Asking for donations is intimidating. That’s understandable. After all, you’re asking total strangers to part with their hard-earned cash.

But soliciting donations comes with the territory when you work for a nonprofit. And since there’s no way around it, you might as well dive in and learn how to do it like a pro. The following pointers will help you do that. 

Requesting donations isn’t about you—it’s about your nonprofit’s cause.
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1. Get in the right frame of mind

On an intellectual level, you know you’re raising funds for your nonprofit. But on a gut level, it can feel like you’re asking for money for yourself.

Get that thought out of your head!

Remember: This isn’t about you; it’s about the cause. The more you remind yourself of that, the less awkward you’ll feel when asking for donations. 

2. Personalize and be personal

Use first names if possible, and never start with “Dear Friend.” People are more receptive to messages that are addressed to them personally.

Along those lines, write in a conversational, personal voice. If your writing comes off as impersonal and soulless, you’ll turn people off. You want your readers to feel like a thoughtful human being with emotions is “talking” to them. Use pronouns like “I,” “we,” “you,” and try to use the potential donor’s name a few times in the letter.

3. Emotions and Humanity

People who don’t care won’t give. Thus, if you want people to give, you must make them care. Appeal to their humanity, address their emotions, tug at their heartstrings.

When possible, put your readers in the shoes of the people you’re helping, or the animals, as the case may be. For example, imagine you’re reading a fundraising letter from an organization that rehabilitates dogs that were raised in puppy mills (we’ll call it Puppy Mill Rescue & Rehabilitation Sanctuary). Which sentence has the most emotional impact?

1. Most of the dogs that live at our sanctuary come from puppy mills. There, they lived alone in cramped cages, often hungry and denied physical and emotional care.
2. Imagine living your entire life inside a cramped cage in a puppy mill. You’re often hungry and cold. You’re alone. There’s nobody to shower you with the love and affection that every dog deserves.

4. Tell a story

Although facts are important, stories win the day every time. One of the best ways to do this is to collect stories from the people (or animals) you serve.

Let’s refer to the Puppy Mill Rescue & Rehabilitation Sanctuary (PMRRS). A perfect story could be about a dog that was successfully rescued and is now living happily in a new forever home.

5. Use pictures

As the saying goes, “A pictures speaks a thousand words.” Use photos that deliver an emotional impact. Using the PMRRS as an example again, you could show a photo of the dog before it was rescued, and then a photo(s) living happily in its new forever home.

You don’t have to restrict yourself to photos. People love watching videos, too.

6. Provide numbers; use bullet points

Use bullet points when discussing facts and figures. Bullet points are great because they’re succinct and break up text nicely.

7. Empower donors

Naturally, you have to explain what your nonprofit does, but put the focus on the donor. Let them know about the wonderful good they’ll doing by donating.

8. Ask for a specific amount

Don’t shy away from asking for specific amounts of money. Say what you need and what that level of giving will accomplish. If you leave it up to your prospect, you’ll probably end up with a smaller donation than you might otherwise have received.

9. P.S.

Include a P.S. to reiterate your appeal and how you’ll use the donor’s gift. This is also a good place to include a sense of urgency.

Conclusion

There are many different types of nonprofits; therefore, the tips listed above are not meant to be a one-size-fits all template. Pick and choose the tips you think will work best for your next donation-request letter.   

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