Family Letter Writing Campaign
Sending letters to friends, families and colleagues is the most common way to raise funds. It is an informative and non-intrusive to your donors. Ideally it is very personal. Tell your story and people will respond. Here are some tips:
Be clear and compelling
Make sure people understand what you are doing and why you need their help. You may want to include the following information in the letter:
- Introduction – Tell them what you’re doing. Don’t be afraid to say that you are raising money for an issue that is very important to you, autism.
- Tell them why autism is so important to you and why it is so important nationally. Use some statistics from the Autism Facts sheet included in this package.
- Explain who benefits – Talk about the services that TACA provides to families who receive the autism diagnosis. Let them know how many people autism affects. Tell them personal stories about how you have benefited from TACA’s services.
- Send a photograph of the person you love who has autism.
- Make your request – Invite them to get involved by making a donation. Let them know your fundraising goal. Is it $500, $1000, $2,500, $5000 or more! Did you know that the average fundraising letter raises $2,500? People want to support the causes that are personally important to you.
- Give them a deadline – Give your recipients a specific date so they know when you need their contribution.
- Thank them in advance. Let them know how much you appreciate their support.
Personalize your letter
You may want to have a few versions of your letter – one for those who know you well, another for acquaintances and a third for business contacts. If you are writing to business contacts, let them know if your company is supporting you.
Appeal to the heart – and the head
Use quotes, anecdotes and descriptions that appeal to the emotions, and then reinforce those emotions with facts and statistics about the incidence of autism. Personal experiences are especially meaningful. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You’ll be surprised how much some people will want to contribute.
Personalize your envelope
Address your envelopes by hand or run them through your laser printer instead of using labels. Use full return address, so the recipient knows it is personal correspondence.
Make it easy for donors to send money
Clearly state in your letter how to get the donation to you. Tell them that checks should be made payable to TALK ABOUT CURING AUTISM (TACA for short.) It is especially convenient for your donors if you include a self-addressed stamped envelope for them to send your check.
Have checks sent to you
Your donors should mail their checks directly to you, not to TACA. This is important for two reasons. First, it is easier for you to keep track of your total and who has donated if you receive the check first. Secondly, it is our experience that you receive larger donations if the donor knows that you will personally see their gift before it is given to TACA.
Follow Up
If you haven’t heard from people you thought would donate, call them and see if they received your letter, or mention your request when you see them. They may have misplaced the letter or simply not gotten around to sending a check.
Show your gratitude
Everyone likes to know that his or her efforts are appreciated. Make sure to thank your donors with a personal letter and a phone call, if appropriate.
LAST STEP!
Once you have collected the donations for TACA – please mail them to the TACA P.O. Box. Be sure to include a note that the donations are from your family so TACA CAN THANK YOU!
Mailing Address: PO Box 12409, Newport Beach, CA 92658-2409
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! YOU CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!
Foundation Contact Information:
3070 Bristol Street, #340, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Phone: (949) 640-4401
EIN: 27-0048002
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