Templates of Sample Letters to Prospective Donors
The following portion of the Toolkit includes two templates for approaching prospective
donors, one for a direct mail to individuals, the other to request support from an
organization. Be sure to read the following instructions:
 Read the corresponding section in Seven Strategies for Engaging Donors.
 Read through the template carefully.
 Note any sections that are underlined. This is your cue to add your own
information. (Be sure to remove the underlines before sending!)
 While this letter provides an effective direct mail framework, feel free to
customize it with your own stories, mission, terms, wording, etc. The more you
make it your own, the better it will be.
 For the direct mail template, be sure to include a reply envelope.
 For the organizational template, attach other supporting materials as
appropriate, such as your brochure, a copy of the “It’s About How You LIVE”
presentation, a list of your partner organizations, your newsletter, etc.
Template for Direct Mail to Individuals
Put on your letterhead or add your logo
Dear Friend, (Personalize if possible)
Insert Date
Three years ago, Betty was diagnosed with breast cancer. She lived alone and
needed help with caregiving. Thanks to a community-based volunteer support team,
Betty received help with grocery shopping, errands, laundry, home repairs, and meals.
Most of all, Betty received companionship and support during her long and difficult
treatments. Now that her cancer is in remission, she leads a support team for other
people in the community facing serious illness. Betty now helps others feel that
they are not alone.
Following a critical car accident and 4 weeks in intensive care, John’s best
friend was diagnosed as “brain dead.” His friend had never talked with his family
about end-of-life care wishes or completed any advance directives. His friend’s family
was left to agonize about whether or not to continue life-sustaining treatments.
Knowing what he would want for himself, John talked to his wife about his wishes and
completed his advance directives. He discussed his choices with his doctor and gave his
doctor copies of his advance directive documents. Now John trusts that his end-oflife care wishes will be honored and his family will have peace of mind if an
ordinary day turns out differently than expected. John knows he has done his
part.
Every day in our community, people like Betty and John face important
questions about serious illness, caregiving, end-of-life, and grief. Consider
for a moment:

If you or a loved one were seriously ill or in pain, do you know where to get
information about resources and services that could help you?
Do you have plans for the kind of health care you would want and not want if
you became unable to speak for yourself?
Have you talked with anyone about end-of-life care for yourself or your loved
ones?
Would you like to do more to improve the quality of care and quality of life for
people in your community who are seriously ill?



Through (name of your group), our community leaders, volunteers, and staff
are helping people answer these questions. We are helping people in our
community:




Learn about their options for end-of-life services and care
Implement plans to ensure their wishes are honored
Voice their decisions to family, friends and health care providers
Engage in personal or community efforts to improve end-of-life care for others
Through (name of your group), people in our community are learning how to
LIVE!
It’s About How You LIVE!
(Name of your group) offers the resources and support people need to
improve end-of-life care for everyone in our community.
(Insert your own description of the resources, programs, and support you currently offer
or will offer. If you are doing several types of community engagement, consider
breaking your text up into sections with captions that match the other captions For
each section, in addition to the description, state the impact or change you anticipate in
people’s lives as a result of your work. Remember that this letter is a promise to your
future investors, so don’t promise things you know you can’t deliver! )
(Name of your group) helps people throughout our community think and talk
about the kind of end-of-life care they want for themselves. We help people
make decisions and take action to prepare for the future. We help people rest
assured that when they face the end of life, they are not alone.
The Impact Your Gift Will Make in Our Community
Through a gift to (name of your group), you will help provide the resources
and support people in our community need to LIVE life fully. Whether people
are dealing with a difficult diagnosis, thinking ahead about options, or facing end of life,
your gift will make a significant impact in their lives.
Your gift will make a significant difference. Your gift of:
$250 (does what?)
$100 (does what?)
$50 (does what?)
$25 (does what?)
I ask you to give $25, $50, $100, $250 or any amount that is significant for
you. Your gift may be made in memory of someone or in honor of someone. See the
enclosed gift page for giving options. Through a gift to (name of your group), you
will make end-of-life care better for everyone in our community. You will
help us all learn how to LIVE!
Yours,
Your Name
Your Title
P.S. Your gift will have a direct impact on improving end-of-life care in our
local community. Please send your gift today!
Template for Approaching Organizations
Put on your letterhead or add your logo
Dear (Contact Name),
Insert Date
(Name of your group) offers the resources and support people and organizations need
to improve end-of-life care in our community. Working in partnership with local
hospices, hospitals, faith communities, retirement communities (etc…), our community
leaders, volunteers, and staff are helping people deal with difficult questions, such as:




If you or a loved one were seriously ill or in pain, do you know where to get
information about resources and services that could help you?
Do you have plans for the kind of health care you would want and not want if
you became unable to speak for yourself?
Have you talked with anyone about end-of-life care for yourself or your loved
ones?
Would you like to do more to improve the quality of care and quality of life for
people in your community who are seriously ill?
Through comprehensive community engagement we are helping people in our
community:
 Learn about their options for end-of-life services and care
 Implement plans to ensure their wishes are honored
 Voice their decisions to family, friends and health care providers
 Engage in personal or community efforts to improve end-of-life care for others
During the next (6 months/year), (name of your group) will:
(List your upcoming presentations, programs, services in bullet form)
 ?
 ?
 ?
Funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation provides materials, strategies, and
evaluation tools for our community engagement through the National Hospice and
Palliative Care Organization. (List any other types of support you have secured here
from other corporations and/or or a total donation from individuals and corporations.).
Now we ask for your support.
We ask (name of their organization) to provide… (Fill in the specifics of your request. If
the request is for space, specify the space involved. If you are asking for printing,
specify the number of items. If you ask for underwriting or a financial gift, spell out the
specifics. If you are asking for an office space, spell out all the terms. You are making
a specific proposal at this point, so be as specific as possible.)
In recognition of (name the in-kind, underwriting, or financial gift)’s contribution, (name of
your group) will:
(Fill in the ways you will thank and recognize the organization. Recognition must fit the
level of the gift. Examples might include:
 Include (name of their organization) in pre-event publicity.
 Acknowledge (name of their organization) at the event verbally and in print.
 Thank (name of their organization) in the next quarterly newsletter and include (name
of their corporation) on (name of your organization)’s corporate donor list for one year
 Link (name of their organization) as a sponsor on our website
Thank you for considering this request. Do not hesitate to contact me at (???) with any
questions. I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Title