Boost Your Fundraising: How to Write a Compelling Donation Letter for Your Nonprofit (With Examples)

When it comes to non-profit membership organisations, donations can really make a difference in overall revenue. That’s why putting your best foot forward when reaching out for donations is super important.

A great way to ask for donations is through emails that share your cause, the good work you’re doing, and why people should consider contributing. Donation emails are better than traditional letters because you can easily add a link that takes people straight to the donation page, making it much easier for them to give. With a letter, they have to take a few extra steps to donate.

Sending donation emails to your members, contacts, sponsors, and the general public is a smart move to help bring in more funds for your goals.

A well-written donation email can really boost your fundraising efforts. You can inspire generosity and build meaningful connections with supporters by sharing compelling stories, showcasing your successes, and providing an easy way to donate.

Let’s dive into:

• Why donation letters are important 
• How to craft a great donation letter
• When to use donation letters 
• How to take donations via Member Jungle 

Are Donation Letters/Emails An Effective Fundraising Strategy For Nonprofits

Donation letters are a reliable method for raising funds for your non-profit organisation. In fact, 16% of all non-profit revenue comes from email donations. According to a survey of over 1,000 not-for-profits, email newsletters and donation requests via email rank as the third and fourth most effective ways to get donations, following only your website and social media. 

In slight contrast to this statistic, the same survey also examined which form of donation request recipients found the most likely to inspire them to donate. The reported that email donation letters were the most effective, followed closely by social media, and then websites in third place.

So, whatever way you slice it, donation letters/emails are an extremely effective way to get donations for your nonprofit. So, with that in mind, let’s look at how to write an excellent donation letter. 

How To Write An Effective Donation Letter

There are several aspects to writing a good donation letter, which we’re going to cover below. Before we dive into the individual aspects, there are a few general tips we should go over. 

Firstly, you should ensure your writing is simple and clear. There is no need to use overly complicated, flowery language; leave your thesaurus at home and keep it simple. 

Secondly, use AI tools to help you write your donation letters. I have all the usual objections to artificial intelligence; however, it is a great tool when it comes to helping augment your writing. If you aren’t a particularly confident writer, AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini can really help you write a donation email that is easy to read, engaging and well put together; if you are a confident writer, then AI tools will just help you achieve that quicker and easier. Whatever you do, don’t let the AI do all the work; you need to be involved, make sure you add a human touch, and ensure the AI doesn’t get too carried away.

At the end of the day, AI is a bit like a plane’s autopilot; it’s super useful and can make your life a lot easier, but you definitely still need a real person behind the controls. 

Key Elements of a Compelling Donation Letter

A great donation letter can be broken down into five key components:

• Subject Line
• Greeting & Introduction
• Pitch / Call To Action
• Closing / Thank You

 

So, let’s go through each one piece by piece and talk about what they need to involve, and what makes them stand out. 

1. Subject Line

Your subject line is your hook; it is the first and possibly the only part of your email that recipients will see. Therefore, it needs to be attention-catching and compelling to entice your recipients to open the email and read the rest of your pitch. 

Crafting a compelling subject line for a donation email relies on being clear yet concise while immediately suggesting the opportunity to make a difference. It should appeal to the reader's empathy by highlighting the impact of their potential gift on those in need. Consider creating a gentle sense of urgency or showcasing a specific, tangible goal. 

Personalisation, when possible, adds a direct touch, and keeping it brief and mobile-friendly ensures that the message isn't lost. Ultimately, the best subject lines quickly convey the chance to contribute to a meaningful cause and inspire an immediate open.

As an example, here are some potential subject lines for a donation email for an animal shelter.

• [FIRST NAME] Give a Dog a Second Chance for Just $20 Today. 
• Five Minutes Can Rescue a Puppy: Give Them a Future Now. 
• [FIRST NAME] Your Coffee Money Can Save a Dog Today. 
• Don't Let Time Run Out: Save a Life in Minutes.
• Give a Desperate Animal Hope in 5 Minutes: Be Their Hero. 

 

These subject lines are all short, to the point, and appealing to the readers' empathy. Additionally, subject lines with personalisation, i.e., including the recipient's name, have a significantly higher open rate than those without. 

2. Greeting & Introduction

When writing a donation letter, it's important to include a personal touch right from the greeting. Always use the recipient's name with dynamic fields if possible. If you don't have their name, use a suitable backup greeting, such as "Hi there" instead of "Hi [First Name]." Avoid impersonal greetings like "Dear Sir or Madam."

After the greeting, the introduction should quickly and clearly state the purpose of the letter. Engage the reader immediately by emphasising the urgency or opportunity available. For example, you might say, "I'm writing to you today with an urgent request to help [who you are helping]" or "We're reaching out because we have an exciting opportunity to expand our vital programs."

This section is not your full pitch; it's just an introduction to it. You want to quickly present yourself and your request without wasting any time.

To illustrate, here's a strong introduction to an animal shelter request:

"Hi [FIRST NAME],

As you may know, we at the Animal Shelter care for beloved furry friends who are lost, injured, and searching for their forever homes. However, we need just a few minutes of your time to ensure we can continue helping these wonderful animals. All these good boys and girls need food, vet visits, and upkeep so we can keep them happy and healthy until they find new homes, and we need your help to make that happen."

This introduction clearly presents the organisation in question, outlines what they do and what they need, and emphasises that this is a quick matter. They don’t need an afternoon; this is an email you can read and respond to while your coffee is brewing. 

3. Pitch / Call To Action

This is the core of your donation email, where you connect with the reader on an emotional level and inspire them to take action. The goal is to move beyond simply stating your needs and instead illustrate the impact of their potential contribution through compelling narratives and tangible examples.

You don't want to just say if you give money, you can help us do this wonderful thing; you want to tell them a story. Tell them about a time when a dog could stay at a shelter thanks to donations and then could be rehomed. Tell them about a kid who could afford new school books and felt so much more confident in school because of it, thanks to donations. It comes down to the classic rule: show, don't tell. Show them how their donations help. 

Use vivid language to paint a picture and evoke empathy. Be specific about what different donation amounts can achieve to show the tangible impact of their generosity. While urgency can be a motivator, ensure it feels genuine and aligns with the immediate needs of your organisation.

Ultimately, this section should leave the reader feeling emotionally connected to your cause and clearly understand how their donation will make a real difference in the lives of animals. It should naturally lead to a clear and compelling call to action.

To illustrate, here's a strong pitch for our running animal shelter example. 

“Meet Burp. This handsome little guy was found wandering near a busy road in the city. 

He was clearly someone's beloved pet; he had a collar with no phone number, he was friendly, used to human touch, and in relatively good health. Our team scanned him repeatedly for a microchip, hoping for a quick reunion with his family. Sadly, no chip was detected.

Burp spent over three months safe with us, enjoying regular meals and the comfort of a warm bed, while we hoped his family would come to find him. He enjoyed getting pets from our volunteers, thoroughly enjoyed his meals, and had the unusual habit of burping loudly after he ate, hence the name.

Thanks to donations from kind people, Burp was able to stay with us until, eventually, after more than three months, his family found him. Burp was beyond thrilled to be reunited with his family, who had spent the last months desperately searching for their beloved cat. By all accounts, he is enjoying being back at home and has a new collar and microchip to ensure that if anything ever happens again, he can be returned home quickly.

However, not all the cats and dogs we help here are so lucky. It's expensive to feed, house and take care of these animals, and unfortunately, not all of them can find homes in time. However, with your help, we can extend the time these lost little friends have to find new homes. Even a small donation can go a long way in giving us more time to care for and find homes for these little guys.

• $25 can provide a warm, comforting bed for a vulnerable animal.
• $50 can help us give a sick animal essential medication.
• $100 can contribute towards life-saving surgery.

We've been a lifeline for countless animals across our region, giving them a second chance at happiness. But we can only continue this vital work with your support.

Please open your heart and make a donation today. Your generosity will bring hope and healing to animals in desperate need.

[Donate Now Button with prominent link]”

This pitch shares a story that emotionally engages the reader and encourages them to donate to your cause. While not everyone has a goofy-looking cat like Burp to capture people’s hearts, you can still craft a compelling narrative to include in your donation letters. Plus, it ends with a strong call to action, outlining what the money will do and how you can donate. 

4. Closing / Thank You

Finally, thank your readers for their time, consideration, and potential donation. You might also encourage them to forward your email to anyone interested or share your cause on social media. Some people frame it as an "If you can't donate, please share" message, which helps increase visibility for your donation letter and the good cause you are supporting. No matter what you do, be polite and thankful. 

Example of An Effective Donation Letter

This is the example we have been working on throughout this article, compiled to give you a rough idea of what a finished donation letter looks like. 

 

How To Take Donations Via Member Jungle

So, now that we’ve covered why donation letters are super useful and how to write one, let’s look at how to take donations via your Member Jungle site. The best way to collect donations through Member Jungle is by setting up custom products in your organisation's online store. Create a new product and label it "Donation $5," setting the price at $5. Be sure to include any relevant information in the product description. I recommend creating several different donation products at various price points, such as $5, $10, $25, $50, and $100. This approach allows people to donate at their desired amount. It gives them the option to purchase multiple donations if they wish to contribute a different amount.

You can see this in practice below on the website of the Embroiderers Guild of WA. 

 

 

This is a really simple way to quickly and easily enable your members and the general public to make donations to your club or association. Just ensure that you label everything very clearly; you want to ensure that everyone knows that they are donating money, not purchasing a good or service. 

Then, when this is all done, just make sure this page is linked to your donation letter's call to action.

How Else Can You Make Extra Money Via Member Jungle?

If you are looking for some more ways besides donations to increase your organisation's revenue, I’d recommend having a peek at How You Can Make Money With Member Jungle.