A donation letter is basically a contact letter. Most donation letters are comparatively brief, and may or may not include supportive information or a reason for making the donation. Most major organizations provide additional material with their donation letters requesting the recipient to contribute. Some may include subscription or information for people to make regular donations.

Most donation letters are written on the same general formula as a direct response ad mail letter. The advantage of this technique is that it allows for good formatting and large-scale reproduction on an ongoing basis. Donation letters are usually compiled and sent to specific recipients, with information gathered from mailing lists.

For example:

The Save Our Forests And Wildlife group (not a real organization) donation letter is macro-based, and design for good quality printing. The letter is composed as a single page, including all necessary information:

We need donations to keep these programs running, and to advance our existing programs. If you'd like to contribute to our programs and help us reclaim the natural world for future generations please donate.

Donations may be made in these forms: