Example 1. (generally outlining the project to local businesses/Groups, Rotary Clubs etc)
Dear
In Weymouth, there is a lack of play facilities for children in the 8 – 16 age group. This in turn is creating areas around the Borough where children are congregating, with their skates, skateboards, scooters and BMX bikes causing criminal damage and social problems for residents, businesses, pedestrians and private property. The Police continually receive complaints.
We are pleased to tell you that, since presenting a Petition to the Borough Council earlier this year, they have agreed to help – and have allocated an area in Radipole Park for specialised equipment to be installed. We, as parents, have joined with the local community, formed a partnership with the Council, local Church, youth groups, schools, the Police, and have set up ‘Radipole Funseekers.’ Our non-profit Group is run by a Committee, our aim being to encourage children to meet, and socialise, at the ‘Street Course;’ to pursue their activities in safety, and, in an appropriate place. This will enable children to come from the surrounding areas along the cycle track to a purpose-built area. This facility will be free of charge, in a public park, which the Council have agreed to adopt for maintenance and insurance purposes once it is installed.
Our next step is to raise funds for the equipment – a quote of £20,000 has been given – and St Aldhelm’s Church have kick-started the fundraising with the magnificent sum of £5,000. With the children, we are planning all sorts of fundraising activities over the next few months, as well as applying to as many Grant Funding Bodies as possible.
We would be most grateful if you could consider donating something from your shop for us to use, as either a raffle prize, or to create a special competition with. You have always been most supportive of the fundraising activities I have been involved in and I hope you’ll forgive yet another approach. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you wish to discuss this further or would like to become more involved. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely ……..
Example 2. (another way of saying the same as above)
Dear Sir/Madam
I am writing to you on behalf of Radipole Funseekers, a group recently formed as a partnership between the community, St Aldhelm’s Church and Weymouth & Portland Borough Council.
In Weymouth, there is a lack of play facilities for children in the 8-16 age range. Some of the children then hang around the streets, causing problems for residents, by using skateboards and skates where they should not be. There has been some minor damage, the police are regularly called, and the whole situation has become very negative.
We hope to get a free, open space/skating area so that there is somewhere for the children to congregate away from residents and the local Church car park. This will be an area where the children can practice their skills for as long as they like, for free and on safe equipment.
W & P B Council has now allocated a piece of land in our local park, which is in a good central location for all the children in the Borough. The next step is to raise funds to tarmac and install the specialist equipment. St. Aldhelm’s Church has started the fund with £5,000 and the Council has now also pledged £5,000. The total for the whole project is £20,000 – so we are already halfway there.
The children have several fundraising functions in the pipeline and, hopefully, these events will not only raise funds but also bring the community together to help solve the problems we are experiencing.
Please, would your Organisation (Company/Group etc) be able to help with this project, as a non-profit group we would be extremely grateful for any help you could give us.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely ……
Example 3. (approach to local schools for a non-uniform day; large secondary schools are very supportive of this type of fundraising in our experience, and can generate a substantial sum, say at £1 per person)
Dear (the school Head’s name)
A few months ago [you very kindly allowed a Petition to be circulated at School]
[a Petiton was circulated locally]
in support of a free, wheeled play facility for the local community. As you are aware, there is a lack of facilities for children in the 7 – 16 year age range where they can socialise and practise their sports. Because of this, they hang around the streets with skateboards and skates with their group of friends, and cause problems for residents, businesses, pedestrians and private property. The local Police continually receive complaints.
We are pleased to tell you that, since presenting the Petition to the Borough Council, they have agreed to help and have allocated a space in Radipole Park for a specialised ‘Street
Course’ to be installed. We, as parents etc…….. (see above letter Example 1.)
Our next step ……. (copy Example 1)……. £5,000, which Weymouth & Portland Borough Council have generously matched. To date we have been pledged £10,000, so we are already half way there!
We would like to ask if you would kindly consider whether the School could have a non-uniform day in support of our fundraising please? We know that many of the children who attend (name of school) would make good use of this facility and have expressed a desire to be involved in this project. We feel it will enrich our local community and help alleviate some of the social problems currently occupying the local Police.
We hope you will also feel it is a worthwhile cause. Please don‘t hesitate to contact me if you require any further information. Thank you for giving this matter your consideration.
Yours sincerely …..
(signed) Chairperson (of your Group)
If you can find out the person’s name, so much the better. A personally addressed letter commencing Dear Mr ……… and ending ……. Yours sincerely ………. shows you have done your homework. Make sure you get their title correct too. a quick phone call to the Company’s switchboard will give you the information you need.
a. I am writing to see if your Company is able to help.
b. Following our conversation in your Store (Shop) I am writing to see if your Company is able to help.
c. I have spoken to ………….., the Manager at your Weymouth Branch, who has suggested that I write to you. I believe she/he may have already spoken to you about our project.
d. I am writing to you to ask if your Company would kindly consider donating a raffle prize for a fundraising event, a Roller Disco, on …………. at ……………………………..
e. As you are soon to open a (shop/restaurant/branch etc) in Weymouth, I am writing to ask if you would consider helping a community project near to where the new …… will be sited.
Follow on with the paragraph commencing ….. ‘In Weymouth etc …………..’ (Example 1.)
When you are enthusiastic about a project it is easy to go into too much detail and waffle on - before you know it, you have written reams. It IS difficult to reduce wording when there is a story to tell, so try to keep the information as compact and precise as possible. If you can indent with bullet points and highlight key words, it keeps the layout tidy and helps keep the interest of the reader. This is particularly true when dealing with the media and writing ‘press releases’ - they receive hundreds and need to be able to ‘speed read’ the basic facts to see if it will make a good story – they will barely scan it and perhaps miss important details, if it looks long to start with.
Your chosen recipient may not be aware what a skatepark or street course is - or even what they look like; using alternative words which will create a picture for them is very helpful. For instance, instead of using the words ‘skatepark’ or ‘street course’ you could say:
| Free, wheeled play facility for children in a local park |
| Specialist equipment, specifically for skateboards and skates |
| Ramps and rails specifically designed for the use of skateboards and skates, in a safe and appropriate environment |
You will probably come up with some great ideas of your own once you start thinking about it!
No matter what is received - everything can be utilised; the giver needs to feel they have made a difference to your project. ‘Thank you’ letters are very important as the giver may consider donating again in the future if you form a warm, appreciative contact with them at the outset.
If you are given an item from a shop or a gift voucher instead of hard cash for your project – put it to one side for use as a prize in a raffle, tombola etc which is raising money for your scheme. At worse, if the item is not suitable as a prize, raise money with it by including it in a table-top or car boot sale.
In your thank you letter try to include some of the following:
| Mention the precise item donated (either the sum of money or actual item) |
| Say where it is going (ie. Money – into the fund; item – this will make a wonderful prize in our Raffle/Tombola to be held ……..(or say, at a later date) |
| If it is a substantial sum of money – tell them how generous they were and that it will make such a difference to the project |
| If it’s a big prize – like a £100 voucher – tell them it will be one of your main prizes at…… (name the function) and that everyone will want to win it |
| Tell them how important their support is to your project |
| Thank them for their generosity and say how much the Group appreciate it |
| Ask if they would like to be included in a photo call with the local press if the donation is particularly large or unusual in some way |
