Thank You Letter Central

If you were

notified by Financial Aid that you received a donor scholarship and
sent a thank you request letter from Joelle Warner, Manager of Donor Services,

then you are in the right place!

You must write this letter if you want to receive donor scholarships next year and every year you are at Pitt-Bradford. Our donors deserve to be thanked so please take your time.

Check below for our letter writing guide, proofreading tips, and sample letters.

If you have any questions or need help with your letter, please call me at 814.362.5104 or email me at jaw104@pitt.edu. I am here to help you write the best letter you can!

Joelle Warner
Manager of Donor Services

Letter Writing Guide

Write a warm and fact-filled letter to you benefactor(s) on your computer. Be sure to include your thanks and proofread carefully. Note that in some cases the addressee of the letter may be more than one individual or the addressee may be a relative of the original donor. Please adjust your letter accordingly. All letters will be addressed to the donor in care of the Institutional Advancement Office at Pitt-Bradford.

Send your letter to the Office of Institutional Advancement via campus mail. Be sure to sign your letter in blue or black ink.

The Office of Institutional Advancement will forward your letter to the donor(s) and notify the Financial Aid Office that you have fulfilled your obligation. This makes you eligible to receive donor scholarships in the future.

Your letter will be reviewed by a member of the Institutional Advancement staff. In cases where there are typos and/or grammatical errors, the letter will be returned for correction. We understand that you, as the recipient of the scholarship, would want an error free letter sent to the donor(s).

Suggestions on what to share in your letter:

Name and class year
Where you are from and your family background
Comments on why you chose Pitt-Bradford
You academic pursuits, major, courses of study
Your career goals, plans for the future
Awards or honors you have received
Clubs and other campus activities in which you are involved
Volunteer and community service
Internships
Study abroad experience
How the scholarship has helped you
Anything your donor might find interesting about your life at Pitt-Bradford
Expression of your appreciation for the financial support you receive from the scholarship

Proofreading Tips

Have someone else read your letter.

Write the letter and put it aside for a while. When you come back, you will have a fresh perspective.

Follow the letter writing guide.

Use spell check or a dictionary (especially if you hand-write the letter).

Refer to your thank you request letter from the Manager of Donor Services. This will ensure that your addressees and scholarship names are correct.

Don't use abbreviations (write "I am a communications major" instead of "I am a comm. major").

Don't tell the donor how much money you or your parents make. This is neither appropriate nor any of his or her business.

Use at least a 11-point font if typing your letter. This will make it easier to catch mistakes and easier for the donor to read.

Be as specific as possible.

Thank the donor at the beginning and end of the letter.

Want more proofreading tips? Visit the following site:

Proofreading: 11 Tips to Trash Typos

Sample Letter

October 5, 20XX

Mr. and Mrs. John A. Doe
c/o Pitt-Bradford Office of Institutional Advancement
300 Campus Drive
Bradford, PA 16701

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Doe,

My name is Suzie Jones and it is with great pleasure that I write you this letter. I am the recipient of the James A. Doe Scholarship and Endowment for the 20XX-20XX academic year. Your generosity means a great deal to me, as I used the funds for my tuition and to purchase all my textbooks for this semester.

I grew up in McKean County with my father, mother and older brother. I chose to attend Pitt-Bradford because it is close to home and because I knew I would get the personal attention I desired from professors. I love the university and would encourage anyone who is college searching to check it out.

I'm a non-traditional student in my junior year at Pitt-Bradford. My major is broadcast communications with a minor in public relations. I hope to attend graduate school to earn a master's degree in communications so that I can start my own broadcasting company someday.

I'm actively involved in student life at Pitt-Bradford as a member of both the Non-Traditional Student Association and Baily's Beads, the student literary magazine. Not only is it fun to be involved in these clubs, but it is also useful because the leadership and editing experience I'm gaining will help me land my first job after I graduate.

Thank you for believing in Pitt-Bradford enough to donate financially to students like me. You are helping me to earn a high-quality degree that I know will take me far professionally. One day I hope to follow your example and give to Pitt-Bradford so that future students can have the same terrific college experience that I've had.

Sincerely,

Suzie Jones