Q&A: Thinking of sending a fundraising letter from two people?

Question:

We are preparing to send an appeal that will come from the two chairs of a society of major donors. What's the best way to do this so that it sounds good? We're worried about it sounding awkward coming from multiple people.

Answer:

You are right to be worried. 😟 Because, for best results, your donor comms should be conversational.

Conversation works best one-to-one. That's only natural.

That means your letter should come from just one person. Period.

Simple, simple.

***

Now, for the more complicated answer...

In the real world, sometimes you have to deal with egos, past precedents, and current decisions — and you might not have a say-so.

So, here is a simple solution to handle a sticky situation in which you need to — somehow — include two letter writers.

👉 Write the letter from the POV of one of the two people in question and then include the other by mention once or twice.

For you, this might mean choosing one of the two chairs of the society and having them mention the other chair in passing.

Like this:

This sort of sentence could be inserted in any number of places in your letter.

Once you've included something along the lines of "Mary and I" as above, your problem is solved.

You've acknowledged the other relevant person associated with the signatory and you can retain the intimate feel of the letter, which should feel like one person speaking directly to one other person.

The letter's signature might look like this:

Thank you for caring.

For North Carolina families,

Jan Miller
Foundling Society Co-Chair

Consider the alternative. Instead of the first person singular use of "I" that comes with having one signatory (rather than two) you would need to rely on the first person plural use of "we." Think of how that feels for a donor. When do people hear from others saying "we" repeatedly? Mainly from impersonal groups such as corporations. Possibly from two parents giving a child a stern lecture for wrongdoing.  It's not familiar. It's awkward.

So consider using this approach to keep your donors feeling as if you know and relate to them as a fellow human being — a friend, an honorary family member, a real person — having a personal, one-on-one conversation.