Where to Look for New Donors for Your Fundraising Letter Appeals

Have you ever studied your best donors and wished you could clone them all? Maybe you can, with a bit of creative thinking.

1. Friends of current supporters

The first place to look is friends, family and colleagues of your current supporters. The odds are good that your most generous and faithful donors have friends or co-workers or family members who will want to support your cause as well.

One of the most popular ways of acquiring new donors like this is through a Friend-Get-a-Friend program. At the best times during the year (which you discover through testing), you invite your current donors to refer a friend to your organization. This is usually done with a buckslip or liftnote that goes out with your regular fundraising appeal letter. But you can also include a tear-out coupon in your newsletter and a sign-up form on your website.

2. Clients

Another source of new donors is your clients, the people that your organization serves. Naturally, if your clients are homeless or poor, they are not prospects for donor appeal letters. But if your clients are former hospital patients, or university alumni, or retired folks, then you have a valuable source of potential supporters. These people already know your mission, who you serve and how you help them.

3. Volunteers

Another group of individuals that knows all about your organization is your volunteers. They not only know you, they believe in you. That's why they give you their time and talents. Now you can ask them to give their treasure as well.

4. Staff

One advantage of asking your staff for donations is that you know two things about them. You know that they know your case for support. And you know that they have money. So send them an appeal letter. Or better yet, ask them to join your monthly giving program, with their gift coming right out of their pay each payday.

5. Peer groups

One organization I have written fundraising letters for is Doctors Without Borders. They are a group of volunteer doctors and nurses who deliver emergency medical care in places where no medical infrastructure exists, usually because of war or natural disasters. In one acquisition campaign that I worked on, Doctors Without Borders sent acquisition letters to two peer groups-doctors and pharmacists. They reasoned that these two groups of medical practitioners would identify closely with the mission of Doctors Without Borders, even if they were not able or inclined to volunteer overseas.

Does your organization have a professional peer group that is a natural source of donors? Send them a well-crafted appeal letter that speaks to them as peers and is signed by a peer, and see what happens.

6. Affinity groups

Is your not-for-profit affiliated with a particular religious group, ethnic group or service organization? Then you have a ready-made source of new supporters, provided that they also meet your other criteria for suitable donors. If you are an evangelical Christian, for example, as I am, then you can look to fellow evangelicals for donations. If you are Italian-American and you live in Little Italy (in New York City), then you have a large group of folks whom you can approach for funds. If you are a member of Rotary International, your fellow members are a source of new support.

© 2005 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the "About the author" message).

About the author
Alan Sharpe is a professional fundraising letter writer who helps non-profits raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors using creative fundraising letters. Learn more about his services, view free sample fundraising letters, and sign up for free weekly tips like this at http://www.fundraisingletters.org.

---

Seven Common Marketing Problems Solved by Marketing Operations

Corporate marketing groups - especially bandwidth-challenged small-to-mid-sized departments - can... Read More

Mission Position

Ahh, the mission statement. For some companies it simply describes... Read More

There?s More to Marketing ROI (return on investment) Than Meets the Eye

All too often people look at marketing ROI in terms... Read More

Print Marketing Campaign, Whats Important and Whats Not!

Every company searches to lure customers to their product. Unless... Read More

Why Trying to Get the Appointment Can be a Recipe for Dis-Appoinment

Why Trying to "Get the Appointment" Can be a Recipe... Read More

Reinventing The Wheel

Revolutionary ideas have always been the mark of mankind. It's... Read More

Good News Travels Fast

This newsletter is full of opportunities staring you in the... Read More

Postcard Direct Mail Marketing Tips And Ideas

Postcards are perhaps the least expensive way of reaching a... Read More

Is It Time To Kill Your Marketing Program?

Ouch . . . sounds pretty drastic I know, but... Read More

Marketing on the Cheap: Write? Right!!

We all know the value of writing articles for promoting... Read More

The Lone Wolf is Blind

When Advertising, it's not always better to be the lone... Read More

Direct Marketing: Overlooked, Underappreciated, and Unstoppable

Every business needs customers, but more importantly every business needs... Read More

Write It and They Will Come ? 5 Ways that Written Information Products Can Help You Build Your Busin

Whether it's a downloadable report available from your website, a... Read More

Marketing Yourself and Your Business to Thriving!

We all watch the commercials on TV. We hear them... Read More

When Designing Postcards, Aim for Refrigerator Door Mindshare

If you want to design effective marketing postcards, then aim... Read More

Lessons From a Six Year Old

My 6 year old daughter Emily knows exactly what she... Read More

Notable News - Its Not About You!

You enjoy what you do. In fact, you love your... Read More

Choosing Networking Functions

Time is a concern for all of us. We only... Read More

Profitable Marketing Programs Part 2: Figuring Break Even Point

In Part 1 -- I discussed how to consider both... Read More

Gift Cards - Is It Time to Use Them for My Business?

You're probably thinking, here we go again somebody is trying... Read More

Pamphlets and the Money They?ll Put in Your Pocket

People are making a fortune on pamphlets. If you go... Read More

Devious and Deceptive Packaging

Have you read anything in the news lately about childhood... Read More

5 Ways to Upgrade Your Existing Marketing Materials for Practically Nothing!

In addition to direct marketing strategies you want to be... Read More

A Successful Solution: 10 Things to Consider

A provocation for the coming year, decade, century or millennium.By... Read More

Break Even On Your Next Direct Mail Campaign...And Still Generate Huge Profits

With direct mail, you can break even and still claim... Read More

Do You Make These 5 Common Marketing Mistakes?

The famous P.T Barnum once said, "Without promotion, something terrible... Read More

Avoid the Duds: 10 Strategies for Selecting The Perfect Speaker

Today, more than ever, the success of meetings relies heavily... Read More

Marketing Discipline and the Joy of Success

Discipline Is Important.I recently read an article about why discipline... Read More

Always On Stage - 3 Quick Tips for Trade Show Exhibitors

Do you feel uncomfortable when you're in the trade show... Read More

How to Start a Big Mail Service

A BIG MAIL SHOULD CONTAIN:At least three to four Mail... Read More

Trade Shows Are Not a Waste!

According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (the trade... Read More

Fertilizer For Your Grassroots Marketing

Looking for a great way to drive traffic to your... Read More

Is Your Company A Member Of The Community?

One particularly hot south Texas day, I was making a... Read More