SAMPLE LETTER – Use parts or all of this letter in ways that work best for you.
Also, be sure to check out our “Tips for Personalizing Your Fundraising Letter” document too.
Date
Dear [First name]:
I’ve been part of the ___________ Writing Project (__WP) at the _______University for the past ___
years. The ___WP is dedicated to improving writing and the teaching of writing in the nation’s schools.
My site is part of the National Writing Project (NWP), which is considered a national treasure and one of
the preeminent writing and teacher professional development organizations in the U.S. today.
My participation in the ____WP has completely changed my life as a teacher. (Add here briefly your
personal story with a few examples of the impact of the Writing Project on your teaching, classroom or
students.)
Forty years ago, the first National Writing Project teachers gathered to share innovative practices in the
teaching of writing that invited young people into active engagement with their learning, their lives, and
their communities. They helped launch a writing revolution. Now, as we head into our 40th year, much
has changed. The digital revolution has transformed how we learn, communicate, and participate in
social and economic life. NWP’s national network of teacher-leaders continue to be “educator
innovators” who work together to reimagine learning, help colleagues meet the challenges of new
college and career-ready standards, and support youth in using technology to write, learn, and
participate powerfully in a digitally connected world.
Forty years later, whole new generations of NWP teacher-leaders are working as innovators. “Being
almost 40 means we respond in bolder ways to the changing needs of students and teachers,” stated
Ruth Devlin, 2nd grade teacher at Paradise Professional Development School in Las Vegas and NWP
Board Member. That’s why NWP hosts Educator Innovator, a new initiative that is investing in promising
practices that educate young people for the world they live in today and will lead in tomorrow.
Over 40 years, NWP has grown to a network of nearly 200 university-based, local sites serving all 50
states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, reaching 1.4 million students a
year. NWP is the nation's only professional development network devoted to improving the teaching of
writing in all its forms and across all subject areas, in schools, colleges, and in the community. With your
help, we can continue our work for 40 more.
Writing has the power to transform lives, create deeper learning, and connect us to the world’s
collective knowledge. And no one knows better than NWP teachers that the commitment to writing is
only the start of a long journey toward real and sustainable educational change.
I’m writing today to invite you to support the National Writing Project, the Writing Project site of your
choice, and Educator Innovators across the nation in a simple and direct way.
Celebrate 40 more years of Innovation!
Your contribution = 40 more years of Innovation. No gift is too small.
 $1 for each of our 40 years = a $40 contribution
 $10 for each of our 40 years = a $400 contribution
 $100 for each of our 40 years = a $4,000 contribution
Connie Yowell, Director of Education for U.S. Programs at The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur
Foundation and longtime supporter of NWP notes, “The National Writing Project has been one of our
most effective partners in supporting practitioners both in and out of school in creating 21st century
connected learning environments for youth. Unlike any other educational program for teachers, they
have successfully created face-to-face and online programs to provide vital open access opportunities
for ongoing innovation and learning for practitioners at all levels and at scale across the country.”
Join our growing circle of friends, supporters, Writing Project educators and colleagues to continue to
build a future where every person is an accomplished writer, engaged learner, and active participant
in a digital, interconnected world.
Please make the most significant gift you can, and help spread the word!
Warm regards,
Your Name