The Center for Ethics, Governance, & Accountability

In a previous article (http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Rob_Glenn) we outlined some suggestions for distinguishing your non-profit organization from the competition when you write your “Fall Donor Request” letter.

This article will get VERY specific and provide a 3-part framework for your consideration. The entire letter should NEVER exceed one page, no matter how painstaking the editing process. Less is more. Focus on brevity. Your readers will be appreciative. And, you will reap the rewards.

First, we know that the economy and the jaded performance of a number of prevalent organizations, including non-profits, have captured the attention of the public and have caused a public outrage that has not yet peaked. You need to consider the following: 

“We request your continued financial support in these challenging economic times and we have worked to secure our position as a worthy recipient of your donation...”“While our organization has faced all of the challenges you would expect, we seized the opportunity to refocus and we proactively strengthened ourselves by conducting an internal self-audit whereupon we put cutting-edge governance, policies and procedures in place. As you would expect, we are committed to our mission and we 90endeavor to be recognized as ‘best-of-the-best’ in our governance and operations.

”Second, competition for contributions is tougher than we ever seen, so the middle portion of your letter must offer compelling reasons to contribute/invest in your organization. Please consider the following:

“We are passionate about our mission. Our focus is clear and we are able to demonstrate accountability via our internal controls. We have reviewed and strengthened our tracking of program outcomes. During the past year, we have not only served a record number of clients, but we have tracked the progress of these clients and are pleased to report that our programs have resulted in a 75% success rate, of which we are proud to officially report to our regulatory agencies. We know from benchmarking with our peers that this level of success is unprecedented.”

Third, from our experience, we know that short, but powerful, appeals capture the attention of your donor base. If you have followed our recommended format, you have provided the ‘macro’ organizational view in the first paragraph – and – have provided specific program/accountability details in the second paragraph – so, it’s time to close your letter in bold fashion. Please consider:

“As you can see, we are passionately focused on our future and we are striving to exceed the accountability of our peers, both in adherence to our mission and reporting our actual performance. Our research shows our performance far exceeds that of our peers (most of whom do not track specific performance indicators) and our commitment to excellence places us in a group that few organizations ever achieve.”

“We respectfully request your continued support. We invite you to call and visit us. We want you to see our organization at work. And, we invite you to a board meeting where you can see, first-hand, how we respect and appreciate you – the donor – in a manner that will make you proud.”

So…We urge you to make your ‘Fall Letter” as urgent and specific as possible. If you need extra assistance, please contact us, give us your specific data, and we will help you achieve a final draft that will make you proud of your organization. This is your time to shine. Take it. We are here to help.