Sample EOYA Letter

So, you have a bit of backpay, eh? Ready to knock it out? Great! Below you'll find a sample letter you can use for your end of year ask. Drop your relevant info into the areas in parenthesis and change some of the language so it sounds more like your voice. Just keep in mind the main building blocks of this thing: 

• We invite people to give toward vision and what God is doing. We do not ask them to give to our deficit. avoid terms such as; need, shortfall, crisis, and lack of funding. "Help me get backpay" is not inspiring. "Empower me to reach the lost with the gospel" is. Bonus points for including a ministry story (the best ones are about one person who is named vs a large group of unnamed people).
  
  
• We personalize the communication as much as possible. A 1:1 ask is the most effective. This letter can be used to start that conversation, but please plan to ask your targeted list of people personally. At a minimum, take the time to mail merge so your letter is addressed to the person vs an impersonal "Dear friend." 
  
  The best names to include on your list.

  Gather your names

  Search toolbox for one-time givers who...

  Since the year-end appeal resonates with a different type of giver than your normal monthly donor, you'll need to pull some reports to discover who would be strategic to invite into this opportunity. 

  Those you want to invite to give at year-end include:

  • Irregular givers
  • Those who usually give only when asked
  • Higher capacity donors
  • Those who tend to give at year-end

  This type of appeal is usually not for: 

  • Those who have received an increase ask or special gift ask from you within the last 6-9 months
  • Those who have joined your team in the last 6-9 months

  Run reports and build your list: 

  • Search Toolbox for special gift donors who gave $500< in a single gift within the last 3 yrs. 
    • How to find special gift history with Toolbox. 
    • If all the people in this report give this year the same amount they gave previously, how much does that add up to? Is that close to meeting your year-end ask goal? If not, you might want to change your search parameters and also ask the Lord to show you who else to add to your contact list. 
  • Look at your Mail Chimp engagement. Add to your list the people who are reading your prayer letters but not currently giving. *If you don’t have Mail Chimp, just look at your prayer letter list and consider including those who have never given. 

• We plan for letters to hit mailboxes (or in-boxes) before Thanksgiving.  You’ll want to beat the Christmas cards (and Christmas spending). Some recommend sending a letter before Thanksgiving, followed up with a phone call after Thanksgiving. 
  
  
• We tell people what is needed to meet the goal. Have to raise $40K? Let people know. Don't be vague about what it's going to take to get you into a healthy spot so you can run this race with perseverance (Hebrews 12:2). This amount could be a great question to put before the Lord, so you have that confidence behind the number. 
  How to calculate an amount to put into your EOYA.

  Determine an amount

  How much is the Lord challenging you to raise? It's ok for it to feel "big."

  Hint: It's not about the money. It's about giving people an opportunity to invest in something they care about.

  If you have a monthly shortfall or backpay...

  Take your monthly shortfall (support goal - promises) x 15 + backpay  OR  $10,000; whichever you feel better about setting as your goal.

  If you have a special need...

  Make it known. 

  If your account balance is healthy...

  If your account balance is healthy, you may be wondering if you should still do an end of year appeal. Ellis Goldstein, MTD Specialist at CRU, advises, “You build in times of strength to help in the lean times.” Think of the wisdom of Joseph in keeping storehouses of grain in preparation for the years of famine. Consider a goal of raising $10,000 in this end of year appeal. 

  Can't decide? Try starting with a $10,000 goal. 

• We encourage them to seek the Lord on what to give. We disciple our donors to seek the Lord on what He wants them to do with His money. 
  
  
• We include the mailing address. Online giving is great, but end-of-year tends to see more paper checks. It's wise to include the Reliant mailing address along with your giving link in your EOYA communication. 
  
  
• We personally follow up with a call or text. When it comes to securing the gift, the 1:1 ask and the proceeding follow-up is far more important than this letter. If you're going to spend your time on something, let it be on personal asks and follow ups! 

Sample EOYA Letter 

It's recommended you snail mail this letter to a targeted list of 20-40 people, then follow it up with a personal call to invite them to give. As a soft follow-up to your call, you can also email a copy of the letter. 

Dear (Name), 

As the end of the year quickly approaches, I have the honor of inviting you to prayerfully consider a Christmastime giving opportunity. You are one of my distinctive (treasured, esteemed) ministry partners because you enjoy giving special gifts. Not only does the Lord love your cheerful giving, but your gifts have uplifted me, encouraged me and kept me going in ministry to _______. As someone who has helped to encourage me in the past, I felt it necessary to invite you to again consider sowing generously into introducing (people group) to the transformative power of Jesus.

YOU CAN MAKE A LIFE-CHANGING DIFFERENCE

Let me share a glimpse of what we've been able to accomplish this year, in part because of your financial partnership. *story of one person/ life-change. Then share ministry stats from the past 12 months.  

This is our work together as co-laborers. Your prayers, support, and gifts make it possible. And every dollar invested contributes to nurturing a new generation of believers who hunger for biblical truth. This holiday season, I'm trusting the Lord will provide $10,000 in year-end gifts. This giving is a crucial part of my sustainability in ministry, and I believe it's a goal that can be reached with the support of individuals like you who share the vision. 

Would you take a moment right now to seek the Lord's guidance on how He wants you to respond to this need?

(or Would you prayerfully consider investing again in (people group) before the end of this year?)

Please allow me to offer three reasons why this is a worthy investment:

1. We're making an impact. Each week, more than (# of people group) are impacted by our ministry. They're coming to faith, joining community groups, reaching out, and developing as leaders.
2. There's a ripple effect. The (people group) we minister to here go on to have families, work at engineering firms, open dentist offices, etc. The good news of Jesus goes with them into their homes, the lives of their children, and across the globe.
3. There's more to be done. The (Louisville metro area) is home to more than (50,000 college students). Even if you combine all of the evangelical (campus) ministries, at best, we're only engaging __% of them. These (students) need to hear that Jesus deeply loves them. Your giving creates opportunities to do that.

Thank you for prayerfully considering. You can expect me to give you a quick (call or text) in a few days to see how the Lord is leading you. (*If sending this letter to your entire support and prayer team, do not include this last line. Only include it for the small group of 20-40 people with whom you intend to personally follow-up.)

May God bless you abundantly for sowing into the Kingdom at this pivotal time, 

(your signature here)

(Phone #)

(email)

All gifts are tax-deductible.
To count for the 2024 fiscal year, gifts must be made online or postmarked by December 31st.
If the Lord is moving you to contribute, giving can be done …
Online: [Your Reliant giving page URL -or- QR code linking to your page]
By mail: Reliant Mission, ATTN: Gift Services, 11002 Lake Hart Dr., Orlando, FL 32832 *Please include [your name] and FD# [Fund Number] on the memo line.