Sample letter for first time solicitation

Dear Friend and Supporter of Ending Racism,

I'm writing to you because I know that you care about ending racism and I want you to have the opportunity to participate in a very important program that has the potential for wide-spread impact.

United to End Racism, the eliminating racism program of Re-evaluation Counseling, an organization I have been part of for many years, was recognized by the United Nations in 2001 as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) and accredited to participate at the NGO Forum of the UN World Conference Against Racism, held in Durban, South Africa, September 2001. The NGO Forum was attended by more than 10,000 people committed to fighting racism. Throughout the Forum, UER presented very successful workshops on a variety of topics related to ending racism. We also made many important contacts with many individuals and organizations from all over the world at the UN Conference.

In the years since the UN World Conference, we have conducted follow-up workshops and classes for groups in Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Chile, Columbia, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Scotland, England, and Iceland, as well as the United States. We now have groups of people using the tools of United to End Racism in these parts of the world as an outgrowth of these workshops.

UER is currently planning to send a smaller delegation of our leaders to the Sixth Annual Conference on White Privilege in Pella, Iowa, April 27 - 30, 2005. We will be presenting workshops and leading support groups on topics such as "Healing from the Damage Done by Racism," "The Intersection of Racism/White Privilege and Sexism," "The Role of White People in Ending Racism," "Internalized Racism," and "Our Experiences in Doing Healing Work within the Prison System."

I would like to give you an opportunity to participate in our United to End Racism program by contributing to send delegates to this Conference and support the follow-up work after the Conference.

Re-evaluation Counseling (RC) is a form of peer counseling that has been developing for the past 50 years and is being used by people in more than 90 countries around the world. The premise is very simple. By using the natural gifts of healing with which we were born (crying, laughing, and shaking), while someone is actively listening with kindness and awareness, people are able to heal from past painful experiences and flourish in their present lives. Through this process I have seen people emerge from difficult personal struggles to thinking well and taking charge of their lives, their families, and the communities around them.

United to End Racism (UER) is committed to ending racism and to supporting the efforts of other groups to accomplish this goal. The main work of UER is to illuminate the damage done to individuals by racism and to undo this damage on an individual basis, using the resources and process of Re-evaluation Counseling. As people do this work, they become better able:

• to interrupt racism in their daily lives;
• to free themselves from all of racism's effects;
• to take leadership;
• to form deep relationships across racial lines;
• to support the work of other individuals and organizations in ending racism.

Our tools for eliminating racism are taught in small classes and groups, and ongoing emotional work is required. Many members of United To End Racism have taken these tools into schools, police departments, state offices, advocacy organizations, and churches; places where people are eager to get help with the hurts of racism that affect all people and slow our efforts toward common goals.

Since I know you share my commitment to ending racism and making this world a place where all people can thrive, I am asking for your help. This Conference presents yet another opportunity for us to share the work we are doing on a global scale with other organizations striving to eliminate racism. We are planning to lead workshops and support groups, and to play a supportive role to other organizations at the Conference. As always, contact with other people committed to this work will help both of us learn and improve our work.

Please contribute $100, $200, $50 or whatever you can. Your gift will be not only an investment in the spirit of these people, but in all the lives they touch.

I hope you will take this opportunity to encourage and support this effort by making a donation. We can make great strides when we believe in and support each other, across all our differences.

If you have any questions please feel free to call or email me. I will be calling you in the next week to discuss this program.

Please make checks payable to The Re-evaluation Foundation—marked "United To End Racism"—and mail to:

The Re-evaluation Foundation
P.O. Box 9292
Seattle, WA 98109.

These contributions are tax-deductible.

With thanks and appreciation for your generous consideration,

[sign your name]
United To End Racism
A Program of the International
Re-evaluation Counseling Community

For more information about United To End Racism and Re-evaluation Counseling, visit the web site at www.rc.org/uer.

Sample letter for people who have donated before

Dear Friend and Supporter of Ending Racism,

I'm writing to you because I know that you care about ending racism and you have previously supported my efforts to raise funds for an organization I am part of, United to End Racism.

Since the first time I wrote you, United to End Racism, the eliminating racism program of Re-evaluation Counseling, participated in the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) Forum of the UN Conference. UER presented very successful workshops on a variety of topics related to ending racism. We also made many important contacts with many individuals and organizations from all over the world at the UN Conference. Your contribution helped us send a delegation of 60 people from all over the world to the conference. Since the UN Conference, contributions like yours also enabled us to send some of our leaders to parts of Africa, South America, and Europe in 2002 and 2003 to conduct follow-up workshops. We now have groups of people using the tools of United to End Racism in these parts of the world as an outgrowth of these workshops.

Since then United to End Racism sent a smaller delegation of our leaders to a US NGO conference in Washington, D.C, that was a follow up to the World Conference Against Racism, entitled "Movement Beyond Borders: U.S. Communities Building a Racial Justice Vision in the Post Durban, Post 9/11 Era", held in Washington, D.C., May 1-4, 2003. At that conference, too, we led support groups, made presentations, and supported the overall conference organization.

Currently, we are preparing to present UER's work at the Sixth Annual Conference on White Privilege in Pella, Iowa, April 27 - 30, 2005. UER will be presenting workshops and leading support groups on topics such as "Healing from the Damage Done by Racism," "The Intersection of Racism/White Privilege and Sexism," "The Role of White People in Ending Racism," "Internalized Racism," and "Our Experiences in Doing Healing Work within the Prison System."

I would like to give you another opportunity to participate in our United to End Racism program by contributing to send delegates to this Conference and funding the follow-up work that will result from our participation there.

As a reminder of who we are and what we do, I have enclosed below a page of information on UER and Re-evaluation Counseling, UER's parent organization.

Since I know you share my commitment to ending racism and making this world a place where all people can thrive, I am asking for your help. This Conference presents yet another opportunity for us to share the work we are doing on a global scale with other organizations striving to eliminate racism. We are planning to lead workshops and support groups, and to play a supportive role to other organizations at the Conference. As always, contact with other people committed to this work will help both of us learn and improve our work.

Please contribute $100, $200, $50 or whatever you can. Your gift will be not only an investment in the spirit of these people, but in all the lives they touch.

I hope you will take this opportunity to encourage and support this effort by making a donation. We can make great strides when we believe in and support each other, across all our differences.

If you have any questions please feel free to call or email me. I will be calling you in the next week to discuss this program.

Please make checks payable to The Re-evaluation Foundation—marked "United To End Racism"—and mail to:

The Re-evaluation Foundation
P.O. Box 9292
Seattle, WA 98109.

These contributions are tax-deductible.

With thanks and appreciation for your generous consideration,

[sign your name]
United To End Racism
A Program of the International
Re-evaluation Counseling Community

United to End Racism and Re-evaluation Counseling

Re-evaluation Counseling (RC) is a form of peer counseling that has been developing for the past 50 years and is being used by people in more than 90 countries around the world. The premise is very simple. By using the natural gifts of healing with which we were born (crying, laughing, and shaking) while someone is actively listening with kindness and awareness, people are able to heal from past painful experiences and flourish in their present lives. Through this process I have seen people emerge from difficult personal struggles to thinking well and taking charge of their lives, their families, and the communities around them.

United to End Racism (UER) is committed to ending racism and to supporting the efforts of other groups to accomplish this goal. The main work of UER is to illuminate the damage done to individuals by racism and to undo this damage on an individual basis, using the resources and process of Re-evaluation Counseling. As people do this work, they become better able:

• to interrupt racism in their daily lives;
• to free themselves from all of racism's effects;
• to take leadership;
• to form deep relationships across racial lines;
• to support the work of other individuals and organizations in ending racism.

Our tools for eliminating racism are taught in small classes and groups, and ongoing emotional work is required. Many members of United To End Racism have taken these tools into schools, police departments, state offices, advocacy organizations, and churches; places where people are eager to get help with the hurts of racism that affect all people and slow our efforts toward common goals.

For more information about United To End Racism and Re-evaluation Counseling, visit the web site at www.rc.org/uer.