If you're in charge of fundraising for a nonprofit organization, well-written donation letters can play an important role in your development efforts. These sample letters asking for donations can be a source of inspiration for creating an effective donation request document for the organization you represent.
All of our sample donation request letters are designed to be edited so that you can tailor-make them to your liking.
Sample Donation Request Letters to Raise Funds
Each of the letters below is designed to meet a specific fundraising purpose. To open any of the samples, simply click the image of the letter that you would like to view. Each example document can be edited, saved, customized, and printed. You can also copy and paste these examples, edit them, and use them in emails to reach potential donors or sponsors.
If you need help downloading these letters, check out these helpful tips.
1. Project Donation Request
This sample donation request letter is designed to be used to raise funds for a specific project:
Insert Greeting (Mr./Ms./Mrs./Dr., etc) Last Name:
Do you ever wonder where the money comes from to clean up the Chesapeake Bay? It doesn't come from the government or from city funds. It comes from organizations like ours. Every day we use that money to pay for crews to travel to polluted regions of the waterway to remove litter, saw apart large debris, and work to prevent soil runoff and erosion. Our organization has successfully removed 200 tons of waste in the past two months alone.
So how do we get the funds we use? That's easy — through the financial support of people like you. As a nature lover, we know you support keeping our waterways clean. Would you help us further our efforts with a tax-deductible donation of $50 or more? With this donation, you will finance an entire day of cleanup and help us buy desperately needed supplies, such as gloves and water test kits.
You can either donate online or by returning the attached reply envelope with a check made out to "Clean the Bay." Please give me a call at 555-555-5555 if you'd like additional information on our organization or its mission. We are rated highly by the Better Business Bureau and are a registered 501 (c)(3) charity. Thank you in advance. We appreciate your support.
Sincerely,
Sally Sue, Executive Director
Clean the Bay
2. Seeking Individual Sponsorship
This letter is designed to be used by individuals who are participating in charity runs, walks, and other events that require soliciting donations and pledges.
Dear First Name,
Ever since my sister was diagnosed with [insert condition] in [insert year], I've been searching long and hard for ways to fight this terrible disease. This year, I think I found a great one. I'm going to be walking 100 miles in the name of finding a cure.
As part of my participation in the [name of organization]'s walk, I'm required to raise [insert the amount to be donated]. This will go directly to the [insert name of charity hosting the walk] and their efforts to cure [insert name of condition]. A donation of any amount would be a great help toward my reaching this goal. You can choose to pledge a dollar amount per mile or just make a contribution in a sum of your choice.
If you'd like to sponsor me, you can send me a check made payable to [insert payment details] or donate online at [insert donation website]. All donations are tax-deductible, and your generosity will play a role in the efforts to find a cure for this dreadful disease. Thank you so much for your support. I will think of you proudly as I bravely pound the pavement.
Sincerely,
Your Name Here
3. Fundraising Event Donation
This letter is designed to solicit donor support for a fundraising event.
Insert Greeting (Mr./Ms./Mrs./Dr., etc) Last Name:
The annual XYZ Fundraiser will be held this year on [insert date] at [insert location]. In order to ensure the success of this very important fundraiser, we are seeking contributions to help defray the costs associated with the event, so that all funds raised can go directly towards the community.
Generous donors like you are the key to our success and make it possible for [insert organization's name] to provide local individuals and families in need with assistance and critical services. We hope that we can count on your support to help us [insert description of the organization's mission].
Your donation will be listed in our event program, as well as on the event webpage. Donations can be made to [payment details] and you can mail your contribution to [insert address]. You also have the option to call [insert phone number] to pledge your support or donate online at [insert web address].
We thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Your Full Name, Your Title
4. Gift for Community Development or the Underprivileged
This sample letter asking for donations is designed to be used in efforts to raise money to support a disadvantaged area, whether it's a poverty-stricken nation or an area that has been impacted by disaster.
Dear Ms. Smith,
Did you know that in Genovia:
- Only 33% of kids get to see the inside of a high school classroom
- 56% of kids will die from starvation or easily curable diseases before they see adulthood
- 98% of the population is illiterate
When I'm asked why we should care about what happens in Genovia, I think about Sophie. When Sophie first came to our school, she couldn't read. As the eldest sister, she was in charge of caring for her siblings while her parents went out and worked. Her future looked bleak: without an education, she was destined to live a life on the streets.
Because of our mobile school for Genovian children, we were able to provide comprehensive care for Sophie's whole family. Sophie went to school, while her younger siblings were also cared for. Sophie is in medical school now. Her goal — to become a doctor and come back to work with Genovian children to provide them with much-needed health care. Investing in Sophie's life was like investing in all of the children of Genovia.
This year, we have the ambitious goal of opening more Mobile Classrooms. Won't you consider helping us give the children of Genovia a brighter future? After all, your small investment can last for generations.
Sincerely,
Your Full Name, Your Title
Take a look at our sample thank you letters too; having a great thank you template on hand makes it easy to show appreciation to anyone who donates.
Using Sample Fundraising Letters
Your final fundraising letter should, of course, be customized specifically for the needs of your organization and written with the interests of your donor base in mind. Whether you review the samples presented here simply as sources of inspiration or use them as templates for creating your final letter, they can help to take some of the stress and uncertainty out of crafting an effective donation request correspondence.
