Fund raising ideasMy first trip to Bogalusa required an airline ticket, a registration fee and a request for an added donation for the building material costs. I decided that for the extra donation I would put together a fundraising letter and take an hour on a Sunday afternoon to ask my neighbors if they would like to help out. I made my first visit a face-to-face one and asked that if they would like to donate they could drop off a check made out to either Solid Rock Carpenters or Habitat 4 Humanity. I only went to neighbors that I had established a relationship with and was amazed how generous they were. I went to about 13 neighbors and 12 donated and when all was said and done I had gathered a total of $1200. Gifts ranged from $25 to $250. The next three years I had established new relationships and added them to my list and only dropped off letters to previous donors thanking them for past gifts and offering them an opportunity to give again. Each year I have received at least $500. Many said they wished they could give a week of their time but since they could not work it into their busy schedules were glad to help out financially. After the trip I always give everyone a thank you letter with pictures from the trip. Below are the letters I used. I hope this is helpful for others to raise funds. Blessings, John
Sample letterJohn Willson....Your neighbor at 198 ForestHabitat for Humanity....Solid Rock Carpenters...Mississippi Bound!!!I will be making my fifth trip to the Gulf region, November 7-14, to build homes for low income families and those whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Along with 35 volunteers representing Glenview based Solid Rock Carpenters we will team with Habitat for Humanity work on several homes in Waveland, MS. Waveland, like New Orleans, was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. See before and after pictures at http://4christe.tripod.com/WavelandDamage As neighbors many of you were so generous in giving toward the cost of materials to build other homes in New Orleans and Bogalusa, Louisiana. Thank you again for your gifts. Others of you are hearing about this for the first time. We will be working in a neighborhood of new Habitat homes using Green construction technology. We want to give you the opportunity to support this endeavor financially and in the future you can hopefully join us on one of the builds. 100% of your gift will go toward the cost of building materials for the project. I pay my own way. If you are unable to contribute monetarily please keep us in your thoughts and prayers and check out the progress at www.solidrockcarpenters.org We will be leaving Sunday Nov.13 and returning Nov. 19 If you would like to help, make checks payable to Solid Rock Carpenters or Bay Waveland Habitat for Humanity, both 501c3 – tax exempt organizations. Thank you in advance for your gifts and do consider joining us on a build sometime, either on framing days in Glenview or in Louisiana or Mississippi. Your Neighbor, John Willson
Sample Thank You letterHabitat for Humanity and Solid Rock Carpenters Thank You!I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your thoughts, prayers and contributions. We have lived in this neighborhood for 15 years and I have enjoyed getting to know you and working for many of you. You are an awesome group of people. These trips South have given me the opportunity to give of my talents to those less fortunate and you have shown your generosity and concern for the under resourced by supporting this cause and therefore have become participants with me in Solid Rock Carpenters and Habitat For Humanity. Your giving is an inspiration to me. Pictured below is the incredible team of Solid Rock Carpenters and a few Habitat for Humanity staff I had the privilege of working with. You would love Dewayne and Kelly Robertson (front and center). They lost everything in the Katrina storm as renters and this is a dream come true for them to own their first home. We were thrilled to have them there every day and all day working with us. We were able to get to know them quite well and they could not express enough their gratitude to us for the gifts of time, talent and resources to build their home. Dewayne told us that all the difficulties and hardships in life they have experienced were worth it all to see their dream become a reality. I wish you could have been there to see the ear to ear smile on his face at the end of the first day when the house went from just a deck to walls and trusses. That smile and tears of joy continued throughout the week. This gentle giant (6’5” 315#) and his wife were a joy to be around. Thank you again for your generous giving this trip and the past two years. Blessings to All of you, John Willson (Check us out at www.solidrockcarpenters.org)
Another Sample of a Fundraising LetterOur warmest greeting to you, family and friends near and far. We hope this message finds you well. We have much to be grateful for: Family friends, health, home, work and a loving God. It was these simple yet precious gifts that prompted me to say “Yes” to the invitation of a friend that tugged at my heart. Recently, this friend asked me, what I thought was a polite conversational question. She asked “What are you and your family doing after Christmas this year?” My response sounded something like, “Enjoying a little down time before the kids go back to school.” She responded with “Would you like to go down to the Gulf Coast to help build a home for those in need?” It was one of the moments that seemed as if the world stopped for a full minute. My heart strings had been pulled and in the next few minutes, I found myself fully immersed in the mental debate between the joy of serving God through this project and the many obstacles standing in our way.
Payable to: Habitat for Humanity Send to: Family Address |