Includes index.

p.1. Motivating your audience -- Why people respond to fundraising letters -- How a fundraising letter is like a personal visit -- What donors really think about fundraising letters -- Characteristics of an effective fundraising letter -- A leisurely tour through one successful appeal -- p.2. The letter writer's plan of action -- What to do before you write any fundraising letter -- Eight steps toward successful fundraising letters -- The cardinal rules of fundraising letters -- You're writing for results -not for a Pulitzer price -- p.3. Customizing your appeal -- Recruiting new donors : starting intimate conversations with strangers -- Welcoming new donors : treating people like part of the family -- Appealing for special gifts : bringing your case down to earth -- Asking for year-end contributions : making the most of the holiday spirit -- Soliciting high-dollar gifts : framing the case for major contributions -- Going for bigger gifts : persuading donors to make an extra commitment -- Seeking annual gifts : building long-term loyalty, one year at a time -- Thanking your donors : friend-raising before fundraising -- p.4. The letter writer's toolbox -- Sixty successful outer envelope teasers -- Fifty-four strong leads for fundraising letters -- Ninety ways to use the word "you" in a fundraising letter -- Sixty-three ways to handle awkward corywritting transitions-- Forty-one powerful ways to end a fundraising letter -- Fifty-eight ways to start a P.S. in a fundraising letter -- Fifteen ways how not to get results -- Ten other books to help you write successful fundraising letters.