The following donation letter is a copy of the donation request letter used by our group to solicit donations for our project. The body of the letter and the return address heading remained constant in all letters. The addressee heading was formatted for each individual business or individual.  This format allows the business to utilize the donation request letter and their own itemized ledger for tax deduction purposes. It is a good idea to mention tax deductions because many companies especially small and/or local companies may not be aware of the tax deduction potential of the donation. They can donate out of season items, last years stock or even clearance items to your cause or project while deducting their full market value from their taxes at the end of the year. Donations that don’t have a direct market value such as the use of equipment or supplies can be deducted from the company’s taxes in the form of depreciation costs of equipment or materials.

Some larger companies such as Meijer’s, Wal-Mart, and Kroger have an annual budget from donations to worthwhile events or projects. This makes these types of companies good sources for donations. It is recommended that you request donations as early as possible. This is essential if your group, club, or project is following a strict timeline. Large companies may require your group or club to complete a donation request form supplied by the company. This donation request form is usually mailed to a corporate office for consideration. Donation requests are handled on a first come first served basis. The corporate office may require 3 to 4 weeks to process a donation request. Make sure you request donations well in advance of your event or need.

A member of the group or club requesting the donation should deliver the donation request letter in person if possible. This individual should be dressed in a professional manner and be able to answer basic questions about the project. The group member should speak with the owner, the shift supervisor, or the head of customer service. Be polite. Don’t promise something that your group or club can’t provide such as media coverage or recognition of a donation. Thank the individual for their time and consideration of your request even if they decline to donate. Send a thank you follow up letter describing how the donations your group or club received impacted your group, club, project, or the community. (See the sample thank you notes in this booklet). Make certain your follow up thank you is timely. Don’t wait until two months after your project is completed or the group has benefited from the donation to send your thank you.  ALWAYS SEND A THANK YOU ADDRESSED TO EACH INDIVIDUAL DONATOR .  DON’T USE A FORM THANK YOU LETTER.

MAIN COMPONENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE DONATION LETTER

·          Who is asking for the donation?

·          What are you asking for? ( Be specific- not just clothing but infant clothing,              

                   or cookies and cupcakes for 50 people rather than baked goods)

·          Why are you asking for this donation?

·          Who will the donation benefit?

·          What can the donator gain from donating to your group, club or project? (free advertisement by your posting a list of all the donators, recognition in the community if the event is in the local area and/or printed in the newspaper, a tax deduction, and donations to local groups, clubs, or projects are good for public relations and business.)

·         Thank the business in advance for considering donating to your group, club, or project.

·         The name and phone number of a contact person (from the group).

·         Signatures – all group members, or the contact person, or “major” group members (i.e.: president, Vice President, Chairman, Board Members etc. )