Welcome to Thank You Letter Central!

If you were

• notified by Financial Aid or an SHP Department that you received a SHP donor scholarship and
• sent an e-mail invitation to the student scholarship lunch and a thank you request letter from Michelle Conley

then you are in the right place!

You must write this letter if order to receive your check but more importantly because our donors deserve to be thanked.

The information below is provided to help you write your letters. The letter writing guide, proofreading tips and sample letter are the most important tools so do not miss them.

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

Letter Writing Guide

1. 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 Office of the Dean, UTMB School of Health Professions.
2. Send your letter to the SHP Office of Academic and Student Affairs via email, to the attention of Michelle Conley, maconley@utmb.edu .
3. The Office of the Dean will forward your letter to the donor(s) and notify the Financial Aid Office that you have fulfilled your obligation. This enables you to pick up scholarship check and eligible to potentially receive donor scholarships in the future.
4. Your letter will be reviewed by a member of the Office of Academic and Student Affairs. In cases where there are typos and/or grammatical errors, the letter will be corrected. 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 UTMB in SAHS
• Expression of your appreciation for the financial support you receive from the scholarship.

Proofreading and Other Tips

1. Have someone else read your letter.
2. Write the letter and put it aside for a while. When you come back, you will have a fresh perspective.
3. Follow the letter writing guide.
4. Use spell check or a dictionary (especially if you hand-write the letter).
5. Refer to your thank you request letter from the Manager of Donor Services. This will ensure that your addressees and scholarship names are correct.
6. Don't use abbreviations (write "I am a communications major" instead of "I am a comm. major").
7. Don't tell the donor how much money you or your parents make. This is neither appropriate nor any of his or her business.
8. Use at least 11-point font if typing your letter. This will make it easier to catch mistakes and easier for the donor to read.
9. Be as specific as possible.
10. Thank the donor in the beginning and at the end of the letter.

Want more proofreading tips? Visit the following site:

http://www.lrcom.com/tips/proofreading_editing.htm

*** Sample Letter ***

August 15, 2009

Mr. and Mrs. John A. Doe
c/o UTMB School of Health Professions
Office of the Dean
301 University Boulevard
Galveston, TX  77555-1028

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Doe,

My name is Barbie Johnson 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 2008-2009 academic year. Your generosity means a great deal to me and is very much appreciated.

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

I'm a non-traditional student in my junior year at UTMB in the Occupational Therapy Program and actively involved in…<enter your details>. I hope to <what is your ambition?>

Thank you for believing in UTMB School of Health Professions 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 the school so that future students can have the same terrific experience that I've had.

Sincerely,

Student Name