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SECTION V
FUND-RAISING LETTERS
The second favorite of direct mail copywriters is the creation of letters for their favorite charities
and other fund-raising organizations in which they have a special interest. Writing letters to raise
funds is demanding — a task that must come from the heart as well as the head. Many of
America's top copywriters specialize in writing fund-raising letters, and have produced some real
gems. The following letters are representative of the different types of fund-raising letters, and
supplement the classics shown in Section II.
YMCA "ERNIE BANKS" LETTER
If you've ever lived in Chicago, or are a Chicago Cubs fan, you've probably had a long-time love
affair with one of the most popular men to ever wear the Cub uniform — Ernie Banks. So when
a letter arrives with his signature, it has special pulling power. And that's what happened when
Ernie Banks requested support for the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. The copy was actually
written by one of the nation's leading fund-raising letter writers, Dick Trenbeth, and went to
50,000 Chicagoans. The letter began:
No fast ball, high and inside, could come close to producing the terror
most of us felt during the grim weekend of April 4-7. Except for
the work of 77 remarkable young men, the fire bombs and gunfire
that ravaged a number of ghetto neighborhoods might have spread
through the city and into the suburbs.
Few roaring cheers in the ball park have pleased me as much as the
news that several powerful youth gangs were working on the side of
the law in keeping the looting and burning from spreading. The
leaders of these gangs, some 200 of them throughout the city, have
been working closely with the dedicated 77 young professionals who
carry on the work of the Youth Action Program.
The letter explained the Y's role in the Youth Action Program and other activities, and then ended
with this appeal:
Right now, before you're reminded by another frightening newscast
or smoke clouds rising skyward, won't you walk to your desk and
write a check to the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago? It's one positive
way you can share in this urgent business of saving lives and
perhaps even our city. You'll sleep more soundly than ever with the
reassurance and satisfaction that comes from doing the right thing
before time runs out.
The combination of a noted personality and a message built around a recent news event worked
wonders and produced nearly double the number of contributions of previous direct mail efforts.
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