I wrote your board fundraising appeal letter for you!

One of the most challenging things for nonprofit organizations is to consistently get our boards to fundraise.

Some board members are shy, others lack confidence or training, and others just think it's impolite to ask for money. Whatever the reason, we know that board fundraising gets much easier if you can help board members with tools, templates, and pre-written language. (If you’re looking to ramp up your board fundraising, check out my complete board fundraising guide.)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not the be-all and end-all of our future lives, but it can give us a kickstart with sample outlines, draft language, and other ideas so we aren’t staring at a blank page.

To help your nonprofit board members fundraise, I used ChatGPT, which is free, to draft a fundraising appeal letter for your board members to use and modify throughout the year.

Why Use AI and ChatGPT to Help With Fundraising?

Writing can be a challenge for many people. For some, writing persuasively or authoritatively can feel intimidating. That’s why so many organizations rely on scripts and templates to persuade people to support or join their cause.

By using AI, you can get, for free, some of the best technology available to produce work for you that is not plagiarized. There may be challenges with the technology and how it was “trained” to work, but you shouldn’t worry that the language provided for you by AI is copied directly.

It isn’t unethical or “cheating” to use AI to help you generate templates for fundraising. But I strongly suggest you review anything that comes from AI tools and make sure it fits your voice, tone, values, and brand.

How I Wrote Your Board’s Fundraising Appeal Letter

To get your team (especially your board) to start soliciting their friends and colleagues for financial support, I used ChatGPT (artificial intelligence bot) to craft a letter for me (and for you).

I went on ChatGPT and asked the system to "create a fundraising appeal from a board member to a friend on behalf of my nonprofit."

To find out what happened, scroll down.

But first…let me explain what’s happening.

Raising money is one of the hardest parts of starting and running a nonprofit. People don’t just hand over money like they do for products and services. With donations, there are different incentives. Donors want to feel good about their contributions to the world and they want to make a difference. Getting a tax write-off is rarely the main motivation.

This is why I am a firm believer that every single person in a nonprofit should be called on to create the conditions for fundraising success, even if you aren’t directly asking people for money.

Tons of board members don't know how to get started in fundraising, which is why I’ve created a lot of resources on the topic. I started with a Big List of Board Fundraising Tasks, which includes a huge list of things board members can do to raise money, without actually soliciting a donation. I also have a deeper training on this topic.

Watch me use ChatGPT to write your board appeal

Board Fundraising Appeal Letter: Version 1

Here is VERSION 1 generated by my prompt to ChatGPT

Subject: Support our Mission to Make a Difference in Our Community

Dear [Friend's Name],

I hope this email finds you well. I am reaching out to you today in my capacity as a board member of [Nonprofit Name]. As you may know, our organization is dedicated to [mission/purpose of nonprofit].

Despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic, we have continued to work hard to achieve our mission and make a positive impact in our community. However, in order to continue our work and serve those in need, we need your support.

That is why I am writing to you today to ask for your help. As a friend and a supporter of [Nonprofit Name], I believe that you understand the importance of our mission and the difference we are making in the world.

Your contribution, no matter how big or small, would go a long way in helping us reach our fundraising goal and continue our work. Whether it is a one-time donation or a recurring monthly gift, every bit helps.

I would be grateful if you could consider making a donation to [Nonprofit Name] today. You can make a donation through our website [insert link] or by sending a check to [insert mailing address].

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your positive response.

Warm regards,

[Your Name]

​Board Fundraising Appeal Letter: Version 2

Here is VERSION 2 generated by my prompt to ChatGPT

Dear [Name of friend],

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to reach out to you today in my capacity as a board member of [Name of Nonprofit]. As you may know, our organization is dedicated to [provide a brief overview of the mission and goals of the nonprofit].

Recently, we have faced some challenges in meeting the needs of our community, and we are in urgent need of support to continue our important work. This is where I need your help.

I am writing to request your support in our fundraising efforts to help [Name of Nonprofit] continue to make a positive impact in the lives of those we serve. Your generosity will help us to [provide specific examples of how the funds will be used].

Would you be able to make a donation of [suggested amount] to support our cause? Any amount, big or small, would be greatly appreciated and will help us to continue our mission.

I truly believe in the work that we are doing, and I know that with the support of individuals like you, we can make a lasting impact. If you have any questions about our organization or our fundraising efforts, please don't hesitate to reach out to me.

Thank you for your consideration, and I hope to hear back from you soon.

Best regards,

[Your Name] Board Member of [Name of Nonprofit]]

Use It Again and Again: Repurpose Your Fundraising Language

Any time you spend energy creating content, you should try to repurpose it.

I wrote a blog post about repurposing your grant proposals, but you can also repurpose your board fundraising solicitations every year and across platforms.

You can use elements of your board fundraising letter in social media posts, campaigns, your annual report, remarks at your events, and so much more. See if your board members are willing to workshop the letters above and provide feedback on how they performed. Over time and use, you can update these letters to be powerful, proven templates.

Conclusion: Get Your Board to Send a Fundraising Appeal Today

It’s hard to incentivize volunteer board members to send direct solicitations to friends, co-workers, family, neighbors, and others. But it gets easier when you use templates. AI and ChatGPT can be used to generate sample scripts, templates, and solicitations for your board to use so they can hit their fundraising goals.