Rejection hurts. But all is not lost! There are many reasons why a donor may need to reject your proposal, and it may not be a problem of quality. As mentioned in a previous article, you can still try to continue a relationship with the donor and improve for next time. To do this, here is a sample letter to donors you can send after rejection.
Letter to the donor after rejection [sample]
RE: XYZ Nepal – Thank you for your time
Solar Panel Installation in Ghemi Village
Dear John Don,
The entire team here at XYZ Nepal and I were disappointed by your decision announced last week. However, we understand the difficulties in prioritizing your funding. We wish all the best to your new grantees – they are very fortunate to have you as a donor and will no doubt run fantastic programs with your support.
We hope our application still convinced you of the real challenges faced by our community members. While we were unsuccessful in this funding round, I know our shared priorities on empowering rural communities align. I hope you will consider working with us in the future.
Would you be available next week for a short Skype meeting to discuss our application? I want to learn where we can improve for next time, and if there are any other potential partners you could recommend us to.
XYZ Nepal is still committed to brightening our communities with smiles as well as solar lighting. We are confident in our project and will continue looking for willing partners. We would appreciate any recommendations or tips you have for us.
Thank you again for your time and help in pointing us in the right direction.
Best regards,
Rama Thapa
XYZ Nepal
Letter to the donor after rejection template
Here is a template you can use to send letters to donors after rejection. The above sample was created with this template as a base. This template is in print letter format. If the letter is intended to be sent as an email, then reformat it to match the above sample.
You may download this template as an editable Word document. Remember, all [red text in brackets] should be filled out and customized by the NGO. Do not forget to remove the brackets and red colour before sending to a donor!
This sample has been shared with modification for learning and capacity building purposes.
