Why Did Doris Buffet Personally Answer This Fundraising Letter?
You won’t believe it but my friend Jacqueline wrote a “cold” letter appealing to Doris Buffett – and Ms. Buffett actually responded with a PERSONAL phone call. And, ultimately she made a gift.
When Jacqueline told me about this, I didn’t believe it could ever happen.
Until I read the letter.
Then I understood.
I’m sharing this letter with you (with permission).
I’m presenting it in its entirety – so you can see the level of detail.
What worked so well?
Remember, this is an exploratory letter. A letter of inquiry.
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And she skipped over many of the introductory formalities and courtship steps – and went right to the point.
As an experienced consultant, I certainly would have smoothed out the letter and softened it up. I think you have to be very careful with emergency appeals.
But her directness is what gave the letter such power.
1. Transparency = credibility.
This letter is a perfect example of the kind of transparency we need to show to our donors.
She was explicit about the school’s challenges.
She didn’t try to smooth the problems over. She was breathtakingly honest. 
How could you not trust her, with the tone of this letter?
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What would happen if you were this honest in your communications with key donors??
2. Simplicity.
Her approach was extremely simple.
She didn’t clutter her note up with jargon and the usual “nonprofitese” that says absolutely nothing.
Every word and sentence in this letter is plain, simple and thereby powerful.
3. Utter lack of bull.
But what I like most about this letter is her complete, utter lack of bull.
She was completely frank about the pending doom ahead for the school and how it might impact the students.
She courageously shared her situation – with all its warts – with a powerful potential donor.
And it worked. Boy did it.
I don’t know a lot of nonprofits who would be so very frank.
How are you talking about YOUR financial needs?
I’m getting fundraising letters these days from nonprofit colleagues who are facing the same kind of dire financial situation.
And I’m getting generalities from them. Their tone is more distant, more formal, and far, far less gripping.
If there ever was a time to be explicit, NOW is that time!
Take a look at this letter:
What does it have that encouraged such a lady to actually pick up the phone and call Jacqueline to discuss the project?
Dear Ms. Buffett and the Sunshine Lady Foundation:
One of your former scholarship recipients recommended that I write to request funding for an emergency shortfall. I am the Head of School at The XXX School for Children with Autism in xxxx NC. I was hired in September 2007 as a last ditch hope to keep the school alive.
A parent of a child with autism started the school nearly eight years ago. She invested an amazing amount of time and energy to get the school off the ground. The school has grown over the years and outgrew her strengths and expertise particularly in the arena of business management.
It wasn’t until I was hired that we really discovered just how much of the basic business foundation was missing. I have spent the last eight months untangling and restructuring the school to have the business in compliance with all applicable employment and safety laws.
In the meantime, I have not been able to focus on developing the program until I knew that the school was on the road to stability. Fortunately, two weeks after I started, we received a grant from the state, which provided funding for 10 new students and covered a significant portion of our operating costs.
This was a curse and a blessing with all of the other work that needed to be done. Anyway, the grant cycle is coming to a close and the funding ends at the end of June.
We have reapplied for the grant but will not know until the legislature votes in July or August. Then, we will still need to wait for the money to become available – which may be months.
So, I actually have two concerns.
One concern is that we will not have enough operating income to make it through September this year.
The other is that these 10 grant students will not be able to continue their programming unless their family can afford the tuition, and many of them cannot.
I have developed some new educational programs to bring in additional income but these programs need time to grow to become profitable.
There is no question in my mind that I will be able to make this school financially independent given some time, and grants will merely be able to add to what we already offer. With the number of children with autism growing so drastically, the need for services is going to grow as well.
I have found a local donor who is willing to match up to $50,000 donation to cover our emergency shortfall.
Your financial support will provide us with the time needed to develop additional quality programs that are so desperately needed for children with autism.
As far as the students who are in financial need, if The Sunshine Lady Foundation is willing to provide any tuition assistance to them, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jacqueline XXX
Head of School
Ok, so what do you think?
Would you have answered this letter if you were a philanthropist?
ABSOLUTELY!
Gail, this is brilliant and you can be sure that I’ll be sharing the heck out of it. I, too, love the transparency, the simplicity, and the unselfconscious storytelling in this letter. There’s a lot of pure emotion there.
Thanks for sharing!
I can see how this letter worked one time, but I cannot imagine this kind of “emergency” appeal working on a consistent basis. Another piece that was not explained is how well the donor was researched as being the correct person to ask.
Overall, I do think we can all learn from the structure and tone of this letter. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Andrea, I agree! I am not particularly in favor of such emergency appeals either. But it’s interesting how breaking the rules with honesty and transparency can work in the right situation. Thanks for your comment!
I appreciate the candor of the letter but I frankly believe she just caught the lady on a good day.
Yup, you may be right! : )
The reason the donor paid attention is obvious in the first line: “One of your former scholarship recipients recommended that I write. . .” There was a direct, personal connection.
Excellent point! I particularly liked the way she opened the letter with that reference. thanks!
Thank you for sharing this letter. I think it was answered partly because it was presented as a temporary emergency, a short fall, by someone who had taken many responsible steps to put them on a healthy course. Ms. Buffet was being asked to give not to a disaster, but to a invest in an endeavor that could ultimately be successful. People like to give to success and this is how your friend framed the situation at the school, as on the way to success.
The sad fact is that many deserving organizations die. This one was close to it apparently. There must have been some interest (the opening sentence presumes that, I suppose) else it would have been a short trip to the trashcan. When an organization runs onto the reefs, there is usually a reason, sadly. I think she got lucky: she swung for the center field fence and connected with one. Isn’t that what each of us tries to do with our nothing-to-lose appeals?
Great letter. I’m surprised she didn’t close it by asking for something more specific like an appointment or a specific donation amount. Leaving it to Ms. Buffet to call back is a bit risky.
If I was a prospective donor, I would have stopped reading after the line “I was hired in September 2007 as a last ditch hope to keep the school alive. “
I believe there are 3 (obvious) reasons: Writer was referred by a former scholarship student — prompted Mrs. Buffet to read on; made the point of having a plan for moving forward — sustainability planning; and, what I think is a key point, she has secured a matching donor — Buffet not her only option.
Agree, she certainly breaks a rule by leaving it so open ended. But she’s an amateur! : )
Cathryn, absolutely! She stacked the odds in her favor by having a plan, securing a match. Thanks for your smart comment!
Absolutely! She had a plan and was clearly not going to be a sinking ship. She presented a plan for sustainability. thanks!
George, I like the way you frame the idea of “nothing-to-lose” appeals. You’re right! She swung and got really, really lucky!
Ha Joel, I think I might agree with you. : )
It’s interesting to me that this appeal worked considering it is based entirely upon financial need, she never shares any successes or outcomes. If I didn’t know the school I might think that it was poorly managed, not impactful, and therefore not supported by the community. There’s a huge assumption that they do good work and are needed in the community. Maybe autism is a strong buzzword these days, or Ms. Buffett has a personal experience with the condition that drew her to respond.
I think its becuase of other financial support: a matching donor, a prevous grant and programs that were on the beginning development cycle to profitability.
This letter has a very effective turning point:
“There is no question in my mind that I will be able to make this school financially independent given some time, and grants will merely be able to add to what we already offer.”
It inspires confidence, because the donor is hearing a plea from the person who will be directly responsible for the success of the organization.
You’re exactly right, Greg – that sentence really instills lots of confidence that the organization has a solid future.
Hi Malia, great point!
Thanks for sharing this story – what an inspiration! Transparency is so key in building long-term partnerships. A big part of the success of this letter – I think – is that they had a long-term plan. It wasn’t about bailing them out now (and then again in six months), it’s about a one-time investment to allow their mid-term plan time to see results.
Hi KIrsten – you’re right! the long term plan certainly gives credibility and confidence. It’s not just an appeal to “bail us out.” thanks for the comment!
OK, good letter; the reference to the former scholarship recipient is a great opener; the $50,000 match is awesome; the critical need is there, etc. but where is the reference to the amount needed? How much operating income is needed to get you through September? How much tuition assistance is needed for each student to attend? I would want to know this before I responded with a donation.
Yup, that”s why Ms. Buffett picked up the phone and called my friend Jacqueline. Interesting that she did not say how much she needed, isn’t it?
I agree there are three compelling factors – donor connection to an individual and to the mission, immediate need giving urgency to the request, and showing (not telling) the resourcefulness of the writer in obtaining a substantial match from another donor. Yeah, she should have included an “action step” like, “I will be calling you in a week, and I hope we can discuss your interest in the school’s survival”. But the real thing that made this letter a diamond among lumps of coal was its complete lack of pretentiousness, its directness and the sense of a “real person” asking another “real person” for help. Some of the comments sound envious. After many years of fundraising, sometimes people forget the purpose of an appeal. We should all sound more like “amateurs” if this is the result.
I wouldn’t have stopped. I have friends with autistic kids and grandkids and I would have been as horrified as Ms. Buffett obviously was.
Well said. I’d save this kind of appeal for the true emergencies like Jacqueline’s. And we can indeed learn from the straightforward but respectful tone.
Susan, you are so right. Donja just love the letter’s “complete lack of pretentiousness,” as you so aptly say. Wouldn’t it be great if we all could write this directly and simply!
Hi Martha, yes, we could all learn a lot from her “straightforward but respectful tone.” I’d love to see more of that in fundraising, wouldn’t you?
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This makes me wonder if the “slicker” mailings that are sent out to donors are too slick. perhaps with the economy so desperate we should consider this more grass roots appeal. food for thought.