Donations are monetary gifts given to a person or organization to help them accomplish a task or purpose.
Donations can be asked for in many ways, and not all of them are verbal. Sometimes a person holding a tin with some information on it is a simple request for a donation. Today, however, let’s look at different ways to ask for a donation.
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Catchphrases
- For just one dollar you could feed a small child!
- A dollar a month can be the difference between death and life!
- No donation is too small or too big!
- Your donation can make a difference.
Call-to-action
A statement or question that asks the hearer to take a particular action is called a call-to-action. Here are some examples.
- Can you afford one dollar a month?
- Sponsor a (person/thing) for less than a five cents a day.
- Become a donor and help save the world!
- Would you consider a donation of $…?
Formal Requests
Formal requests for donations frequently begin with an introduction of the person speaking and then whom they are representing. Here is one example.
Good morning. My name is …, and I am helping gather donations for the ABC. The ABC is an international medical aid organization supported by the monetary gifts from millions of people around the world. Your donation is much appreciated and will go towards helping those in need.
Notice after the introduction, a brief explanation of how the money will be of use is given, followed by a call-to-action.
This type of donation request can be done going from door to door as well as approaching people on the street or even over the phone.
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Donation Request by Letter
Many larger organizations that are supported by donations use letters to request monetary gifts from other large companies or more wealthy individuals.
Dear (Name) / To Whom it May Concern,
Thank you in advance for your valuable time taken to read this brief letter.
My name is …, and I am writing on behalf of ABC. As an International Medical Aid Organization, you may have heard of us. What you may not know, is that our work is supported 100% by voluntary donations from companies and interested persons such as yourself.
No gift or pledge is too small. Every cent donated is directed toward the International Aid work we do as a non-profit organization. Monetary gifts are often Tax deductible as we are a registered and Internationally Recognized organization.
Enclosed you will find our details should you like to make a donation or set up a monthly gift arrangement with us. This arrangement is not obligatory but will help us in the long run to sustain the valuable work we do.
Donors receive a quarterly newsletter outlining our latest Aid work and an explanation of how your precious donations are currently being used.
Thank you for your time and donation, should you feel motivated to provide one.
Kind Regards
Name.
Remember, when asking for a donation:
- Be clear about who it is for and how it is going to be used.
- Don’t be shy about asking, especially if it is for a good cause.
- Use a catchphrase or call-to-action.
- Accept any gift given with much respect and appreciation even if it is only a few cents.
- Do not compare the donations of the donors.
If you think this article will help you ask for donations for a worthy cause, please leave us your comments below. Remember to check out our posts on the website also.
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