Fundraising Letters That Work

That’s exactly the story with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, which broke ground in 2012 and is slated to open in 2015. Despite a $12 million donation by Oprah Winfrey, tens of millions of dollars remain to be raised.

Even before its 2012 groundbreaking, according to Who’s Mailing What!, the museum has relied on direct mail to acquire charter members. The latest control effort has been in the mail for the last year and appeals to pride and patriotism as it focuses on the “remarkable stories” of the African American experience. The front of the No. 10 outer simply reads, “FREE GIFTS ENCLOSED.” But once inside, the prospect is face-to-face with elements that bolster the argument made in the four-page letter, that the museum is “America’s story” and is for “everyone who calls themselves an American.”