The Chronicle has received several letters from fund raisers who are looking for input on their direct-mail appeals following our recent post about the quality of fund-raising prose.
Today, we offer a 2008 letter from TROSA, a nonprofit group that helps people with substance-abuse problems in Durham, N.C. It was submitted by Michelle Kucerak, TROSA’s director of development.
To offer feedback to Ms. Kucerak, please post your comments or suggestions in the comments area. As always, we hope the feedback will be constructive.
We also invite readers to critique a recent letter submitted by the environmental group Conservation Minnesota, in Minneapolis.
Today’s letter follows:
Dear ________,
It’s that time of year again. The holidays are upon us, and 2008 is coming to a close. It’s been a hard year for everyone, but around all of us are stories of hope that remind us we can meet the challenges we face.
I’d like to share one of those stories with you, before asking if you will consider once again giving a gift to help someone at TROSA.
Recently, I had a chance to talk with Susan, one of our recent TROSA graduates. Susan came to TROSA three years ago with nothing but the clothes on her back and a desire to survive. Susan was homeless and had lost her children. For ten years she bounced from psychiatric hospitals to rehab programs to jail. She learned about TROSA from someone she met in an emergency room who saw a slim glimmer of life left in her.
It took awhile for Susan to open up at TROSA and accept help. She wasn’t used to trusting others or having people care about her. She carried a tremendous load of guilt and shame. Every day was a struggle for Susan. Even with so much support around her, she felt alone and uncertain.
After her first year at TROSA, Susan was hit by a traumatic piece of news. Through the generous gifts of donors, we were able to offer some specialized medical care to our female residents. During Susan’s appointment, she learned that she had breast cancer. In response, the women at TROSA rallied around Susan, filling her with hope and courage.
Today Susan is a survivor. She has a good job she likes with a local company. She’s begun the process of reuniting with her two kids and has started regaining their trust. Susan told me that every morning now she looks in the mirror and feels proud that she has turned her life around.
Susan’s story inspires all of us. We’ve made a promise to the people at TROSA that we will do everything we can to help them get the services they need to start over and live healthy, productive lives. Without donor support for medical care, Susan might not have found out about her cancer until it was too late.
We depend on donors like you to help us keep our promise to people like Susan for whom TROSA is their last chance. I am asking you to give a gift of $XX so we can continue TROSA’s life-saving work. If you can give more, we are very grateful. If you give less, be assured that we make every dollar count.
On behalf of Susan and myself, I thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Kevin McDonald
President and CEO
Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments space below. To submit your letter for a critique, e-mail the Chronicle Web editor, Peter Panepento.
