5 Keys to Writing a Successful Support Letter
The support letter is the cornerstone of fundraising for your mission trip. Here are five tips from our evangelism department to make your letter stand out and help you raise the funds you need to get on the field.
1. Make it Personal
Going on a mission trip is a personal decision. When you write about it to your future supporters, it’s important to write from the heart. Show your passion and share your story. Send a letter through regular postage rather than e-mail because it’s a more personal form of communication.
2. Be specific and clear
Briefly describe the “who, what, when, where, and why” of your trip. Share the specific needs you and your team have for this trip. Be clear about how they can support you and give them specific direction about the steps they can take to do so.
3. Express your hopes
You know where you’re going, what you'll be doing, the need of the area, and the people you’ll be ministering to. Share this information and your hopes for what God will do through and in you on this trip. Tell a story from a past trip experience or from someone who has already been where you are going. Sharing a story of a changed life will help them understand why you’re going and how you’ll make a difference.
4. Ask
It’s okay to ask for support … in fact, it’s biblical! So don’t shy away from asking for the support you need—financially and prayerfully. Share your specific prayer requests and financial needs. By asking them to support you, you’re inviting them to participate in God’s mission.
5. Make responding easy
Make sure that your future supporters know how to contact you—through phone, e-mail and mail—if they have questions or want more information. Take away the obstacles that keep them from quickly responding to your needs by providing a variety of ways to give financially, such as online or through mail. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope to make offline response simple.