Sample Solicitation Letters for Fundraising for the Re-evaluation Foundation
Sustaining All Life
Here is a sample letter for soliciting contributions to Sustaining All Life:
Dear friend and supporter of the environment,
I’m writing to you because I know that you care about the environment and I want you to have the opportunity to participate in an important program that could have a widespread impact.
Sustaining All Life is the environmental program of Re-evaluation Counseling, an organization I have been part of for many years. In Sustaining All Life we work to end climate change within the context of ending all divisions among people. Using the tools of Re-evaluation Counseling,* we provide people with the ongoing mutual support they need to free themselves from the discouragement, isolation, and other struggles— many of which are caused by societal oppression—that separate them from one another and from the world around them.
Our goals include the following:
- Increasing people’s awareness of climate change and the damage it causes
- Freeing people from the oppression and other hurts that turn them against one another and make them compete for resources
- Supporting people to organize effectively to preserve and restore the environment
The United Nations has accredited Sustaining All Life as a non-governmental organization (NGO).
SUSTAINING ALL LIFE AT THE UN CLIMATE CONFERENCES
Last year we participated in the Civil Society events, and events held by climate-activist groups, at COP21 (the twenty-first Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) in Paris, France. This year we plan to participate in COP22, in Marrakech, Morocco.
COP21 was a crucial conference. It sought a binding international agreement to keep global warming below 2.0 (preferably 1.5) degrees centigrade. Sustaining All Life held daily workshops, caucuses, forums, support groups, listening projects, and introductory classes and shared a booth with the Cameroun NGO Carre Geo and Environnement. We also held two workshops and a forum at the People’s Climate Summit in Montrieul, a working-class neighborhood in east Paris.
We focused on the following ideas:
- Climate change cannot be addressed effectively without looking at the impact of racism and other oppressions.
- Because of historical racism, the parts of the world being hit first and hardest by climate change have the least resource with which to address it.
- People working on climate change need to heal from feelings of discouragement and powerlessness and build a united movement.
Our delegates and volunteers pushed themselves to make many contacts with climate activists from around the world. Our events were well received. People appreciated the unique perspectives and tools we offered. Three hundred and fifty people wanted more information about or ongoing contact with Sustaining All Life. We have written to these people and sent them a PDF of the pamphlet we took to Paris (which was translated into ten languages).
COP22 will be in Marrakech, Morocco, from November 7 to 18, 2016. It will work on the mandates that came out of COP21 and attempt to strengthen the “voluntary” provisions. Climate finance will also be on the agenda.
Sustaining All Life is sending a delegation of twenty-five leaders to COP22. We plan to hold many workshops, forums, and other groups, as we did in Paris, along with daily “brainstorming sessions” in which people with similar interests can come together and share their ideas.
Because I know that you share my commitment to ending climate change and making this world a place in which all people can thrive, I am asking for your help in sending the Sustaining All Life delegates to COP22 and supporting our follow-up work after the conference. COP22 presents yet another opportunity for us to share the work we are doing with organizations from all over the world that are working toward similar goals.
Please contribute $200, $100, $50, or whatever you can. You will be investing not only in the program of Sustaining All Life but also in all the lives we touch and the policies we are able to influence. Contributions are tax-deductible in the United States.
If you have family, friends, or colleagues who you think might be interested in supporting our work, please feel free to invite them to contribute.
If you have questions, please feel free to call or e-mail me. I will be calling you in the coming week to discuss the program.
Please make checks payable to The Re-evaluation Foundation, mark them “Sustaining All Life,” and mail them to
The Re-evaluation Foundation
19370 Firlands Way North
Shoreline, Washington 98133 USA
Or go to our Donation page at this link and you can use PayPal to make your donation. www.rcorg/saldonate
With appreciation for your generous consideration,
[your name, phone number, and e-mail address]
Sustaining All Life
A Project of the Re-evaluation Foundation and the
International Re-evaluation Counseling Communities
www.rc.org/sustainingalllife
* Re-evaluation Counseling (or Co-Counseling) is a form of peer counseling that has been developing over the last sixty-plus years and is being used by people in over ninety countries around the world. The premise is simple: by using the natural gifts of healing with which we all were born (crying, laughing, trembling), while another person actively listens with kindness and awareness, people can heal from past painful experiences (including of racism) and flourish in their present lives. I have seen people use this process to emerge from difficult struggles into thinking well and taking charge of their lives, their families, and their communities.
People learn to Co-Counsel in small classes and groups, where they also give and receive ongoing emotional support. Many Co-Counselors have taken the tools of Re-evaluation Counseling into schools, police departments, state offices, advocacy organizations, and churches—places where people are eager to get help with the hurts of oppression that slow their efforts toward common goals.
United to End Racism
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 (UER) is the eliminating racism program of Re-evaluation Counseling, an organization I have been part of for many years. UER was recognized by the United Nations in 2001 as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) and participated at the NGO Forum of the UN World Conference Against Racism, held in Durban, South Africa, September 2001, and in dozens of conferences and forums since that time.
UER is currently planning to send a delegation of our leaders to the ____________________. We will be presenting workshops and leading support groups on topics such as _____________, etc. The goal of our participation is to expose people to the work of UER and introduce some of our key concepts. These ideas include things like: the importance of active listening and coming together to share our stories of racism, how internalized racism undermines our work, and tools for healing the internal damage from racism.
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 60+ 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 trembling), while someone is actively listening with kindness and awareness, people are able to heal from past painful experiences (including the damage done internally by racism) and flourish in their present lives. Through this process I have seen people emerge from difficult 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.
UER has conducted many workshops and classes on ending racism for groups in Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Chile, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, India as well as Europe, Australia, and the United States. As a result of this work, we have made many important contacts all over the world. And 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.
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 family, friends, or colleagues who you think might be interested in supporting our work, please feel free to invite them to contribute.
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
19370 Firlands Way North
Shoreline, Washington 98133 USA
These contributions are tax-deductible in the United States.
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.
No Limits for Women
Dear Friend and Supporter of women’s liberation,
I'm writing to you because I know that you care about ending sexism and I want you to have the opportunity to participate in a very important event that has the potential for widespread impact.
The United Nations is holding a Committee on the Status of Women’s (CSW) Beijing + 20 Forum in New York City in March 2015. This Forum will bring together women from around the world to develop a platform to address areas of critical concern to women worldwide. The No Limits for Women project of the Re-evaluation Counseling Community, an organization I have been part of for many years, participated at the original CSW Beijing Forum in 1995. We will again participate in this Forum.
In 1995, we brought 300 women to Beijing and conducted more than 20 workshops on a variety of topics related to ending sexism. These workshops were attended by thousands of women from around the world. Because our delegation was also international, we were able to offer translation into many languages. We also made many important contacts with many individuals and organizations from all over the world at the Beijing Forum.
We are currently planning to send a smaller international delegation of women and men leaders to the Beijing + 20 Forum in New York City. 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 all of us learn and improve our work. The workshops we plan to present are:
- Women and Men Forging Partnerships in the Elimination of Sexism World-Wide (women and men working together to eliminate sexism is a major focus of this Forum)
- Women and Leadership
- Women and Racism
- Women and Sexual Violence
Women who are part of the Re-evaluation Counseling Community have worked together for women’s liberation since the early 1970s. Tens of thousands of women have benefited from the women’s support groups, women’s classes, and women’s workshops that have been central to the work of Re-evaluation Counseling. No Limits for Women was created in 1990 (?) to take what we have learned about ending sexism beyond the Re-evaluation Counseling Community.
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.
Our tools for eliminating sexism are taught in small classes and groups, and ongoing emotional work is required. Many members of No Limits for Women have taken these tools into advocacy organizations, schools, state offices, and churches; places where people are eager to get help with the hurts of sexism that affect all people and slow our efforts toward common goals.
Since I know you share my commitment to ending sexism and making this world a place where all people can thrive, I am asking for your help. This follow-up Conference presents yet another opportunity for us to share the work we are doing on a global scale with other organizations striving to eliminate sexism. 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. We need to raise these funds by March 6th (the day the Beijing + 20 Forum starts).
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 "No Limits for Women"—and mail to:
The Re-evaluation Foundation
19370 Firlands Way North
Shoreline, Washington 98133 USA
These contributions are tax-deductible.
With thanks and appreciation for your generous consideration,
[sign your name]
No Limits for Women
A Program of the International
Re-evaluation Counseling Community
and the Re-evaluation Foundation
For more information about No Limits for Women, visit the website at: <www.rc.org/tile/nolimits>
For more information about Re-evaluation Counseling, visit the website at: <www.rc.org>