LEARN IN 3 MINUTES HOW YOU CAN INCREASE YOUR DONATIONS BY 20 PERCENT.

August 24, 2004

V.P. of Communications

Defenders of Wildlife

1130

Washington D.C. 20036

Dear Mr. Lutz : 

Defenders of Wildlife has been a leader in the environmental field since its inception in 1947.  Worth magazine quoted, “Defenders of Wildlife is one of America’s top 100 charities.”  To maintain this position, Defenders deserves the best in copywriting.

Imagine your donations escalating 20 percent.  With this additional income, Defenders could help the Alaskan wolf battle Governor Murkowski’s aerial land and shoot legislation…help stop the destruction and degradation of the manatee’s habitat in Florida…continue to lead efforts to save the Artic National Wildlife Refuge from oil drilling…saving the refuge for our grandchildren.

I am a graduate of American Writers and Artist Institute.  I have been trained by the best copywriters in the business including Michael Masterson, Don Mahoney, Paul Hollingshead and Bob Bly.  And I have been personally mentored by Will Newman an established copywriter.

With new techniques I learned mixed in with the tried and true formulas of copywriting, I know I will be an asset to your fund raising campaigns.  I bring a fresh vision and passion to my writing that can increase your response rate by 20 percent to your fund raising efforts.

I will write on spec and show Defenders of Wildlife my capabilities for fund raising.  What that means is I will write a fund raising letter and if you accept it you pay me and if not you don’t.

I look forward to discussing an up coming campaign.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Arthur E. Fahy Jr.

{This is a four-page letter on 11” x 17” paper including an enclosed reply card with a reply envelope.}

{Envelope Teaser Copy} DISCOVER HOW THE WOLF CAN SAVE YOUR GRANDCHILDREN’S LIVES.

{Begin Johnson Box}

You are trudging across a snow-covered field.  The morning air nips at the small patch of bare skin below your eyes.  The snow crunches under your heavy boots with your every step.  Your heart pounds with anticipation below your thick layer of clothes. 

Without warning your guide signals you to drop to one knee. The pounding of your heart becomes deafening.  On the edge of the tree line, you spot what you’ve come to see.  Your chest swells with pride. Two wolf cubs break into the open field.  They play tag. 

Close behind, the Alpha male surveys the area.  Two smaller males and three females follow.  One of the females joins in the game and nudges one of the cubs playfully.  These cubs are only 7 to 9 months old—born this past spring.  Nature is in balance.  You feel in balance…involved…complete.

Yet how long will they survive?  This is up to you.

{End Johnson Box}

{Begin Text}

Dear American Conservationist,

We need to act now just as we did 30 years ago, when in the early 1970’s we rose to the occasion to save our national symbol the bald eagle from the edge of extinction.

We need to turn our attention immediately to another symbol of America , the Alaskan wolf.

The wolf represents wildness and freedom…and he desperately needs your help.  Just like the bald eagle a generation ago, the wolf is poised on the brink of extinction. Alaskan Governor Frank Murkowski reinstated a barbaric bill allowing what’s called “airborne wolf shooting” or “land and shoot hunting.”  This law means that hunters will search for wolves, “buzz” the pack and chase them until the animals are exhausted.  Then a gunner will shoot the wolves from the air or land and shoot as they flounder in the snow gasping for their last breath.  The only aim of this rifleman is to kill defenseless wolves. 

With this type of hunting, wolf cubs can be without parents in a matter of seconds…or the parents could lose their precious cubs before sundown.  If we allow this to continue, our children and grandchildren can be in just as much trouble as these wolves.  That’s how important wolves are to our ecosystem. 

Is this sport hunting?  No! 

The Crockett and Boone Hunting clubs are opposed to this type of action.  These clubs know the real spirit of hunting is working within the balance of nature.  This current action by some hunters can lead to the total elimination of wolves. 

This course is motivated by powerful hunting lobbyists.  These lobbyists don’t realize or care about the value the wolf plays in our ecosystem.  Their only aim is not even to hunt and kill wolves for trophies. Their sole purpose is to ensure more moose for hunters to kill.  Hunters from outside Alaska pay huge fees for the opportunity to hunt moose.  This is done purely for money while our ecosystem deteriorates, and the quality of lives for our children and grandchildren is adversely affected.

We have the responsibility to provide a safe and healthy environment for the Alaskan wolf to live in balance with the rest of nature.  As the Alaskan wolf thrives in the system our descendents can enjoy these beautiful creatures and live healthier lives.

We Rallied in Time to Save the Symbol of Our Heritage, The Bald Eagle
It’s Time Again for YOU to Take Up the Cause of the Wolf.

 

The bald eagle symbolizes the best America has to offer: freedom, strength and courage.  Yet because of carelessness and lack of education, this bird landed on the endangered species lists.  We destroyed its habitat and poisoned it with DDT.  As if this wasn’t enough, we shot it for its feathers.  Defenders of Wildlife and caring conservationists united.  Together we stood up and shouted, “Enough is enough.”

Today, under the watchful eye of Defenders of Wildlife and caring citizens like yourself, the bald eagle has been removed from the endangered species list.  We passed on a legacy to our children and grandchildren.  A legacy we almost destroyed.  The American Bald Eagle is alive and well.  When we speak to our loved ones about our national symbol instead of shame and guilt, we can feel pride that the bald eagle is still alive and soaring across the skies.  You and I made a difference then…and we can do it again.

Allow me to introduce myself.  I am Roger Schlickeisen, President of Defenders of Wildlife.  I am proud to be associated with Defenders.  The energy we put daily into preserving our wildlife and their habitat astounds me.  It is imperative to bring the same protection to the Alaskan wolf as we did to the bald eagle. 

We have stayed true to our focus.  Worth Magazine, one of the top fund raising magazines in the country, has said, “Defenders is one of America ’s top 100 charities.”

You and Defenders of Wildlife Can Preserve the Wolves And Our Ecosystem if WE ACT IMMEDIATELY! Defenders of Wildlife supported caring Alaskans in voting against the aerial shootings once in 1996 and again in 2000.  We tasted victory.   We won because of the vigilance of concerned and caring environmentalists like you taking action immediately. 

But now extremists have taken over.  The idea of wolves, moose and caribou as part of the ecosystem has been abandoned.  All this for money, while our ecosystem is being decimated.

Defenders of Wildlife stepped up to the plate on another occasion to help wolves.  The red wolf in North Carolina was put on the endangered species list.  Defenders worked hard and educated landowners in North Carolina . 

Once the landowners learned the real value of the red wolf to the ecology of their land, they allowed the wolves to live on their property.  The state of North Carolina is glad of the comeback of the red wolf, not only because the ecosystem is thriving but state tourism revenues have climbed.  Seventy percent of the tourists visiting the state come to see the wolves.  The state’s revenue has increased 170 million dollars.

Defenders fought to preserve the sea otter known as the “keystone species.”  They are the indicators of health of their ecosystem.  The sea otter helps promote the development of kelp forests by limiting the number of shellfish that feed on the vegetation.  You and I working together with nature provide a healthier environment for our children and grandchildren.

Wolves Guard and Protect Us and We Don’t Even Know It.

Today, there are 1 million caribou and 160,000 moose roaming Alaska .  This is hardly a shortage.  The wolf is a coursing predator, which means it searches for prey that is weak.  They eliminate the old, sick and genetically inferior from the population.  This stops disease from spreading to other animals…and to humans, which allows the stronger moose and caribou to survive and reproduce.

Wolf’s Return Has a Ripple Effect That Aids in the Health of Your Children and Grandchildren Consider what the wolf has done in Utah and how our life would be without it.  The environment is thriving.  Aspen and willow trees are sprouting where elk once overgrazed.  With the return of these trees, songbirds have flourished.  Songbirds minimize the insects that destroy trees. Beavers construct dams, reducing flooding, which provide cleaner streams. Cleaner streams mean healthier fish.  Fish your children and grandchildren eat.  Balancing one part of nature flows into another area and then another…progressing upward to our children and grandchildren.

Walls of Misunderstanding Crumble under the Knowledge You Help Disperse Since wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park , visitors have become educated about the important role the wolf plays in the ecosystem.  These fortunate people get hands-on experience learning of the vital role this fabulous creature plays in our ecosystem.  Most Americans have welcomed the return of the wolves, because they see how this symbol of wildness and freedom monitors the population of deer, caribou and elk.  With this education and understanding we can make more intelligent decisions concerning our environment and the lives of our children and grandchildren.

We Reap the Benefits of Nature in Our Everyday Lives Wildlife species provides us with benefits of enormous value.  The bark from the willow tree provides us with shoes, folk medicine and even aspirin.  Beavers help control floods and keep our streams fresh providing healthier fish. They even manufacture the air we breathe.  As our ecosystem flourishes, the quality of life for us and our descendents improves.

Taking Action Now Insures the Future of Your Loved Ones. Now is the time to take action and turn our attention to the Alaskan wolf.  The day you received this letter, 134 wolves were killed through aerial and land and shoot methods.  By the time you take action there will be over 200 wolves killed by these outlandish methods.  Together we can put a stop to these atrocious killings.  You have the awe-inspiring ability to keep your children’s future healthy and safer by helping to keep nature in balance. Three things will happen when you take action now.

First, when you see images of a wolf tossing her cubs playfully in the air, your chest will beat with pride.  The adrenalin rushes through your body like water rushing down a mountainside, as a wolf chases down an elk or deer.  A smile crosses your face, because you have the knowledge of why this wolf picked this particular animal. 

Second, you get the enjoyment of seeing a legacy in action.  You feel alive knowing that you, your children and grandchildren are reaping the benefits because of your actions right now. 

Third, you make a difference immediately and insure a healthy future for your loved ones.  You have educated your children about the vital role the Alaskan wolf plays in our ecosystem and the importance of maintaining that ecosystem.

Make a difference in the future of your children and grandchildren right now. Fill out the enclosed card and mailing it today in the accompanying envelope.  When you do so, you are joining a team that is determined to stop the atrocious killing of the Alaskan wolf.  A team whose goal is to preserve our ecosystem for our future generations.

Sincerely,

        Roger Schlicheisen

 President of Defenders of Wildlife

P.S. Please fill out the enclosed card and return it today.  What ever amount you choose, your gift will be sent to you immediately.  Your support is needed to maintain a healthy ecosystem for you, your children and grandchildren.  Remember this donation is tax deductible.

{End of Letter Text}

{Reply card}

YES !  I desire to keep nature in balance, preserve our wildlife and at the same time maintain a healthy ecosystem for my children and grandchildren

Enclosed you will find my contribution to our future and the future of wildlife.

_____ $20.00 I receive a Defenders of Wildlife calendar which is a daily reminder of my contribution to preserve nature’s glory and keep her in balance.

____ $25.00 In addition to the calendar, I receive a 1-year subscription to the award winning Defenders of Wildlife Magazine.  This educational magazine will keep me current on matters critical to nature and my ecosystem.

____ $50.00 And I receive a certificate of Wolf Adoption awarded in my name.  This certificate reminds me and the people who see it of my deep commitment to the future of the wolf…to my children… and to my grandchildren.  I also receive a 1 year subscription to Defenders Magazine and a Defenders calendar.

Enclosed is my check for $________ payable to Defenders of Wildlife.

Please charge my credit card.

VISA * MASTERCARD * AMERICAN EXPRESS

Card Number _____________________ Expiration Date_____________

Name ________________________________________

Signature______________________________________

Address_______________________________________

Phone Number _________________________________

City/State/ Zip _________________________________{End of reply card}