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STILL A DRAFT

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 like 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 people).
• We personalize the communication as much as possible. The 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." 
• We plan for letters 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. This page will show you how to calculate the amount to put into your EOYA. 
• 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 show them how to give. Online giving is great, but end of year tends to see more paper checks. Please include the Reliant mailing address. 
• We follow up with a personal 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 up! 

Sample EOYA Letter 

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

Dear (Name), 

Maybe you've heard the folk tale of the young lumberjack. His first day on the job, he eagerly felled more trees than anyone else. By the fourth day, his productivity had dwindled so far that his supervisor asked what was wrong.

The man said, “I don’t understand. I’m working even harder than before but cutting less timber.”

When the supervisor asked how often he sharpened his ax, the lumberjack replied, “I have too many trees to cut — I don’t have time to sharpen my ax.”

This is an "ax-sharpening" season for me. (As students return home for winter break - OR - As we're coming up on that time of year where many are thinking about charitable giving), it's time for me to pause to ensure I have the necessary resources to continue in ministry in the coming year. As someone who has helped me sharpen my ax As the end of the year is 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 ministry in the past, I felt it necessary to invite you to again consider sowing generously into introducing (students, first responders, Italians, etcpeople group) to the transformative power of Jesus.He continues to provide opportunities for greater impact and broader scope, and I'm trusting Him for the resources to match that vision. 

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 The need for gospel workers in (our community) remains substantial. Take, for example, the story of (Insert ministry story here). Your support has helped make an immense difference in the lives of (students like Meredith). 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 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 (120 college students# 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 (studentspeople 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 2023 fiscal year, gifts must be made online or postmarked by December 31st.
Online giving: (type out your Reliant giving page URL here)
Mailing address: Reliant Mission, ATTN: Gift Services, 11002 Lake Hart Dr., Orlando, FL 32832 *Please include (my name) and FD#______  on the memo line.