help the young women.  But the letter didn’t mention the specific needs of the group.  They received hundreds of bags of clothes. They not need them as they had a deal with a local retailer which had agreed to provide new clothing. They had no place to store them, and their small offices were quickly buried in garbage bags full of clothes.  The group didn’t want to appear ungrateful by turning away the generous donations from the community, so the bags kept coming, and much of the clothes were eventually donated to another charity.  The fundraising letter ended up causing a burden to the group rather than help.   Had the group been specific in its plea for assistance, for example, “We need bus tokens to help these women get to their newly found jobs,” the outcome likely would have been much different.  If you don’t let people know what you need, they will have to guess. 

·          Keep it Short – As mentioned earlier, the recipients of your letter likely get several just like it.  If your letter is too long, they may not even read it.  Shoot for one to one and a half pages.  That gives you plenty of room for what needs to be said without rambling.

·          Include Photos if Appropriate – Remember, this may be your only chance to let potential donors know about your group.  Make it good.  Photos will catch the attention of the reader more than just words on a page, and the old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” is absolutely true.  Photos will put a face on the people in the stories that you share with the readers.  It will bring to life the needs your group is dealing with, and help to give potential donors a sense of urgency.  The inclusion of photos may not be appropriate for every group.  Use your good judgment.

Writing a great fundraising letter just takes a little thought and time. 

Whether you write it yourself, or hire a professional, remember that the letter is a direct reflection of your group, so be aware of every word and be sure your group is represented in the best possible light.

Recommended Resources

Donate Your Car - a fundraiser with great potential, but not for the faint hearted

Sample Letter Template - for funders to consider giving a grant or donation to you or your group, they need to be impacted immediately by your letter of application