| Have you ever studied your best donors and | | | | have money. So send them an appeal letter. Or |
| wished you could clone them all? Maybe you | | | | better yet, ask them to join your monthly |
| can, with a bit of creative thinking.1. | | | | giving program, with their gift coming right |
| Friends of current supportersThe first place | | | | out of their pay each payday.5. Peer |
| to look is friends, family and colleagues of | | | | groupsOne organization I have written |
| your current supporters. The odds are good | | | | fundraising letters for is Doctors Without |
| that your most generous and faithful donors | | | | Borders. They are a group of volunteer |
| have friends or co-workers or family members | | | | doctors and nurses who deliver emergency |
| who will want to support your cause as | | | | medical care in places where no medical |
| well.One of the most popular ways of | | | | infrastructure exists, usually because of war |
| acquiring new donors like this is through a | | | | or natural disasters. In one acquisition |
| Friend-Get-a-Friend program. At the best | | | | campaign that I worked on, Doctors Without |
| times during the year (which you discover | | | | Borders sent acquisition letters to two peer |
| through testing), you invite your current | | | | groups-doctors and pharmacists. They reasoned |
| donors to refer a friend to your | | | | that these two groups of medical |
| organization. This is usually done with a | | | | practitioners would identify closely with the |
| buckslip or liftnote that goes out with your | | | | mission of Doctors Without Borders, even if |
| regular fundraising appeal letter. But you | | | | they were not able or inclined to volunteer |
| can also include a tear-out coupon in your | | | | overseas.Does your organization have a |
| newsletter and a sign-up form on your | | | | professional peer group that is a natural |
| website.2. ClientsAnother source of new | | | | source of donors? Send them a well-crafted |
| donors is your clients, the people that your | | | | appeal letter that speaks to them as peers |
| organization serves. Naturally, if your | | | | and is signed by a peer, and see what |
| clients are homeless or poor, they are not | | | | happens.6. Affinity groupsIs your |
| prospects for donor appeal letters. But if | | | | not-for-profit affiliated with a particular |
| your clients are former hospital patients, or | | | | religious group, ethnic group or service |
| university alumni, or retired folks, then you | | | | organization? Then you have a ready-made |
| have a valuable source of potential | | | | source of new supporters, provided that they |
| supporters. These people already know your | | | | also meet your other criteria for suitable |
| mission, who you serve and how you help | | | | donors. If you are an evangelical Christian, |
| them.3. VolunteersAnother group of | | | | for example, as I am, then you can look to |
| individuals that knows all about your | | | | fellow evangelicals for donations. If you are |
| organization is your volunteers. They not | | | | Italian-American and you live in Little Italy |
| only know you, they believe in you. That's | | | | (in New York City), then you have a large |
| why they give you their time and talents. Now | | | | group of folks whom you can approach for |
| you can ask them to give their treasure as | | | | funds. If you are a member of Rotary |
| well.4. StaffOne advantage of asking your | | | | International, your fellow members are a |
| staff for donations is that you know two | | | | source of new support.© 2005 Sharpe Copy |
| things about them. You know that they know | | | | Inc. |
| your case for support. And you know that they | | | | |