| If
your non-profit
organization is like many
others, you receive half or more or your contributed income at the
end of the year as part of what used to be called the "Christmas
Appeal." In recent years it has come to be known as, in politically
correct North America at least, the "Year-End Appeal" or "Seasonal
Appeal."Which means your year-end appeal
letter can make or break your year, financially speaking. Here are
some tips on how to craft a winning year-end fundraising letter
appeal package.
1. Keep it simple
One non-profit ministry that I shall not name mailed their year-end
appeal letter in a poly bag along with their donor
newsletter. They had been
late in getting their newsletter in the mail and so, to save on
postage, they mailed it along with the seasonal appeal letter. The
campaign bombed, and bombed big. Donors, as far as we could tell,
read the full-colour newsletter and ignored the letter that came
with it. So my advice is this: keep your year-end appeal simple and
focused on one goal: securing a year-end donation.
2. Be creative
You will be competing with other
organizations in the
mailbox. Every charity
sends an appeal at Christmas. So stand out by mailing something
creative. When I worked with Doctors Without Borders as their
fundraising letter writer, they mailed a Christmas card to donors
that donors then signed and returned to the organization with their
gift.
Doctors Without Borders
forwarded the card to a volunteer doctor or nurse who was serving
overseas, and whose name was on the card. The cards were greatly
appreciated by the volunteers (many of whom were
homesick at that time of
year). The cards also involved donors in a way that warmed their
hearts and motivated them to contribute.
3. Look back with thanksgiving
Use your year-end appeal fundraising letter as a way to thank
donors for their support during the past year. Don't list the names
of every staff person you hired or promoted, or go on at length
about happenings at head office. Instead, tell at least one
heart-warming or compelling story that illustrates in vivid terms
how your donors' gifts changed lives. Use quotes from the people
that you serve wherever possible. They add credibility and human
interest to your letter.
4. Look ahead with anticipation
Also use this Christmas appeal letter to present your vision for
the coming year. Show donors how their gift this "Holiday Season"
will make a difference next year for your organization and the
people you serve.
5. Use a seasonal theme
Try to tie your appeal to the season. Giving, presents,
exchanging greetings, snow, "goodwill toward man" and other themes
are popular at Christmastime. If you can tie your appeal to an
emotion or sentiment that is already prevalent at the end of the
year, and do so in a relevant way without being overly sentimental,
do so.
6. Accentuate the positive
Please don't appeal for donors to get your books out of the red
and into the black. If you have a negative cash flow at year-end,
don't ask donors to correct it. They will see your predicament as
your fault. Donors are not motivated to eliminate debt (unless it's
Third World debt). But they are motivated to change the world
through a gift to your organization. So present your appeal as an
opportunity for the donor rather than a rescue operation for your
chief financial officer.
7. A special word for Christian
charities
Avoid the "God gave us an unspeakable Gift and so should you"
approach in your Christmas appeal letter. Instead, show in concrete
terms how you will use a donor's gift to further the work that your
Christian donors care about, using a biblical theme if possible.
To view search results about
Christmas, click here
|
lowest
price in
Textbooks,
Electronics, Books, Music, DVDs & more
United Kingdom | 
United States 
