How do you write an email solicitation?

When it comes to writing a fundraising email, there are many different styles and formats out there. The most common one we see used by nonprofits is a "cold" email -- essentially just an automated message sent to people who have given money in the past or who might be interested in donating now (or both). This style of email has been around since the early days of email marketing, but lately, they've become even more popular thanks to the rise of crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and GoFundMe.

A lot of nonprofits use these types of emails because they're easy to create, can help raise awareness about their cause, and often result in higher overall donations than traditional fundraising approaches. But if done incorrectly, this type of email could backfire big time! To avoid sending off any fundraising letters that end up with zero replies, here's what not to do when crafting those solicitations.

How do I write a follow-up donation letter?

First things first -- let's talk about how to write a follow-up donation letter. These are usually the emails that come after someone gives directly to your organization via PayPal or another payment platform. It's important to remember that these emails don't need to be fancy or complicated, so long as they clearly explain why you want the person's donation again and provide some way to make contact should they change their mind.

Here are four examples of follow-up donation letters from our own inboxes that work well...and look pretty darn good too.

You'll notice that each example uses slightly different wording and structure depending on the situation. If you were looking for a specific piece of advice, then check out the bolded text below to find out exactly which words or phrases will best fit into certain situations. Otherwise, take a gander at all three examples and try to figure out where yours could go next.

How do you write a follow up email for a donation?

Next, let's move onto other kinds of fundraising emails that people send after making a donation through the mail. While the above example was written specifically for donors giving money over the phone, you can also use it to ask them to donate again via snail mail.

This particular email works really well because it provides a simple reason why the recipient should give again -- namely, that they'd rather receive a physical item in return. That said, keep in mind that this kind of email doesn't necessarily require you to include a personal thank-you card. Instead, simply state that you appreciate receiving their contribution and would love to hear back from them if they ever wanted to upgrade their gift (or something along those lines).

How do you follow up on donations?

Once you reach out to donors, you'll probably start getting plenty of positive feedback. Which means that you'll likely want to continue reaching out to potential new supporters every once in awhile. You can always stick to the same format as before, but you may consider changing up the language a bit based on the donor's response. For instance, if they tell you that they loved everything you sent, then maybe switch up your phrasing to reflect that sentiment. Or if they didn't respond at all, perhaps you could offer a quick apology and say that you wish they had gotten back to you sooner.

If you think a donor might be interested in becoming a monthly supporter instead of one-time contributor, you can also suggest setting up recurring payments. Just be sure to tailor your pitch accordingly. In general, though, you'll want to show appreciation, reiterate how much value they bring to the table financially, and remind them that they can cancel anytime without penalty. And finally, make sure you never forget to ask for referrals!

How do I write a reminder note for contributions?

Finally, let's talk about fundraisers that focus on reminding contributors to contribute again in the future. As mentioned earlier, these emails tend to be more formal than others. They almost always involve a personalized greeting, followed by a list of reasons why the recipient should support your mission. Then, when appropriate, you'll close with a request for additional funding.

While this approach sounds straightforward enough, there's actually quite a bit of room for interpretation. Keep in mind that while this email isn't meant to sound overly salesy, you still need to convey urgency to its recipients. So instead of saying things like "We appreciate your ongoing support," you may want to add phrases such as "we need your help right away" or "it won't be possible to meet our goals otherwise."

To put it bluntly, it's hard to convince someone to part with their cash when you know deep down inside that they already gave you whatever you asked for. So instead of coming across as desperate, you'll want to communicate that you truly believe in your cause and that you value their input. Finally, when you do ask for a second contribution, make sure you include a clear call to action. Don't simply leave it hanging out there in the body of the email. Rather, specify what else the recipient needs to do besides hit the "submit" button.

And that wraps up our guide to writing effective fundraising emails. Remember, while creating compelling messages takes practice, doing so can pay dividends down the road when it leads to increased donations. Take advantage of this opportunity to improve your bottom line today. Good luck!

How do you write a follow up donation letter?

How do you write a follow up email for a donation?

How do you follow up on donations?

How do I write a reminder note for contributions?

1. The Subject Line

Email subject lines aren't as important as they once were because spam filters can catch them easily these days. Still, if you're sending emails with similar content to previous ones that worked well, you should consider using something simple and straightforward.

"Please donate today!" may work sometimes, but other times, you'll get better results from something like this:

New York City Teenage Cancer Survivor Fundraising Campaign Needs Your Help!

I need $100k to fund my next project -- please help me reach my goal before I run out of cash!

The New Zealand Red Cross needs support after the devastating earthquake.

Help us keep our promise to kids by giving generously to the cause of their lives.

If you have a new campaign going live, make sure to include some sort of call-to-action at the end of the subject line. You could use words like "donate," "support," "join," or "help." A good rule of thumb is to try to avoid any language that sounds too much like begging.

Don't forget about mobile devices

Most smartphones and tablets come equipped with powerful web browsers, so it makes sense to design your solicitations with those users in mind. Make sure you test all links and images on desktop computers first, then move over to phones and tablets.

In the world of nonprofits and crowdfunding campaigns, one of the most important parts of writing a successful fundraising email campaign is knowing what kind of language people are likely to be receptive to. Whether it’s through Facebook ads or direct mail or social media outreach, every piece of content being sent out has to have some sort of hook to keep readers engaged with your cause. While there are many different types of hooks to choose from, one of the easiest ways to get people excited about donating money is by using a personal story. A compelling anecdote can make someone think differently than they would if you just told them “we need help funding our project.”

A good example of this is when I recently asked my friends on Twitter whether they had ever been approached to donate to a charity by their colleagues at work. The response was pretty interesting because while everyone said yes, very few were willing to share details about why they donated or who made the request (it could even be as simple as "I saw your tweet" or something similar). In other words, not only did these people know exactly where to find me but also knew enough about me to approach me personally instead of sending a generic email.

This is all part of developing your own fundraising funnel so that you don't have to rely too heavily on outside services like Fundly or GoFundMe. If you're looking for more information on how to build your own fundraising machine, we've got you covered!

What is a solicitation strategy?

When working with any type of marketing campaign, you want to determine which strategies will best reach your target audience. For instance, if you’re running a fundraiser for your local food bank, then you probably won’t focus as much attention on reaching potential donors via Instagram posts. Instead, you might spend a lot of time creating flyers and canvassing neighborhoods to spread awareness of the event.

The same goes for fundraising solicitations. Every email you send should serve a specific purpose—whether it’s getting people physically involved in your organization, spreading word around town about your mission, or simply building credibility among those who already support your cause. These days, however, you may actually want to use multiple methods to achieve each end goal. So let’s take a look at three effective fundraising techniques to consider before crafting a single email.

How do you politely ask for donations?

One of the most common ways fundraisers ask for money is through email. But before you go ahead and start mass-mailing your supporters, first try thinking about the kinds of messages you typically send out to your network. Maybe you regularly update followers on progress towards achieving goals or maybe you create surveys to gather feedback from members of your community.

Whatever it is, your email list serves as the perfect place to deliver relevant communication. To ensure that your recipients aren’t overwhelmed with unimportant correspondence, always include a clear call to action right near the top of your email. This way, your subscribers will instantly understand what you want them to do next.

For example, here’s a basic template for a fundraising email that includes both text and graphics:

Subject line: Help us fund our new program! [Your organization name] needs your financial backing to launch its newest initiative. Please click below to learn more.

Body copy: Hi [recipient],

Once you have decided upon a general format for your email, it’s time to dive into the actual body. It’s easy to fall back on cliches and tired phrases, especially since you have no idea if anyone will respond if they open up your email. You’ll definitely want to avoid sounding desperate or overly dramatic; after all, you’ve spent months cultivating relationships with supporters, so you shouldn’t come across as though you need a handout now.

Instead, remember to speak directly to your recipient. Write concise sentences that give context and offer value rather than trying to sound professional. Be sure to highlight key points and share facts that demonstrate why you deserve their support. Then wrap things up nicely by reminding them of past accomplishments or mentioning future plans involving the organization.

Finally, never assume that your email will automatically generate replies. Even if your recipients see nothing else on your site besides the email itself, they still might feel compelled to comment on the fact that they read your message. Your website is often the best place to collect contact info and add links to various projects to reinforce the importance of your fundraising efforts.

What do you say in a donation message?

Another element of your fundraising email is the amount requested. Unlike fundraising websites, where you can set a minimum dollar figure per person, you'll usually need to specify a certain number of dollars per month in order to qualify for a grant or loan from a government agency. Because of this, you must decide on a fair price point and stick to it throughout the entire process.

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, consider selling tickets to a concert or game instead. With ticket prices ranging anywhere between $5-$100 depending on the venue, you can easily gauge how many seats you’d need to fill before deciding on a price. Once you have determined this number, divide it by 100 to arrive at a monthly budget. Now, multiply that sum by 12 to account for the length of your fundraiser, giving yourself a final total. Finally, round down to the nearest hundred and voila – you have your price range for ticket sales.

You can apply this formula to anything that involves asking for monetary contributions. When it comes to charitable organizations, you can either charge based on annual membership fees or set fixed amounts per year. Whatever method you choose, it’s worth noting that higher rates mean fewer people will be able to afford your service. Of course, you can always lower the rate once you receive funds from individual contributors, but you run the risk of alienating long-time supporters.

As you begin building your email list, you must also establish a system for collecting payment. There are tons of options available nowadays such as PayPal and Stripe, but whatever platform you settle on should allow you to accept credit cards or debit cards without requiring additional verification steps. Otherwise, you’ll lose valuable donor data.

Lastly, you’ll need to remind your recipients of the deadline for making payments. As mentioned earlier, you should never assume that a reader will reply immediately to your email, so you’ll want to include instructions for submitting payment within 24 hours. Depending on the nature of your fundraiser, you may also wish to provide instructions for recurring donations over longer periods of time.

What is a cultivation email?

Since your primary objective isn’t necessarily raising cash, you may occasionally opt to send targeted emails to existing supporters. Sometimes called “curation” emails, these messages act as a reminder to check out your latest updates or invite them to join special groups related to your cause. For example, if you’re starting a non-profit focused on helping children living in poverty, you might periodically send out messages highlighting stories of success to encourage current donors to stay involved.

Of course, curation doesn’t happen overnight. Many times, you’ll have to wait until you’ve built a solid relationship with your supporter base before you can safely send out these sorts of emails. After all, you wouldn’t want to annoy longtime fans by bombarding them with irrelevant communications. Just be careful to make sure that your emails contain useful material and aren’t full of fluff. That being said, you should definitely craft several separate messages to maximize conversion rates and increase overall engagement levels.

While you can certainly benefit from automation tools like MailChimp, Constant Contact, Campaign Monitor, etc., you’ll ultimately save time and effort by manually managing your lists. After all, you’re only going to get better results by doing everything yourself.

When it comes to email solicitations and marketing campaigns, there are two ways of doing things: You can either send out a mass message at once or take baby steps with each one individually. If you're looking to raise money from donors on behalf of your organization without wasting precious time, then this approach will be more effective than sending out a bunch of emails all at once.

This article explains what a solicitation email is, why they work so well, and some tips to help you craft yours into something that gets results.

What is a solicitation email?

An email solicitation usually refers to any type of email sent by nonprofits to their supporters (individuals who contribute regularly) about specific projects or events. These emails tend not to include much information about your organization itself, but instead focus mainly on raising awareness for the project or event you want people to donate towards.

If someone doesn't know anything about your cause, then they might just ignore these types of messages altogether. However, if they have already been supporting you throughout the year, then they'll likely open them up and give those funds over as soon as possible. This kind of communication is also referred to as "warm" because it feels like a personal interaction between yourself and another person, rather than impersonal and automated like most other forms of digital communication.

Why do email solicitations work so well?

As mentioned above, warm-style communications are generally preferred when communicating with others. Because these emails feel similar to real life interactions, many people will respond positively to them. And since the majority of emails aren't personalized, this also means that most recipients won't think twice about giving away their hard earned cash to whoever sends them.

The fact that these kinds of emails often come straight from the source of the fundraiser makes them even easier to trust, which increases the likelihood that the reader will click through and make a donation. It's worth noting that while this works well for charities, non profit organizations, causes, etc., it may not apply to businesses. For example, if you were trying to convince potential customers to buy a product or service from you, they'd probably prefer to hear directly from the company themselves.

Also note that most fundraisers use variations of this technique to spread word about upcoming events, such as concerts, film screenings, and workshops. So whether you're soliciting donations for a movie screening series, concert tour, or school field trip, you should always try to incorporate a few of these techniques into your own emails to ensure maximum effectiveness!

Finally, remember that email is cheap. Sending out thousands of emails costs very little compared to traditional methods of advertising like print ads, radio spots, billboards, and television commercials. So if you want to reach a large audience, using email is definitely the way to go.

What does cultivation mean in fundraising?

Cultivation in fundraising takes place every day among various nonprofits across the world. The term was coined back in 2009 by author Mark Granovetter, who studied the behavior of social networks and developed the concept of "weak ties." In short, weak ties refer to individuals who may not necessarily be close friends or family members, but still play an important role in spreading knowledge amongst other groups.

For instance, let's say I'm working at a nonprofit called Food Rescue Incorporated. As part of my daily duties, I am responsible for making sure everyone has enough food during the week. My job isn't exactly glamorous, but it helps me stay connected to the community around us. Since we don't eat our meals together everyday, I need to cultivate new connections outside of the office to keep myself informed. That's where people like my wife and neighbors come in handy. They're able to provide valuable insight into different aspects of the local food system that I wouldn't learn otherwise.

In order words, cultivating relationships is crucial to increasing donations. But if you're wondering how to cultivate relationships, here are five strategies to consider:

1. Create a newsletter

By creating a regular newsletter focused solely on current news related to the issue you care about, you show readers that you value their opinions. By sharing interesting articles, editorials, interviews, and updates about the topic, you demonstrate that you understand their concerns and empathize with their situation. Plus, having a regular publication shows that you put thought into your writing and research skills, which creates credibility within your readers' eyes.

2. Share relevant content

You've heard the saying "content is king," right? Well, it applies to both sides of the equation - both the writer and the recipient. When you share relevant content, including links to quality media sources, you'll increase engagement rates. People love learning new stuff and taking action based off of good advice.

3. Interact

Being active on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter allows you to interact with fans and followers alike. Through comments, likes, retweets, and shares, you create meaningful conversations with people who support you and appreciate your efforts. Not only does this build goodwill with your audience, but it also gives you the chance to connect with influential influencers whose input could prove useful in future endeavors.

4. Be genuine

People enjoy interacting with those who seem authentic and interested in connecting with them. Even though you may not personally know everyone reading your emails, you can still portray a sense of authenticity by being sincere. Letting your personality shine through can lead to increased interest in your campaign and greater chances of getting replies.

5. Personalize

Although you can certainly find success by targeting certain demographics, such as parents living near a particular school district, it's best to customize your emails according to individual preferences. When you tailor your messaging to address the needs of your target group, you stand out from the crowd and increase your odds of receiving positive reactions.

What is a stewardship email?

A stewardship email is similar to a cultivation email, except that it focuses primarily on informing people about your mission and goals. While you may occasionally receive emails requesting monetary contributions, you typically see these types of emails coming from higher ups within the organization.

Some examples of stewardship emails would be ones that offer guidance on how to improve volunteerism programs, explain how volunteers help with special initiatives, or highlight the importance of donating to worthy causes. Basically, anything that encourages long-term commitment to your organization and its mission will fall under the category of stewardship emails.

It's easy to confuse stewardship emails with general fundraising emails, especially if you haven't worked with nonprofits before. Keep in mind that while these kinds of emails may look slightly less professional than standard fundraising letters, they serve a purpose completely separate from raising money. Instead, they inform your donors about what they can expect from your nonprofit moving forward, thereby encouraging them to become more engaged with your organization.

Ultimately, no matter what kind of email you decide to send, crafting a compelling appeal will help you attract attention and garner responses. Remember that you never know who you'll impress until you try!

Have you ever used email solicitation tactics to promote your nonprofit? What do you think of this method of fundraising? Do you have any suggestions for improving the process? Please leave your thoughts below!

Originally written by Sarah Tamburri.