Contents of the Letter

• Use correct grammar, but write in an easy-flowing conversational manner.
• Keep typewritten paragraphs to six lines. Shorter paragraphs enhance the readability of the copy.
• Add a line in between paragraphs.
• If you have a second page, divide the sentence at the end of page one so the reader will have to turn to page two to finish reading the sentence.
• Keep sentence structure simple and uncomplicated. Guard against using incomplete sentences.
• Use correct spelling. When in doubt, look it up!
• Avoid beginning a sentence, especially the first sentence of a paragraph with “a,” “an,” or “the.”
• Begin sentences with “action” words (verb forms such as “-ing” words) or good transitions (such as prepositional phrases) to keep the interest of the reader and to enhance the flow from one thought to another.
• Vary paragraph beginnings. Avoid beginning every paragraph with “I”.
• Use a personal form for the ministry letter. This means using a comma after the salutation rather than a colon and not using an inside address (The addressee’s address).
• Always give your letter a specific date.

Below you’ll find key information for crafting a compelling letter that captures your passion for this ministry work and invites others to be a critical part of the experience as a financial partner. You can send the letter either electronically over email or physically via postal mail. 

• Start with a personal greeting: Use the person’s name at the start of your letter in order to communicate warmth and a personal touch.
• Acknowledge your relationship with the reader: Help the person identify who you are. Refer to your last interaction, your shared interests, or simply express your hope that the person (and their family, if applicable) is doing well.
• Update them on your life: Briefly bring your reader up to date on your life, ending with a mention of your involvement in the ministry for which you are now raising support. For example, those doing collegiate internships would include their year in school, college they attend, degree program, involvement in a collegiate church, etc.
• Explain the internship opportunity with your church: What its purpose is, why you have decided to participate, what roles you’ll have, and how you trust it will have a gospel impact.
• Explain the need for partnership: Tell the person that your internship is a support-based role, meaning you’ll need to establish a team of donors who invest in this ministry opportunity. 
• Introduce Reliant: Briefly explain that your church partners with Reliant Mission to offer you this internship opportunity. 
• Make a clear and compelling ask: Offer your reader either a list of three dollar amounts at which to make a financial investment or use a range and pair it with your hope for an average gift. Determine if you’ll be asking for special (one-time) gifts only or also giving the option of recurring (monthly) gifts and craft your ask accordingly. Your trainer will work with you on this to help decide which is the best path for your goal and timeline. Be sure to include a specific date by which you hope to complete the support-raising work for your internship. This section should also include the link to your Reliant giving page - reliant.org/first.last.
• Say thank you for their consideration: This is also a great place to share a final sentence that captures the vision and impact of the ministry work God is calling you to.
• Close the letter by telling the person you’ll reach out soon to follow up: Establishing the expectation that you’ll be following up in a few days or a week’s time is a way of honoring that person and helping the process move along more quickly for you.

• Add a P.S.: You can include a personal note like, "Hope you and the family are well!" Or you could remind your reader that you'll be following up soon with something like, "I look forward to connecting over the phone next week." 

  Tip
  title Tip
  Writing your P.S. by hand will draw the reader’s attention and make it stand out.

Helpful guidelines and tips

• Keep it to one side of a single page: This will require you to be more concise than you would be in a personal conversation, but it makes the letter more likely to be read.
• Design your letter to be readable: Choose a simple, clean font. Don’t let paragraphs get too long and add a double-space between them. Make sure to leave some white space in the margins rather than extend the text to the edges. Use bolded text sparingly for key sentences like your financial ask. 
• Aim for a conversational tone without being overly casual: The goal is for a professional but also personal letter that communicates the necessary information in a warm tone.  
• Include a picture of you in a church setting: A high-quality photo of you in your ministry context (in a small group, with a person you mentor, at a church retreat, etc) can really help bring your words to life. Write a brief caption under the photo to help your reader know what they are seeing. 
• Include your church’s logo and the Reliant logo: This is a great way to bring color to your letter, as well as a professional look. Logos should be small and placed in the header or footer area.
• Avoid using insider language: Names of specific ministries or events within your local church won’t make sense to your reader. Abbreviations should also be avoided.
• Be sure to include your Reliant giving page link: Since most of your letters will be delivered electronically (via email or over text), ensure the link to your giving page is active so that your reader can easily navigate to the site where they can give.
• Ask a qualified person to review and edit your letter: We all make mistakes and need help with grammar, punctuation, etc. A staff member at your church who is experienced in support-raising could be a great person to ask to help in this way. Choose someone who is detail-oriented and is skilled in written communication. 

What to Avoid 

• Never apologize:  Remember you are providing your reader with an opportunity to be involved in a ministry through their resources. You believe God is at work in and through the ministry to which He has called you and your task is to invite people to join God in what He is doing.
• Never ask for financial partnership without using dollar amounts: Vague, unspecific asks leave your reader wondering what exactly you are asking for, so offering specific amounts or a specific range is a way to help them know how best to partner with you.
• Never make an ask without communicating your plan to follow up: Make sure your reader knows you will be reaching out to them to discuss the letter, answer any questions, and follow up on a partnership decision within a specific time frame (based on your availability). You can mention your intentions for following up in the body of the letter or in the P.S. section.