Pledge letters work best when personalized and written on your own stationary. Use this letter as a template or as inspiration for your own letter.
[Date]
[Name]
[Address]
Dear [Name],
In a few months, I will be participating in a very special event to help fight the battle against AIDS.
On June 2 and 3, I will bike 180 miles to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and back. I will be biking in an event called the Ride for AIDS Chicago. The proceeds from the event support two local organizations that provide much needed AIDS support services: Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN) and Better Existence with HIV (BEHIV), you may have heard of them.
I am taking on this challenge for a number of reasons. First, and foremost, is that the AIDS epidemic is far from over, and this is something I can do to help in the fight against AIDS. In the US, there are over 400,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. This year alone, 25,000 people will become infected with HIV and 25% of them will be among teenagers. This year 15,000 people will die.
The ride’s beneficiaries are exemplary AIDS service organizations that provide a host of education, outreach, and support services. I invite you to find out more about both TPAN and BEHIV by visiting their web sites: www.tpan.com and www.behiv.org. The Ride for AIDS Chicago was created by volunteers and is different in that it is committed to returning 100% of the pledges I raise to the beneficiaries.
Now that I have mentioned the pledge part, I should tell you that to participate in the ride, I have agreed to raise $1,000 in pledges, and I need your help. Would you please make a pledge-using the enclosed pledge form-to help me meet my goal? Look the form over and designate an amount that is right for you. Please keep in mind how far I’m riding, the commitment I’ve made, and how long I’ll have to train for the event.
If you would like to know more about the ride itself, they have put together an informative web site at www.rideforaids.org. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Yours,
[Signature]
