May 27, 2011 | Read Time: 4 minutes
Rufus L. Cole, executive director of the Liberian Council on Rural Poverty Alleviation, in April submitted a draft of his organization’s corporate-appeal letter as part of The Chronicle’s Crafting Winning Appeals series. We posted it on this blog and asked for your suggestions. He received some great, insightful comments.
Mr. Cole changed the letter based on those suggestions, adding more focus and tailoring the letter to the organization he is soliciting. You can see his original in that previous post.
As always, you are invited to offer your constructive critique of the letter in the comments section. The letter is posted as it was received, without editing from The Chronicle.
Here is his revised letter:
The General Manager
BHP Billiton
Oldest Congo Town
Liberia
Re: Help Break the Shackles of Poverty:
Dear Sir:
Liberian Council on Rural Poverty Alleviation, or LICORPA, a registered Liberian Non-Governmental Organization, was established in 2009 by band of young professional Liberians. LICORPA was established to work with individuals and families trapped in poverty and are vulnerable to the pandemics of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and gender-based violence in rural Liberia by strengthening their capacity for self- help, providing them financial services and prevention education on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and gender-based violence. LICORPA pursues its mission with both excellence and compassion because the people whom it serves deserve nothing less.
Since its inception, LICORPA has become a trusted vehicle that the rural poor in Bomi and Grand Cape Mount Counties rely on for delivery of sustainable financial and social services to overcome poverty, hunger, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and gender-based violence. LICORPA seeks a nation of hope, economic and social justice, where poverty, hunger, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and gender-based violence have been overcome and the poor rural people in Liberia live in dignity and security. To date, LICORPA had enabled 300 poor rural people of Bomi and Grand Cape Mount Counties to develop farm and nonfarm enterprises, village banks, and access prevention education on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and gender-based violence. Attached is LICORPA’s 2010 annual report for reference.
We are pleased to introduce to BHP Billiton management a project titled: “Small and Micro Enterprises Development and Rural Poverty Alleviation”. This project is an outcome of a situational analysis conducted and consultative meetings held with village households of Bomi and Grand Cape Mount Counties. Attached is the ‘project concept note’ that highlights the place, need, goal, specific objectives, outputs, activities, and anticipated results for your perusal. The project total cost is US$39,815.72. Attached is the project budget for your perusal.
This project was part of LICORPA’s 2010 programs. But given the dare need for it and the realization that it is a niche in our poverty reduction programs, we have decided to continue it in 2011.
Currently, the activities of the project are on-going in village towns of Bomi and Grand Cape Mount Counties. But the project budget is far from balancing. To date, we had raised US$9,953.93 over the last four months from fundraising activities just like this. Our fundraising goal for the remaining seven months of the year is US$29,861.79.
Because of this, we have decided to acquaint eminent people of goodwill, including heads of international and Liberian businesses, political parties, government ministries, agencies, commissions, public corporations, and honorable members of the House of Legislatures with the project and its fundraising goal. Our purpose for this, is to inform them about the state of poverty condition of poor rural people in village towns of Bomi and Grand Cape Mount Counties, and at the same get their indulgence to help these people break the ‘shackles of poverty’.
Therefore, we wish if the management of BHP Billiton would help LICORPA to develop farm and nonfarm enterprises for these poor rural people in village towns of Bomi and Grand Cape Mount Counties by making a ‘modest donation’ of its own choosing for the continuity of the project. Our quest for a donation is within the scale range of US$208.00 to US$1,500.00.
For an impoverished family, self-reliance is freedom. The shackles of poverty can hold a mother or a father back from educating their children or force a family to live on less than $2USD a day. Poverty is a relentless cycle of bondage, and self-reliance is freedom and hope.
Therefore, your management contribution allows LICORPA to work with individuals and families in village towns of Bomi and Grand Cape Mount Counties to develop and increase the profitability and productivity of farm and nonfarm enterprises thereby helping them to rise from chronic poverty. Besides, it will also demonstrate your management adherence to the ‘best practices’ of corporate social responsibility to the poor rural people of Bomi and Grand Cape Mount Counties.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. We look forward to building collaborative initiatives that will lead to a nation of hope, economic and social justice, where poverty, hunger, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, gender-based violence have been overcome and the poor rural people in Liberia live in dignity and security.
Sincerely,
LICORPA
Rufus L. Cole
Executive Director
To submit a letter for consideration, e-mail us at editor@philanthropy.com and include “Crafting Winning Appeals” in the subject line.
