Save Your Stamps: Create more appealing appeal letters


When was the last time you got an appeal letter at home that included a self-addressed, stamped envelope...so you ran for your checkbook? I can’t remember either.

It may have been enough to get you bonus donors back in our mothers’ day, but today the extra money spent on double the envelopes and double the postage is just an added expense to an already low-netting fundraiser.

On average, fundraising appeal letters see a return of around 5%. That’s not a lot. To put it into perspective, here’s a little math I did for you. You’re welcome ;)

    100 = number of letters you sent out
        5 = the number of donations you receive

If your ask in the letter was $100, then you may (or may not) have grossed $500 for that fundraiser. Total. And here’s likely what you spent on this “fundraiser”:
  • 5-10 hours of your time creating, composing, collating, and mailing out – if you make $30/hour that’s $150 - $300 of your time
  • $126 on postage (one stamp to send out, one to hopefully get back)
  • $10 on copy paper, envelopes (two per letter!) and ink
If you spent the full 10 hours, that’s a total expense on this activity of $436, resulting in a whopping $64 net revenue. And let’s not forget the time spent on receiving and processing those five donations and the added expense of the thank you letter I know you’ll be sending out.

It’s time to up your game! Skip all of the extra paper, envelopes and postage. Instead, spend a little more time being intentional with your letter. Make it stand out above the rest. Make it compelling and exceptional. Make me want to send you money AND volunteer because it looks like you’re having so much fun, or because you’re being successful at something really great that I want to be a part of.

If you’ve compelled me with your words, images and personal touches, I will find my own envelope, pay for my own postage and make sure my money gets to you.

Even better, make sure your website has a “Donate” button on it and your letter includes the web address where I can find it. Because, you know, I’m not my mother and it’s far less likely that I know where my checkbook actually is, if I even have one.

If you have a sense of humor, and it’s appropriate, add that ‘flavor’ into your appeal letter. It’s ok to let donors know that your organization is being run by human beings. It might even draw more of them in.

I invite you to pull out your last appeal letter and determine how you can make it more compelling, more modern, more – appealing. Who was it that said, “There’s great power in words”? I’m not sure, but he/she was right.

Far more power comes from your words than from a self-addressed, stamped return envelope. Or that free nickel – don’t do that either ;)

For more appeal letter strategies and a sample, check out my downloadable guide More Appealing Appeal Letters

 

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