Most direct mail fundraising appeals follow a well-tested set of rules that are influenced by decades of data.
Planned-giving appeals are different. While most fundraising letters aim to persuade readers to make an immediate gift, that isn’t true of planned-gift mailings.
Instead, they should have a different feel — and follow a different set of rules.
Because your goal is to start a long-term conversation, it requires a special touch to create a letter that introduces donors to planned giving.
Thus, I urge you to write from the heart. Be warm, factual, sincere, and straightforward.
Your objective isn’t strictly to hit a rate of reply by a certain date. Quite often, the response comes much later.
This is long-term fundraising. You’ve hit a home run if someone saves your letter and retrieves it years later when it’s time to prepare or revisit a will.
Here are 10 things to consider as you create your next planned-giving appeal letter:
Keep it simple. Devote your letter exclusively to promoting a gift by will. No other subjects should distract from that purpose.
Write with a tone that appeals to older readers. Write for people in their 60s and older.
Keep it short. Write one page or less.
Personalize it. Use a full inside address and a formal salutation (Dear Miss/Mrs./Ms./Mr.). Avoid using salutations such as “Dear friend” or “Greetings!”
Get a testimonial. If you have a willing donor who has decided to make a planned gift, a testimonial from that donor can be incredibly powerful, especially if it articulates what a lasting legacy with your nonprofit means to that person.
Let the request stand alone in its own paragraph. I like to underline it.
Use a closed outer envelope, not a window carrier. The subject is personal, private, and serious. Your letter shouldn’t look like an invoice.
Enclose a reply card. This will give readers the opportunity to tell you they’d like more information.
Include a return envelope. Because this is a personal and discreet conversation, don’t design your reply card as a self-mailer. The information being shared is sensitive.
Postage decisions matter. Apply a stamp. You can use the first-class, presort rate (if you want to save money over regular first class). It’s important to avoid bulk mail or metering for this personalized, earnest, and important letter. Perception matters.
Tony Martignetti is founder of Martignetti Planned Giving Advisors, which specializes in helping nonprofits create and sustain successful planned-giving programs. A former lawyer, he is also the host of Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio.