Dear Friend: Dont Start Your Non-For-Profit Fundraising Letters As A Stranger

Dear Friend:

Don't do it.

Don't start your fundraising letters with "Dear Friend."

After all, when was the last time you received a letter from someone dear to you, addressing you as "Dear Friend?" Never, right? The days of the Dear Friend letter are dead. So let's bury the Dear Friend letter together.

I heard recently of a chairman of the board of a national charity who has given his charity millions of dollars and hundreds of hours of his time, yet he still receives their fundraising appeals addressing him as "Dear Friend." Ouch.

Your fundraising letters are intended to make friends as well as solicit funds. So don't send form letters to make friends. Friends write personal letters. Letters addressed to their friends by name. My wife never sends me a letter that begins, "Dear Friend." Neither do my friends. And neither should you when writing to your donors.

I realize that personalization costs more. I know that you save money if you send everyone the same Dear Friend letter. You don't have to insert custom fields into your letter. You don't have to perform a time-consuming mail-merge. You don't have to match the addresses on your letters with the addresses on your reply cards and mailing envelopes (assuming you are using closed-face envelopes).

You can compare your costs for mailing a personalized letter versus mailing a Dear Friend letter, and you'll also find that the Dear Friend letter is cheaper. But I'd like to suggest, and so I will, that you are measuring the wrong thing.

Return on investment shouldn't be your only criteria for measuring the success of your fundraising letters. What about donor loyalty? What about donor attrition? What about the lifetime value of each donor? What about plain old courtesy?

Donors stop giving for any number of reasons, but at the top of the list is feeling unappreciated. Think of that chairman of the board that I mentioned a minute ago. Can't you just hear him saying to himself, as he receives yet another Dear Friend appeal, "I have given this charity millions of dollars and hundreds of hours of my time, and they treat me as though they don't even know my name"?

Yes, Dear Friend letters are expedient. But expedience is not your only aim in running a successful fundraising letter program. Robbing banks is also expedient, but it's not right. Using guilt as a motivator in your letters is also expedient. It raises funds in the short term. But it's not right. And starting every letter with Dear Friend is more expedient than customizing each letter, but it's not the right thing to do.

You should bury the Dear Friend letter because it is impersonal and rude. It alienates perfectly nice donors, people who will continue to support your organization with their treasure, time and talents if you will only treat them as partners and not as automated bank machines. Addressing your donors by name makes them feel special and appreciated.

At the Business Depot where I buy my office supplies, there is a store clerk who always remembers my name. She serves hundreds of customers. Yet when I approach the cash, she makes me feel like I'm a special customer. I feel a little flattered every time. Her name, by the way, is Allyson.

Specialists in customer service have long known that remembering a customer's name-and using it-is one of the most effective ways (and free ways) to encourage repeat business, customer loyalty and free word-of-mouth advertising. The same is just as true in fundraising, although I have no empirical studies to back that up.

Please don't start your letters with Dear Friend. Donors take it personally.

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.

© 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).

---

Money Making Real Estate Marketing Ideas

Real estate marketing is a lot simpler than most Realtors... Read More

Wealth Knowledge & Power ? Lost Secrets From Ancient Masters

Behold! He with the light cometh!He shall light thy darkest... Read More

People Do Business with People They Like

People do business... Read More

You Cannot - Not Market

Everything you do - or don't do sends a message... Read More

There Are Benefits... And Then There Are Benefits

Not all benefits are created equal. Knowing which ones to... Read More

Marketing Without Ego

Our ego can get in the way of marketing our... Read More

Writing To Overpower Your Competition

"We don't have any competition. We're a truly a one-of-a-kind... Read More

Make More Money with Marketing Metrics

Do you know how effective each of your individual marketing... Read More

How Prince Connects With His Target Market!

While Internet legend (and young pup) Frank Kern would have... Read More

The Advantage to Buying Promotional Products Online

Buying your promotional products and corporate apparel online provides five... Read More

How to Start a Big Mail Service

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

The Anatomy of Hype

On a copywriting board I frequent, someone expressed bafflement that... Read More

Client Attraction Technique #3: Study the Competition!

One very powerful and cost-effective marketing strategy is to study... Read More

Knowing When To Charge More and To Charge Less

More And MoreIt was notable that when I started my... Read More

SMS for the Estate Agent - Targeted Marketing Tool, or Legal Minefield?

Imagine having at your disposal a means to immediately inform... Read More

Getting the Maximum Marketing Mileage Out of Your Nametag

As a small business owner, you must always explore creative... Read More

Get Results: Start with Your Marketing Message and Objective

Recently I was talking with a very bright traditional marketer... Read More

A Great Marketing Model ? Utilizing the Power of OPM

Staying ahead of the marketing curve seems to be a... Read More

Direct Mail Strategy - Brand Identity Guru

1. Know your purpose: What do you want your direct... Read More

Comprehensive Marketing Details Not Found in Beginner Books

If this is the first marketing article you are reading,... Read More

Alarming Marketing Trend

One key discipline of successful direct marketing has been to... Read More

Walking Talking Advertisements

So you've made a sale. Great!Now what? You're not just... Read More

Mail Can Make You Money

Are you still waiting for business to turn around before... Read More

10 Essential Criteria For Choosing Your Target Market

A specific group of people you will focus on selling... Read More

Marketing Tips- Who Are You Competing With?

Before you can market, you need to know who you... Read More

Make Your Marketing Solve a Problem

You may be engaged in a marketing activities that are... Read More

How to Booste Your Profit Quickly

There are so many competitions by running business. So you... Read More

Build a Dynamic Business - 10 Steps to Start You Off

It's where your employees are in a 'special place' when... Read More

Uncover Your Hidden Markets

Want a simple, low-cost way to boost your sales? Just... Read More

Advertising Your Private Practice: Beware of the Problems-Part 1

One of the biggest mistakes coaches, counselors and other healing... Read More

Step by Step Guide to an SMS Campaign

SMS is good for:? Short lead times and immediacy ?... Read More

Why Do You Need to be in the SERPS?

Why does your business need to be in the Search... Read More

One-Two-Three Punch Marketing

Printed material is just as important today as it was... Read More