Why are annual appeal letters such a high priority for charities at year-end?

Because that’s when donors are most ready to give—and the numbers prove it. As we all know, year-end is when most donations occur, and this year, 62% of the US population plans to donate in November or December.

But letters aren’t the only way nonprofits reach supporters. Many organizations supplement (or even replace) their letters with email appeals, text messages, and even personal phone calls to their most valuable existing donors.

It remains that all evidence points to the fact that the end of the year is the most impactful time to communicate with supporters for an even greater impact

Why send annual appeal letters?

As mentioned earlier, emails, texts, and phone calls are all options for your year-end fundraising campaign.

Why send letters instead of (or in addition to) these other channels?

According to Postalytics, direct mail has an 80%+ open rate, while email lags behind at 21%.

That means more of your supporters are likely to sit up and take notice when you send them an annual appeal letter.

Combining that with similarly high visibility channels like text messages (98% open rate) for follow-up on donation appeals can ensure that supporters get and read your message in some shape or form by the end of the year.

Types of annual appeal letters

Understanding the different types of appeals can help you choose the right approach for your fundraising strategy

Understanding these types allows nonprofits to tailor strategies for maximum donor engagement.

The objectives of your annual appeal letter

Once you have figured out which type of annual appeal letters you are going to send. The next step is to evaluate why you want to send an annual appeal letter before starting your campaign.

Here are some good reasons to send one:

• You want to thank supporters, fill them in on upcoming endeavors for the next year, and ask for support
• You want to talk to different groups of prospective donors (say, monthly donors vs prospects) with messages tailored to their behavior
• Reconnect with your supporters and strengthen relationships by showing your nonprofit’s impact on their continued involvement
• Inspire generosity by showcasing powerful, real-life stories that demonstrate the real difference donors make
• Motivate one-time potential donors to become loyal, recurring contributors by highlighting the ongoing need and consistent impact of their support.

Having an objective will allow you later to measure the success of your effective annual appeal letter.

Creating a timeline for annual appeal letter

Unlike more immediate channels (ex., email), direct mail takes time to reach your supporters.

That means you need to set the process in motion weeks in advance.

That includes planning for your appeal letter and for follow-up communication.

Gary Henricksen at Five Maples Development Communication recommends that organizations get ahead of the competition by:

• Sending an early appeal to reach supporters in October
• Sending another appeal in late November/early December
• Following up with a multichannel approach (Phone calls/Postcards)

Here’s an example of an annual appeal letter timeline you could follow:

August – Set your objectives and outline the theme for your appeal letters and overall campaign.

September – Segment your donor lists for more personalized messaging. Write your appeal letter copy. Finalize it.

October – Send out an initial set of appeals to reach supporters in late October. Make sure your online giving channels are ready.

November – Send your next round of appeal letters. Keep your lapsed donors with regular updates on your progress through more immediate channels (social media, texts)

December – Send reminders to supporters who haven’t contributed yet (phone-a-thons, emails, texts). Send follow up’s to remind donors it is the last three days of the year. Send a thank you message to everyone who contributed.

Read also: Here is How to Send Automated Texts in 2025

6 Tips for your annual appeal letters

1. Personalize your annual appeal letters

Personalization can make your appeal exponentially more convincing. That is why segmenting your donor list is so important.

Here are some things to keep in mind when personalizing your letter:

• What is their relationship with your organization? Someone who has been a consistent supporter of your organization is more likely to be impacted by the sentence, like “As a valuable, long-time supporter of our cause…” than a generic appeal.
• What amount are you asking for? Some supporters may have been contributing $5 a month to your cause. Upping the ask to $500 doesn’t make sense. Segment your donors based on their past giving amounts to send them appropriate asks.
• When did they last give? Asking supporters who gave very recently (maybe in the same month) to give again is not a good idea. Best case, they ignore you. The worst case is that they get annoyed. Avoid that by filtering out these contacts from your mailing list.

2. Use thank you’s liberally

Appealing to supporters means making your appreciation as much a theme of the letter as your solicitations.

This starts with a strong thank-you at the beginning. An enthusiastic and genuine show of appreciation will encourage readers to stay tuned for what you have to say next.

And not just the beginning. You can incorporate gratitude throughout your letter to make donors feel like key members of your mission.

Here is an example of how Water.org did it, with a “Thank you” at the beginning, the way it’s linked with impact donors have made appeals to them. 

3. Be specific in your ask

If your main CTA is going to be something along the lines of “We would love to have your support” or “Your generous gift will help us achieve our fundraising goals”, the results of your campaign may disappoint you.

Make it clear what you ask of your donors. (and as mentioned above, the more personalized, the better).

That means using specific, action-oriented CTA’s like “Can you contribute $100 to help us reach our goal?”

This letter from Habitat for Humanity is a great example of how you can use gratitude and specific asks in your copy.

4. Make donating easy

The advantage of online channels is that you can just link out to an enclosed donation form, and you’re good to go.

When it comes to your appeal letters, the objective is to make donating as easy as possible and to give them options to do so.

Here are a few examples:

• Include a pre-addressed return envelope with paid postage for donations or pledges.
• Make sure the URL for online donations is clearly visible in your letter.
• Add a QR code that supporters can scan to reach your donation page.
• Give them a keyword and a phone number they can text in to receive a donation link.

Suggestion: With CallHub’s text-to-donate, you can set up a campaign with a shortcode and keyword (for example, “Text GIVE to 12345”) and easily add donation links, then track every click using the built-in URL shortener and tracker.  After this, you can create a follow-up campaign targeting engaged supporters and use calling tools to have one-on-one conversations or secure larger gifts

This letter from Larchmont Public Library offers multiple options for supporters to donate.

5. Follow up with a supporter

You will want to send reminders to reach supporters in late December.

Following the lines of a letter, postcards are an inexpensive and relatively quick way to reach supporters.

And since people are more likely to have their online mailboxes overburdened than their physical ones, you can stand out.

But you don’t have to settle for sending appeals and follow-ups through a single channel. That brings us to the next point:

Why send follow-ups?
Many people can read your letter and decide to make the contribution later. It’s crucial to send them reminders to contribute soon after your appeal letter reaches them.

6. Use a multichannel approach

According to Nonprofit Source, marketing campaigns that combine direct and digital mail have a 28% higher conversion rate.

• Send emails to your contact list a couple of times a week.
• Schedule a mass text message to go out a few days after they receive your direct mail appeal.
• Organize calling campaigns with volunteers. Reach out to contacts who haven’t contributed yet.

Using a multi-channel approach and sending reminders are the best ways to increase the likelihood that your supporters will make a contribution.

That’s where a texting-and-calling tool like CallHub can help. All you need to do is sign up and upload your contact list to start creating campaigns.

Your annual appeal letter checklist

Before you hit send, run through this quick checklist to make sure your year-end annual appeal letter truly connects and inspires action.

1. Pick a theme that resonates
   What’s the heart of your message this year? Choose a theme that tells a story and draws your reader in emotionally.
2. Write like you’re talking to a friend or family member
   Skip the formalities. Speak from the heart, like you’re writing to someone you know and care about.
3. Make it personalized
   Use their name. Mention how they’ve helped in the past. Let them know they matter to you and your cause.
4. Celebrate wins together
   Share the real impact they’ve made this year. People love to hear about the good they’ve done!
5. Show them exactly how they can help right now
   Be clear. What do you need? How will their gift make a difference? Spell it out.
6. Have your thank you ready to go
   Don’t wait! Prepare a heartfelt thank you in advance so they feel appreciated the moment they give.
7. Include a clear call to action
   Ask confidently. Suggest an amount. Make it easy to say “yes.”
8. Make donating simple
   Add a donation form, include a return envelope, and don’t forget a QR code or an online gift link!

Crafting an annual appeal letter that truly connects with donors takes thought and strategy. For more inspiration and best practices, check out this guide to writing powerful fundraising letters.

Your annual appeal letter template

Use this template to craft a compelling, heartfelt year-end fundraising appeal that connects with more donors and inspires them to give.

This template incorporates best practices for crafting compelling annual appeal letters, including storytelling, expressing gratitude, and providing good calls to action. For a more detailed approach to templates, check out our blog on how to craft a template.

Final thoughts

Crafting an effective annual appeal letter takes time, thought, and strategy—but the payoff can be tremendous. By combining heartfelt storytelling, clear calls to action, and a multichannel follow-up plan, you can inspire more donors to contribute and strengthen their connection to your mission.

With CallHub, you can streamline your year-end campaigns by running emails, text messages, phone calls, and direct mail appeals—all from a single platform. Save time, reach your supporters across multiple channels, and maximize your fundraising impact before the year ends. Sign up for CallHub today and start running multichannel campaigns effortlessly

FAQs on annual appeal letters

1. Give a sample appeal letter template

We’ve provided a ready-to-use template above that you can adapt for your organization. It includes sections for gratitude, storytelling, specific asks, and multiple donation options.

2. How to write an annual appeal letter

Here are the steps to follow: 

• Know your audience – Tailor your message for new or existing donors.
• Personalize – Use names and friendly pronouns.
• Give a reason to donate – Explain why support is needed now.
• Make giving easy – Include multiple donation options.
• Say thanks – Show appreciation and highlight their impact.

3. Give an annual appeal letter example?

Check out examples from organizations like Water.org, Habitat for Humanity, and Larchmont Public Library to see how personalization, gratitude, and clear CTAs are implemented in real campaigns.

4. How can I maximize donor engagement with my appeal letter?

Use a multichannel approach: follow up with

• Text messages 
• Personal phone calls. 

Segment your donors to send tailored messages, include specific asks, and make donating as easy as possible with QR codes, prepaid envelopes, and online links.

Mukundan Sivaraj

Mukundan (that's me!) is a writer at CallHub, an outreach platform that connects nonprofits with their supporters through voice and text messages. Mukundan’s focus on nonprofit technology and communication helps him show nonprofits, big and small, how technology can help elevate their cause.