The best donation request letter for church youth group will encourage people to donate what they can while showing gratitude for those that already have. It also celebrates wins and uses specific information so that people can understand the impact of their dollars.
Read on to view our sample donation request letter for church youth group and a few of our tips on how to write one effectively!
Fundraising Ideas for Youth Groups
Before you pen your fundraising letter, you'll need to identify a few fundraisers. If you already have fundraisers in mind, then you're already well on your way. If you're looking for ideas, or would like to add a few more to your yearly fundraising schedule, check out this list of 19 ideas. Or watch the video below.
Donation Request Letter Tips
Before you view a sample donation letter, it's important you understand some of the fundamentals of effective donation letter composition. With this information, you'll be able to write donation letters for a variety of applications and with your own unique spin.
Use Conversational Language
A common mistake that writers make is forgetting who their audience is. Even though a donation request letter is a formal document, you don't want to use complicated grammar and jargon that will dissuade your readers from reading the entire letter.
Instead, write in a conversational tone that's easy to comprehend. Pretend that you're having a chat with a member of your church face-to-face.
Don't Forget Design
It's important you remember that your design choices also play a role in whether people are willing or unwilling to donate. For instance, consider a letter that has small text that's hard to read with lines that are crowded together.
People may be unwilling to try and read the letter since the font size is prohibitive.
Make it as easy as possible for your letter to be read. Choose no more than two different fonts so that it looks cohesive
Consider Formatting
Formatting is similar to design in that the visuals of the letter will either push people away or pull them in. When you're reviewing your draft, pay attention to the formatting. Use paragraphs with only two to three sentences so that they're easier to read.
Break up your letter with bullet points and don't be afraid to use bold or italics when appropriate. This kind of formatting will increase the letter's "scannability," meaning that people are able to scan it from top to bottom and understand the overall message.
Capture Attention
You need to be able to capture your reader's attention in the opening sentence and paragraph. The easiest way to do this is to begin with a positive story or news about your church. Not only does this appeal to people's emotions, but you're also entertaining them with a feel-good story that they can become invested in.
Explain the Need
You'll next want to explain why you're asking for donations and why the request is urgent. This needs to be as specific as possible. If you're asking for donations for a youth group's mission trip, include the date of the trip as well as how the donations can have an impact on the success of the trip.
You can also be specific about how much you recommend to donate. If you explain to families only a $5 donation will get you 15% closer to reaching your goal, you're far more likely to receive those donations. Being specific about the numbers can help simplify the process for people.
Donation Details
You also want to include how they can donate to make it as simple as possible. For instance, include an email or the church's address if readers have any questions or concerns.
Gratitude
Last but not least, you want to begin or conclude your letter with gratitude. Explain again how a donation can affect people's lives or the church's ability to do good in the community. You can also thank previous donors for their contributions.
You'll also want to address any previous fundraising event as well as your successes. You want to celebrate people's kindness and caring and let them know you're grateful for any amount they decide to donate for your youth ministry or church!
Donation Request Letter Template
This youth group sample letter template can help teenagers and young adults who are fundraising for their church's youth group.
Church Name
This is one of the most important aspects of the letter–donors need to be able to quickly identify where the donation is going.
Date
The date ensures that it's not an old piece of mail, and you're able to convey time-pressing news or requests.
Donor's Address
Writing the address on the letter will ensure that you're getting it right on the envelope.
Salutation
We recommend beginning with the donor's name so that the letter feels personally written to them.
Donation Story
Capture attention by beginning right away with a story. You can highlight the church's past successes and the impact donations made. For instance, if you fundraised for a local soup kitchen, let donors know how many families they fed through their kind donations.
Donation Request
You'll continue by asking for a donation. Make sure to use numbers and explain how $10 or $25 can impact your church or youth group. Try to be as specific as possible and include dates.
Donation Details
After your request, you'll want to make it as easy as possible for donors to send in money. Include a link to a web page or a pre-paid return envelope. Explain how they can donate even if it seems obvious.
Gratitude
Lastly, you'll want to end on a high note by expressing gratitude. Thank donors for trusting your church to use their money the right way. You can also thank them for previous donations.
Signature
To formalize the letter, you should hand-sign each letter with your signature with your name and title below. This can also help legitimize the letter for people who are wary of scams.
Sample Donation Request Letter for Church Youth Group
Hi [Donor's Name]!
Over the course of 2020, our church strived to achieve the mission of not letting families go hungry for Thanksgiving. With over $5,000 in donations, over 250 families were able to celebrate the season with full bellies.
We want to make this dream possible again. If you're able to donate only $20, a family will have a hot meal delivered to them for the holidays. It's important that we receive this donation by the end of the month so we can ensure as many families as possible are fed!
Donating is easy–you can send a check or cash through the prepaid envelope. You can also donate through [website address].
Thank you for your time, kindness and for trusting us to put your donation to good use! Without your continued support, our church wouldn't be able to accomplish these acts of charity.
We hope you have warm holidays ahead.
Sincerely,
[Your Signature]
When to Send Donation Letters
It's important to remember that the majority of your fundraising requests should be limited to in-person member appeals when you're at church or during a service. When it's time to mail out letters, focus on sending only a few batches out a year. For instance, you can reserve some fundraising letters for the holidays when people are in a more giving spirit.
You can also plan to send out letters before important events, after a new member has joined, or if you're fundraising to aid people who have experienced catastrophic events. The important thing to remember is that if you send donation letters without restraint, they won't be as effective.
Looking for Letter Templates to Get Started?
Without a framework, or an example, crafting an appeal or a thank-you message can be cumbersome. That's why we built a complete guide that not only offers 105 letter samples and templates for nearly any situation, but also offers specific guidelines to help.
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