High School Fundraisers - High School Fundraising Article

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FUNDRAISING LETTERS

General Tips:

1. Keep in mind whenever you are asking for money that you are providing a service.
2. Tell people what you've done and what you plan to do to achieve progress toward your goals.
3. Longer letters do better:
   • you can address all concerns and potential concerns
   • different kinds of readers and long letters are OK for all:
     • those that throw unopened envelope away - length of letter irrelevant
     • those that read only beginning and ending - length of letter irrelevant
     • skimmers can pick up more points from a longer letter
     • passionate readers love long letters
4. Make the letter compelling
5. Paragraphs and bullets should be no more than 3 sentences or items; break longer ones in half

How to write a fundraising letter:

1. Good news - always start the letter with a series of good news bullets to build momentum and make entire letter entertaining and informative
   • use foreshadowing to tease reader and keep him reading
   • create a "widow" at the end of the first page (a thought that's finished on second page) to make reader turn the page
2. Describe what you want to do next
   • tell what you're going to do,
   • why you're going to do it,
   • how you're going to do it, and
   • what results you expect
3. List contribution amounts
4. Remind readers that their contribution is your budget and that your successes have been possible because of their past contributions - Thank them!
5. Use P.S.'s for skimmers
   • may titillate skimmers and get them to read the entire letter
   • to create urgency

*Expect results of $1.50 to $2.00 per letter mailed.

*Fundraising letters are easier to produce than newsletters and you can share news and the same information. If you can't do both a newsletter and a fundraising letter, it's better to just do the fundraising letter.

*Fundraising letters create a continuity of membership; the more letters you send, the amount per person should go up

*3-5% of people every month will respond

*Regular fundraising letters will get people in the habit of giving

*Ask for monthly pledge (100% of credit card pledges are fulfilled; 70% of others are fulfilled)

*Under promise and over-deliver

Fundraising Letter!!

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