Composing Fundraising Letters

Who to Ask | Composing Letters | Sample Letters

Who to Ask

Kintera allows each rider to set up a personal web page to use for collecting donations online. It’s easy to use, and we highly recommend you familiarize yourself with it.

Make a list of EVERYONE you know and have ever known. The environment is a hot topic right now. Most people are supportive of clean air and clean water in the Middle East. Consider including:

Family and Friends

The people closest to you are the most likely to support your efforts. Be sure to include aunts, uncles, cousins and family friends. Don’t forget about your old college friends, sorority sisters, youth group connections and old camp friends.

Your Employer

Many employers are eager to encourage their employees to participate in charitable events. Many corporations offer matching funds for the donations you receive from colleagues at work, or even your total donations. Contact your human resources director to see how they can help you.

Colleagues at Work, School, etc

The workplace is a great venue for fundraising. If you work in a large organization you have plenty of options. Get permission from your employer and spread the word to all the departments in your workplace.

Your Synagogue

This is a fruitful place to fundraise. Ask your rabbi, synagogue President, and different clubs where you can most successfully fundraise within the synagogue. Many congregations have a ”Rabbis Discretionary Fund.” Ask your Rabbi to sponsor you. Be sure to utilize your synagogue directory for names of people you can contact.

Clubs, Committees, Alumni Groups and Associations

Bring information with you when you go to sports, recreation clubs or other volunteer work. People admire those who fundraise, especially since you have to Ride across a country for it!

Business Contacts and Suppliers

If you are in business, you can approach colleagues, clients, suppliers and even competitors to sponsor you. People of all backgrounds care about building bridges in the Middle East and creating a sustainable world for all.

Go through this list and highlight the names of the people whom you believe are potential major donors. A major donor is one who might be able to make a donation of $1,000 and over. These are the people for whom a pledge letter and/or phone call is not necessarily appropriate. Take them to lunch or dinner and explain to them why the Israel Ride means so much to you. Tell them about the Ride and why you are doing something so challenging. Be serious, enthusiastic and sincere.

Asking non-Jewish friends and colleagues for your support

This is a bike ride in Israel-but its broader goals are deeply universal. As Carl Pope, head of the Sierra Club, said in 2003, “When environmentalists lobby on Capitol Hill, we’re ignored. When faith groups take a stand, people listen.” So don’t be afraid to ask non-Jewish friends to support you. As we know, working for peace in the Middle East is something that’s important to a lot of people, not just Jews.

Composing Letters

You can send a letter by mail or email – or both. The content of your letter will basically be the same but there are a few things to keep in mind: If you’re sending a letter enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope for people to send you a check. If you’re sending an email, use Kintera, and include links to your personal page so donors can get there easily. Including pictures and quotes in all of your letters and emails are very powerful tools and they make your request personal.

Your fundraising letter is, above all, a letter from you to people you know and care about. The most important thing to keep in mind when writing your fundraising letter is your recipient. Who is going to be reading this? What would they like to read? There is no single magic fundraising letter but there are a lot of ways that you can make your letter great to help you raise more money.

Read all the tips below to get prepared. Write your base letter or start from one of our sample letters, then read the tips again. Did you forget anything? Can you make it better?

1) Be Personal.

Your letter should be personal and specific to you. Tell your potential funders what the Ride is all about, and tell them why you’re so excited to do it. Tell them about your training and preparation for the Ride. Don’t write “dear friends” or “dear all” – write “Hi Debbie.” Attach a picture if appropriate and possible. Make clear that some thought has gone into who will receive your letter. Add at least one personal line (“I’m going to be in town…”).

2) Tailor the length.

In general, shorter is better; but sometimes there is someone who you feel wants more information. Include more details about the Ride for your friends who are interested in cycling. Tell them more about the Arava Institute if you think they would be interested in peace building and coexistence efforts. Share more about both the Arava Institute and Hazon if you think they would be interested in environmental causes in Israel and the US.

3) Be specific

Give simple and specific instructions about how they can sponsor you. Include the link to your personal page (IMPORTANT: don’t use the long link that you get when you go to your website. You should have a personal direct shortcut link, which should be something like http://arava.kintera.org/2011israelride/yourname. You can find out your direct link when you log on to your Kintera HQ or email David Rendsburg for help.) In case they decide to mail a check, include your home address. Include your fundraising goal, and make it ambitious. Put it in bold! Believe it or not, THE MORE YOU ASK FOR, THE MORE PEOPLE GIVE. Share what your personal financial commitment will be. People are often inspired to see your personal financial commitment and might even be willing to match it. “In addition to training, I am pledging $500 towards my fundraising goal.”

Ask for a specific amount and aim high. Say “Please consider a gift of $180”—they can choose to do so, or choose to give you more/less.

4) Be confident and assertive

Send to the letter to everyone you know —especially relatives, even if you have not talked to them in a long time. Expand your circle of giving by including friends of friends and your children’s or parents’ friends. They will be thrilled to hear from you.
People will be happy to support a cause you think is important. Remember that you are not asking for money for your morning coffee. You are giving your friends, family, and colleagues the opportunity to be a part of creating solutions to existential and environmental challenges in the Middle East.

Remind people about your letter when you see them, and talk to them about the Ride.
The most successful fundraiser in Hazon’s 2005 NY Ride received donations from more than 90 people. When asked the secret of his success, he said, “I sent out an email asking for money—and I kept on emailing people until they gave!”

If you are running an email campaign, send out two additional emails. Tell the people on your list about your training, or thank those (by name) who have already given —and encourage those who haven’t yet (“Oh, Aunt Martha gave—I should too!”) Seeing names of others who have given encourages others to give. Include the Israel Ride website (www.israelride.org) on everything. People can donate to you directly through this site.