How to Write the Most Effective Fundraising Letter Possible? Use This Best Practice Checklist
Content
Is it clear what problem the organization is addressing and how a gift will help solve that problem?
Is the letter from one person to another? Not from a committee?
Engaging? Personal, even chatty style?
Creates a bond; uses "you" and "I"?
Appeals to emotions via narrative?
Uses a story instead of facts about organization?
Uses a limited vocabulary, short sentences, and paragraphs?
Have extra adjectives or adverbs, verbal crutches, circumlocutions been edited out?
Uses active voice not passive voice?
Includes a call for giving in the body of the letter and in the P. S.?
Asks for a specific amount, not just for "support"?
Asks multiple times (hard and soft)?
Focuses on how the gift will deliver the mission, not how much the organization needs the money?
Includes "thank you"?
Starts with a personalized salutation?
May include the donor’s name in a critical sentence in the body text?
Reminds the donor of the benefits of giving?
Describes an opportunity for the donor to achieve personal desires by giving to the organization?
Are the claims in the letter believable and the narrative authentic?
Is it clear why readers need to respond right now?
Does the opening paragraph of the letter engage the reader’s attention?
Design
Looks like a letter, not like a memo/marketing brochure?
Photos or graphic elements are correctly placed: top right or middle left?
Scanned signature is high quality; blue if possible?
One signature, not several?
Photos, if any, are of people (making eye contact, if possible) and have captions?
Uses spot or full color in one or more non-text elements (photo, logo, captions, etc.)?
Are important phrases in underline, italics, or bold?
Do underlined, italicized, bolded phrases lead the reader through the appeal?
Uses two pages (front and back) if needed to tell the story without crowding?
No more than seven lines per paragraph?
Typography
Uses a serif typeface?
Letter body is in black only?
No reverse type?
Any color behind the text is limited to 10 percent tint?
Headlines, if any, are in upper and lower case, not ALL CAPS?
Text is flush left or justified?
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