How to Write a Good Solicitation Letter  

Once you become a Vertical Challenge participant, you will hopefully give some thought as to how you are going to reach your fundraising goal. We understand that raising this much money can be a bit intimidating, but you can be successful if you plan ahead, start early, use the resources given to you, be creative and have fun!

The No. 1 way of raising money in this program is through a personal solicitation letter. This is a letter that you send to extended family, current and past friends, neighbors, old college roommates, your favorite teacher from fourth grade, and just about anybody else that you can think of.

However, just sending out letters does not guarantee that you will reach your fundraising goal. Everybody is a bit different, and you may need to also think of an alternative way to raising money through corporate sponsorships and special events.

The Process

What makes the solicitation letter so successful is how little time it takes to send to a lot of people. Once you get your letter written, copied, placed in the envelope, and sent out - all you have to do is wait about two to three weeks before you see the first of hopefully many donations come in. The donation process is pretty simple. You place your letter, and a return envelope into an envelope. Send it to everyone away!

Start Soon!

One of the keys to a successful fundraising campaign is starting early! It is important to get your letters out at the beginning! Keep in mind it usually takes two to three weeks before the donations appear in your mailbox

Writing a Good Letter

The key to a successful letter campaign is writing a good letter. Here are some suggestions to writing a successful fundraising letter.

1.     Make it personal We all love to get personal letters, so make your letter personal. Let them know why you decided to this and who it ultimately benefits.

2.     Use humor Everybody loves to laugh, so use humor where appropriate. A combination of the heartfelt purpose behind the Vertical Challenge and a little homespun humor about your addiction to kayaking is a powerful one-two…

3.     Short and to the pointTry to keep the letter to one page. If it is too long, you will lose the reader's interest and who wants to write a long letter?

4.     Use your Honorary Kayaker, (First Descent Participant)Let people know that you are not just paddling, but that you are committing yourself in honor of someone. Introduce your Honorary Kayaker to your donors. Let them know something personal about this person. Finally, tell them the importance of First Descent’s mission programs. We can provide great testimonials to share with you on any of your letters.

5.    Don’t Forget to Ask

This is crucial…What separates this letter from normal letters is that you are asking them to act. Don't just tell them you are doing this, but that you need their help.

6.     Set a Personal GoalIf you don't set a goal and relay that goal in your letter, donors may not know how much you need to raise, and they will need to know your goal in order to gauge what size donation they think is appropriate. It costs First Descents approximately $1,000 per participant for a week-long experience. You’ll probably be surprised by the generosity of some of the people you ask.

7.     Set a deadline People are always motivated by deadlines. This way you can assess your fundraising on an ongoing basis and it conveys to donors a sense of urgency.

8.     Let them know how to donate Tell them the procedure for making a donation. If they are confused, they are not likely to send a donation. All checks should be made out to First Descents, collected by you and handed or sent to the designated Vertical Challenge representative at the EddyFlower address.

9.   Be prepared to send a reminder A lot people will get your letter and say, "What a great thing Joe Cool is doing! Sure I'll help out," and then set the letter down - only to forget about it. The best way to send a reminder is to put it in the form of an update. Write to your donors and tell them how many vertical feet you’ve paddled to date. Let them know that fundraising is going well, but you still have a bit farther to go in order to reach your goal. Ask them nicely if they would consider making a donation in honor of your goal. Often times reminder letters are more successful than original letters when it comes to bringing in the money.

The power of a thank-you card

It is really nice to receive a note that says that your donation was important, not to mention that your donors probably want to know how you did. A good thank-you card shows that you’re a class act and sets you up for the next Vertical Challenge!

These are just suggestions of things we have seen work over the past few years. Of course, the final letter needs to come from your heart and hand. Please call us at First Descents if you want us to review your letter before you send it out.

SOLICITATION LETTER TEMPLATE

December 14, 2006

Dear Potential Donor,

I’m writing you on behalf of First Descents, an amazing organization that provides whitewater kayaking and outdoor adventures for young adults with cancer nationwide. The reason for my letter is simple, I’m involved with, EddyFlower Vertical Challenge a 30 day kayaking competition, and it is my personal goal to raise $1,000 in support of First Descents.

The young adult cancer population, (ages 18-39) is the most underserved population within the cancer world and the programs that First Descents provides free of charge play a key role in a cancer survivors emotional, psychological and physical healing. It costs First Descents approximately $1,000 per camper for a one week session and your donation will go directly toward providing these much needed programs to a very deserving group of people.

To some $1,000 may seem like a lot of money to raise however as a group I know we can do it. Every dollar counts and whether you can make a $15 or $200 donation it will mean a great deal to me and the young adult survivors involved with First Descents. And, your donation is 100% tax-deductable.

Please make your check payable to First Descents and send to Insert Name at Insert Appropriate Mailing Address. Whatever you can give will be greatly appreciated and I want to thank you ahead of time for your generosity and your willingness to help me achieve my goal.

If you have any questions or would like further information about the EddyFlower Vertical Challenge or First Descents please feel free to contact me directly Insert Appropriate Phone Number or at www.firstdescents.com

Very Sincerely,Fundraising Individual

Fundraising: It’s really not hard when you’ve got a great cause(Who, What and How)

Who can I ask to help me raise funds for First Descents!

There are a multitude of people that would gladly give to your campaign on behalf of young adults with cancer! In fact, some of these people might even be put off if you DIDN’T ask them!

Here’s a list to get you started:

1) Your immediate and extended family i.e. parents, uncles, aunts, cousins.2) Friends from work, school, childhood, the gym, yoga, etc.3) Your doctor, dentist, insurance agent, auto mechanic i.e the people who you pay for

services!4) Friends of parents! Get your parents involved with your philanthropy! It doesn’t

matter how old you are, your family will help you spread the word!5) Teachers, professors, mentors, your guitar teacher, your math tutor, your horse

trainer!6) Church/Temple Groups7) Members of any clubs you belong to8) Sports teammates

Something to think about: If you get 50 of the above people to give you nothing more than $20 bucks a piece, you’ve raised $1,000.00.

What ways can I make my “ask”?

Aside from a general e-mail out to your crew, (which we highly recommend as a way to get started), there are numerous creative ways to get the donations rolling in. Any of the below can be customized or changed to meet your specific needs and if you come up with a great idea on your own that proves successful please let us know and we’ll add it to the list!

How do I go beyond a general appeal letter?

1) Host a party at a local bar or restaurant: Make a deal with a local restaurant/establishment where you get the cover at the door and you bring in a crowd! Ten bucks a head and you’re there. Remember you’re not raising money for yourself; tell the owner/manager that it is for First Descents and provide him with our materials.

2) If you’re really feeling it, host a head-shaving party in honor of your temporarily bald brethren under going chemotherapy. I know this sounds a bit over the top however fathers have done this for sons, sons for mothers and football teams for teammates. Another spin on this type of event is to have friends and family pledge money to shave your own head. This type of “radical” event not only raises money but brings awareness to the cause. If you do it, do it with pride! On a similar track you could ask a local barbershop to help you do this and donate $5.00 a haircut on a designated Saturday.

3) Have a killer garage sale! Have friends pitch in items for the sale and make it a big weekend event. Remember one man’s trash is another man’s treasure! Get rid of stuff you don’t need and add to your money to your target goal.

4) Talk to your local newspaper, (I mean very local newspaper) and have them run a story on what you’re doing for young adults with cancer. Talk about our ambassador program and where the money you’re raising goes. You’d be surprised how many people will give.

5) Host a big dinner party and ask people to donate whatever they can in return for a great dinner!

6) It sounds old fashioned but a car-wash with friends on a weekend can raise a pretty good sum! (Remember ALWAYS tell them where their money’s going!)

7) If you belong to a church or social group, see if they’ll help you host a pancake breakfast on behalf of your “First Descents’ Quest”. You can even do it in honor of a church or group member who has had an experience with cancer.

8) Host your own backyard BBQ! One backyard BBQ hosted by one guy (he charged for the food, made a speech about why he was doing it and asked for donations), made over $2,500 in one day!

9) CDs for cash! Take all those CDs you never listen to anymore and bring them to your local indy music store and trade ‘em in for cash. And, if you get friends and family members to give all of their dusty old CDs you can trade them in as well. You won’t make a cool grand, but it’s a start and you never know!

10) Do you go to school with or have any friends that are in a band? Have them play a mini-backyard concert, (or see if a local establishment will let them play on an off-night. Promote to all your friends and charge a cover.

Okay, you get the picture… All of these ideas have not only worked, they’ve worked well! It might take a little work but you’ll have fun doing it and will be left with an unbelievable sense of accomplishment!

Some Valuable Tips to Ensure Your Success

Do not think of fundraising as asking for money for you. You are asking as an advocate for cancer children and their families. The money you raise enables these young adults to participate in a First Descents Program!!!

Ask everyone. Even though you may not have talked to that college friend or second cousin in awhile, it's never too late to resume a connection. Tell them about your commitment to First Descents. Cancer may have affected their lives and they may be looking to give back. 

Ask your friends and colleagues to help you reach your goal. Ask them to share their contacts, send out letters or help to plan a fundraising party. Involve everyone you know. You'd be surprised at how many people you know - even casual acquaintances - who will be eager to support your efforts. 

Carry your fundraising letters everywhere you go, you never know when the opportunity will present itself. Be prepared! Always remember to thank them. People are basically good and want to help, they may not have someone that they know who is philanthropic and would love to give to the cause. 

The best way to fundraise is to use a combination of techniques. Have a fundraiser, do a raffle at your work or at your children’s school, throw your own First Descents shindig at your home or get a local bar involved, get corporate involvement, etc.  

Start early! No reason to wait until you’re behind the eight ball.

Don’t forget about the power of an e-mail. How many friends have you supported over the years who asked you to contribute to their cause?

Ask your boss. Remember, the boss has a rolodex too!!! 

The Vertical ChallengeThe Vertical Challenge is an event that allows kayakers to experience the joy of helping young adults with cancer. When you participate, you represent not only your honorary First Descents’ Kayaker; you also represent all those who donated to your campaign. Make sure everyone realizes that his or her contribution enables First Descents’ to make the life of a young adult cancer patient that much better.

And….And…. 

Just ask!!!