KaBOOM! Forums

Mufasa,

In my experience with fund raising, it is better to use specific names.  You can have a volunteer core call the stores to ask them the name of the decision-maker, meaning, the person who can give you the gift without getting permission- generally the president or manager.  Although some places have directors of community relations, a fund raising division, etc.  Depends on the size of the company.

For the actual letter, I would stick to no more than a page.  Your letter should be, a catchy intro as first paragraph, the case for support in the next two or three, and the request in the fourth.  The fifth could include instructions on follow up, such as, I will follow up with you by XX to confirm you have received this and to coordinate details.  Can have less paragraphs if need be.  Play to their egos . . . I'm writing you because of your eminent importance in the community.  ALWAYS Include in your letter info on the organization you represent, especially important for you since they probably have not heard of you. Direct them to your website, or, include a brief info sheet or success story from your org.

What bombs?  Typos, Getting names spelled wrong, only asking for the item, cheap looking stationary . . . too small of font.

I've been saving this letter from a community I built with in Vancouver. This might help you get started.

August 1,  2007

Hi,

Remember those days when you were a child at school and you couldn’t wait for the recess bell to ring so you could be the first one outside to get on the swing or slide?  Remember the feel of the wind in your hair and the laughter in the air as you spent hours after school forming friendships and challenging your abilities on the monkey bars?

Well, ABCElementary School, a school in your community, has a unique opportunity to build a much needed playground that will create those memories for our children. With the organizational help of KaBOOM! (www.kaboom.org), a nonprofit organization dedicated to play, the financial and volunteer help of [ insert funding partner], and the volunteer hands of community members, parents, grandparents and children, we will build this playground this summer on Thursday, August 23, 2007! We are calling it Extreme-playground day. The contribution and sweat of our volunteers guarantees that this playground will have more monkey bars, more slides, more climbing walls and more twists and turns than ever. And are we excited? Yes. This playground will be accessible to the students of ABC, grades kindergarten to seven and to the children of ABC’s extended community, the greater Funville district. Active kids are happy, healthy kids. 

We would like to extend to you an opportunity to assist us in this community strengthening experience. On the build day, we will have over two hundred hungry volunteers. To keep them going in the morning and the afternoon, we would like to provide some food. We would very much like to have your organization participate with us in this unique, once in-a-child’s life event. Please know, our volunteers’ appreciation will know no bounds, and the children in our community will long remember this day and your contribution!

There will be media at the event and your contribution will be acknowledged on site. Check out our KaBOOM! website to see what a wonderful experience we are creating.

[ insert project page]

Sincerely,

Volunteer Food Coordinator

ABC Elementary School

Contact Name:

 (home)

 (cell)

@abc.com