Based on your research, you must develop a direct mail fundraising appeal. Remember, this appeal will reach people who may not know very much about the issue or organization you are describing. It is therefore important to be clear, succinct and relocatable in your ask. To grab recipients’ attention, you are encouraged to include additional materials, including pictures, info-graphics, and/or personal narratives. *If you are using materials from external sources, be sure to cite properly using APA. You may be creative with your appeal, but here is a suggested outline: 1. Introduction paragraph: Grab the readers’ attention right from the start of the letter. Subsequently you may outline the purpose of the letter and succinctly state how much funding you are asking for (it is always a good idea to present options — a donation of $50, $100, or $500, for example). 2. Description of the issue: Using your research, provide a detailed description of the community, the prevalent challenges you wish to address, and why it is important to respond to this issue now ). Highlight currency and relevancy 8 through this description. 3. Description of how the money will be used: Donors would like to know what specifically their money will be used for to help them measure their impact. Make sure you are clear in your description as the donors may not know the issue. If possible, include if there are other similar projects that already exist, and why your project would be different. 4. About your organization: Why is your organization the right one to successfully carry out this project? What similar projects have you done in the past? What experience do you have working with the community or these issues (1 paragraph)? 5. Conclusion