Craft a Giving Tuesday appeal letter in 7 steps (free templates!)

Social media and email marketing campaigns can put you in front of your supporters this Giving Tuesday, but there’s another tactic that’s often overlooked: direct mail. When inboxes are overflowing with requests, mailing a Giving Tuesday appeal letter can help you cut through the noise.

Whether you’re running your first Giving Tuesday appeal letter campaign or simply want some tips to improve your efforts, this step-by-step guide will give you all the details you need—including an easy way to send direct mail campaigns straight from your Givebutter dashboard.

What to include in your Giving Tuesday appeal letter

Giving Tuesday mailings are an opportunity to connect with your supporters directly, and you’ll need a few key ingredients to make it a recipe for success. Ideally, your appeal letter should include the following: 

• Your nonprofit organization’s name and logo
• A friendly, personalized welcome
• An introduction to explain why you’re writing
• An overview of your Giving Tuesday campaign and your goals
• Information on how your supporters can get involved
• A call to action to make a donation
• A signoff and signature from someone in your organization

When to send your Giving Tuesday appeal letter

The end-of-year period can feel hectic, with many fundraising appeals happening from Thanksgiving to the New Year. It’s a busy time for the USPS, too, so be sure to prepare and send your letters well in advance.

We recommend sending letters out for a Giving Tuesday campaign in early to mid-November. This timescale offers your supporters enough time to receive the letter, consider it, and plan to give. It also allows you space to send an optional follow-up letter or email to land a few days before the event. 

When it comes to your thank you letters, send yours out as soon as possible after Giving Tuesday. Prepare the content in advance, then simply merge your template letter with your donor list and send. 

How to write and send a Giving Tuesday appeal letter in seven steps

We know what to include in the appeal letter; now it’s time to make plans and get writing. Here’s how to approach the Giving Tuesday letter-writing process from start to finish.

1. Set a goal 🎯

First, decide what your goal is for this direct mail campaign. Do you want to raise awareness of your digital activity on the day? Offer new ways for your supporters to give? Encourage people to make a donation before Giving Tuesday? Figure out your goal and how it aligns with your organization’s mission, and use this to inform your letter content.

2. Solidify your message 💭

Alongside your goal, it’s essential to get clear on your message. Use your appeal letter to highlight the great work you’ve completed this year, talk about how you’re so close to your annual fundraising goal, or celebrate the strength of your supporter community. Tie your message into your goal and give your supporters a compelling reason to get involved and donate.

3. Segment your audience 🍊

Your community is varied, with a mix of major donors, one-off givers, corporate sponsors, and would-be donors. While your message might remain the same to all, you should tailor the actual content of your letter to each audience. Segment your audience and send letters that appeal directly and personally to their individual groups.

4. Write your appeal letters ✍️

With your plans finalized, it’s time to start writing your appeal letters. Aim to keep your letter short, clear, and persuasive—with the main focus on encouraging your supporters to take the next step and donate. Keep reading for some expert advice on how to construct a compelling message! 

5. Add a call to action 📣

Your objective should be to keep donors engaged with your Giving Tuesday appeal by encouraging them to donate, so prominently convey this in your letter. Make the ask on a fresh line, in bolded text, or make it stand out in some other way—like using a QR code that takes supporters straight to your fundraising campaign donation page. 

6. Prepare your letters for mailing ✉️

Once you’ve finished writing your letters, get them ready to mail out with a final quality check. Ensure there are no typos or mistakes and that any website addresses or QR codes you’ve included work correctly. Prepare data files for a mail merge and make sure you have the right printing supplies on hand if you’re going the DIY route. 

7. Send your appeal letters ✔️

It’s time to cross the finish line—release your appeal letters into the world! Print your letters, seal them in envelopes, and drop them off at the post office. While this last step can be time-consuming, it’s rewarding to finally see them printed out and ready to send to your loyal supporters.

⭐ Pro tip: Running low on time? Skip the post office (and the papercuts) and let Givebutter print, post, and mail your appeal letters for you. Mailings cost just a small fee per letter, and built-in QR codes let you track scans and donations for each letter in real time. Plus, Givebutter Plus users get a special discount! 

Download your free Giving Tuesday letter templates

We know you’re juggling a lot with Giving Tuesday on the horizon, and there isn’t always time to sit down and craft the perfect appeal letter. To help changemakers everywhere reach their fundraising goals, we’ve created a spread of free Giving Tuesday donation letter templates.

Inside the download, you’ll find a Giving Tuesday donation request letter and a Giving Tuesday thank you letter template. Each is designed to be easy to use, with bolded sections that you can replace with your nonprofit’s mission, goals, message, and giving details. Make a few changes, and you have a ready-to-use appeal letter in minutes!

Freebie alert!

Download your Giving Tuesday appeal letter templates ->

Top tips for your next Giving Tuesday appeal letter

Anyone can write a letter, but you want your appeal letter to make an impact and convert into an abundance of donations. Take a step in the right direction with this expert advice on how to craft a winning appeal letter:

• Write in a positive and friendly tone ☀️ Your appeal letter should feel energetic and warm, so put your cheerful hat on and sprinkle in some of your brand personality to make it feel completely “you.”
• Personalize your letters 🌼 Add your recipient’s name to the mailing, and look for other opportunities to personalize letters, like mentioning how much they’ve donated over the last year or including an update on a fundraiser they’ve previously supported.
• Highlight the urgency ⏱️ Giving Tuesday is a focused day of giving, so make it clear that you’d appreciate your donors’ immediate support.
• Offer multiple giving options 💰 Give donors a choice on how they give, with options like text-to-donate, PayPal, Venmo, and credit cards—all available with Givebutter.
• Use storytelling to your advantage 📚 Capture your audience’s attention and compel their support by sharing a brief story about how your organization makes an impact.
• Add imagery that inspires action 🖼️ Include a photo or graphic that demonstrates your work so it’s easy for your donors to connect with your campaign.
• Track your impact with QR codes 📈 Use Givebutter’s direct mail QR codes to track your efforts across individual mailings and the entire campaign.

Amplify your Giving Tuesday appeal on other channels

A direct mail campaign is great, but it’s even more effective when paired with other Giving Tuesday ideas. As you plan your appeal letters, consider sharing your message across other platforms to expand reach, engage your community, and increase donations:

• Email 📧 With just some small changes to your appeal letter, you can transform it into an email, or you can use our Giving Tuesday email templates to add more variety.
• Text message 📱 Turn your longer messages into short, snappy phrases to send to donors who have opted into your SMS communications.
• Social media 🤳 Use our Giving Tuesday social media tips to help you plan an impactful social media campaign, find the right hashtags, or host an engaging livestream.
• Website 💻 Update your website with a banner promoting your Giving Tuesday campaign and use Givebutter’s widgets to drive more donations directly from your website.

Write, launch, and track your Giving Tuesday appeal letters with Givebutter

The right Giving Tuesday appeal letter will catch the attention of your supporters and motivate them to give. Use this guide to help you plan, write, and send a direct mail campaign that has a powerful impact on your fundraising totals this year.

We’re all about empowering changemakers, and one way we do this is with tools and features that help you connect with your supporters and receive donations easily. Our mailings feature brings the functionality and speed of online fundraising to your direct mail campaigns, giving you a more fun and effective way to reach your audience with this traditional method.

Sign up for your free account today and see how Givebutter can help you make this your most impactful Giving Tuesday yet! Be sure to explore our Giving Tuesday resource hub and submit your campaign for Givebutter Gives Back for the chance to receive a $5K matching gift from us!