[tab name=’Guidelines’]
Guidelines : Requesting
Requesting Honorary Use of Name, Testimonial, or Chair Position
Guidelines and Alternate Phrases
- Give all pertinent background information about your cause or group if it is not well known.
- State clearly what will be involved in the use of the name, and assure the reader no personal effort will be expected.
- We can assure you your name will be more than adequate to support our effort, and, of course, we expect nothing further than your reputation.
- There’ll be no meetings, phone calls, or dollars requested from you. Your best wishes and name will add all the prestige necessary to make our project a total success.
- Be persuasive about why the reader should lend his or her name to the cause.
- Make it easy for the reader to reply positively.
- Simply sign the enclosed letter granting us permission to use your name in the way we’ve outlined.
- We’ll be eager to receive your phone call (345-8233) permitting us to name you as our honorary leader.
- Would you write us with your “yes” so we can go to work making Dallas a better place to live and do business?
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[tab name=’Example 1′]
Example 1: Solicitations letters
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Mr. Lomax:
As chairman of the St. Agnes Foundation, I am writing to ask your help. A friend has suggested you might be willing to let us use your name as honorary chairman of our upcoming fund drive.
Our foundation, a Texas nonprofit corporation, was founded in April 19–, for the advancement of health care in Dallas. Since its beginning, the foundation has become one of Dallas’ most respected charitable organizations.
In order to maintain this status, we must continue to ask individuals like you for help. Your name will lend us the influence and prestige we need to call once again on corporations for their help in maintaining adequate health-care service in the central city area.
We sincerely hope you will honor us and your friends by granting this request. The extent of your involvement will simply be your name on printed letters of fund solicitation. I’ve enclosed drafts of three letters we plan to use in our efforts.
Leo Harseton will phone you in a few days to see if you can help us out in this way. Thank you for your consideration.
Cordially,
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[tab name=’Example 2′]
Example 2: Honorary position letters
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Ms. Grafton:
Do you belong to a college or university advisory board? A mutual friend of ours, Hugh Shaffer, recommended I extend an invitation to you to join our Harris College advisory board in an honorary capacity. Perhaps you know of some others in Colorado who have agreed to serve–Dr. Carolyn Fullerton, Mr. Matt Johnson, and Dr. Bruce Wellenberg.
Until recently our advisory board has been small, but if we are going to continue to grow, we need to add people of your stature to help us.
I’m sure by now you are wondering what will be expected of you. I want to assure you that as an advisory board member you will be required to give very little of your time. All of our board business will be conducted by mail, unless you want to attend some of the college’s functions. About every three or four months I will write you and your fellow board members with a couple of questions about various issues here at the college. We will be most grateful if you can either write or phone us with your opinions.
Also from time to time, we will be sending out brochures about the college and would like to be able to list your name as a member of our advisory board. If we have your permission to do that, would you please let me know by signing the attached form?
Should there be any specific questions I can answer about our success record, expansion plans, or anything at all, feel free to call on me. Your name would greatly benefit our efforts to educate tomorrow’s workforce.
Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Example 3′]
Example 3: Requesting
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Mr. Meadows:
Together with my co-chairman, Mayor Henike, I would like to invite you to join an honorary committee being formed to assist the Governor’s Club of San Diego in the celebration of its 30th anniversary.
Founded in 1958 to advance the economic, civic, and social well-being of the people of San Diego, the Governor’s Club has been closely identified through the years with the city’s successes in these areas. We want to make the 30th anniversary a memorable tribute to San Diego and to those who have served our city with devotion and zeal.
The celebration will be held on Thursday evening, March 4, in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton. On this occasion, the Governor’s Club will pay special tribute to a selected group of Californians and the institutions and achievements they represent.
Proceeds will benefit the Governor’s Club of San Diego to strengthen their efforts to secure permanent good government for the city and for the state.
Would you please write or phone us (123-456-7899) with your answer? I assure you no obligations of your time or money will be involved. The mayor and I hope you will join our honorary committee because your name will ensure the success of our anniversary tribute.
Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Example 4′]
Example 4: Requesting
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Mr. Davenport:
I am writing to ask you to do something that will require very little time and no money on your part, but will pay big dividends in the lives of young cancer patients here at St. Agnes Children’s Research Hospital. Would you allow us to use your name as the honorary chairman of our fund-raising drive for cancer research?
When I first opened this hospital in 1955, the survival rate for our children was 6 percent. Today, we save more than 60 percent, and many are completely recovering from diseases once thought incurable. Still, we can’t accept losing 40 percent of our children. You may have recently seen the KHRV cable TV program about the Stringer family. Last October, they lost their four-year-old girl to leukemia. Now, their 18-month-old son has been diagnosed with the same disease. At St. Agnes, these children and others get the best possible care while they’re fighting for their lives. Our doctors become more optimistic with each advance in our knowledge about the diseases.
On the average, the first year for a child’s treatment costs about $35,000. Each year after that costs about $20,000. Our fund-raising effort to the general public will help us defray the high costs no family alone can bear. Our research costs, of course, are ongoing.
Specifically for this campaign, we’d like to use your photo and name as honorary chairman for our fund-raiser on the appeal letter (enclosed for your review). Someone of your community stature will certainly lend the necessary credibility for our efforts. That’s the entirety of your involvement.
Please write or phone us (320-499-5789) with your answer. Your support can literally make the difference between life and death for someone’s precious child.
Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Guidelines’]
Guidelines : Accepting Request
Accepting Requests for Honorary Use of Name, Testimonial, or Chair Position
Guidelines and Alternate Phrases
Accept the invitation graciously.
- I am delighted you have asked me to serve.
- I sincerely appreciate the confidence you’ve shown in choosing me for this honorary position.
- I am always pleased to help out the community in small ways such as lending my name to an excellent cause.
- Thank you for expressing such trust in my endorsement of your cause. I’m very pleased to accept your invitation.
- Verify that your personal involvement is unnecessary.
- I understand no time or travel on my part will be involved.
- Because my schedule is already so full, I’m counting on your assurance no time will be required of me in this effort.
- As I understand from your letter, no personal appearances or telephone meetings will be expected of me. It all sounds easy enough to me; the real contribution to the community will be made by you and your staff. On their behalf, I thank you.
- State any personal or business goals you may have in the outcome of the organization’s efforts.
- Yours is a worthwhile, respected organization, and I’m proud to be associated in this small way.
- Our company has reaped tremendous rewards because of your past help to our employees. We know our people can continue to look forward to improved schools in their neighborhoods because of your efforts in fighting drug abuse.
- Wish the organization success in its efforts.
- I wish you great success.
- Best wishes to you in this effort.
- Your organization deserves all the help that may come its way during the days ahead.
- We hope your fund-raising effort is hugely successful.
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[tab name=’Example 1′]
Example 1: Sample letter of acceptance for honorary position
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Howard:
Thank you for the invitation to become the honorary chairman of the CISC. Also, I appreciate the invitation to join you and Bill Jamieson for lunch.
I will be delighted for you to use my name in promoting your organization. One of the main thoughts contributing to my decision is my understanding your headquarters will eventually be relocated to our city.
Bob Shearers, my assistant, will be in touch with you about the details. I understand from your letter all you need from me is a recent photo and a facsimile of my signature.
All of our staff wish you great success with the 19– plans for community involvement.
Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Example 2′]
Example 2: Acceptance letters for honorary position
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Mr. Winchell:
I was pleased to receive your offer to make me an honorary board member of Community Action Now (CAN). It would be a privilege to have my name associated with such a worthy organization.
My own neighborhood benefited from your revitalization efforts with the renovated Youth Club. It is rare that a privately funded organization can sustain the strength needed to affect such tremendous change in Boston.
As I’m sure you can appreciate, my busy schedule limits the time I can contribute to CAN. I understand my obligation is limited to approving several fundraising and volunteer recruitment letters to be mailed with my signature.
Thank you for this opportunity to contribute to all the great work you do.
Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Example 3′]
Example 3: Accepting letter for chair position
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Mrs. Butler:
I would be delighted to act as honorary president of next year’s city-wide blood drive. Over they years I have developed a tremendous admiration for the skill and kindness of your nurses and volunteers.
If I can lend my support simply by allowing you to use my name, signature, and picture, I will be happy to do it.
I wish you the best.
Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Guidelines’]
Guidelines : Declining Request
Declining Requests for Honorary Use of Name, Testimonial, or Chair Position
Guidelines and Alternate Phrases
- Give the reason you cannot accept the invitation.
- While I understand your dedication to the cause, I hold totally opposite views on the issues involved.
- My family members have very strong feelings about the related issues, and, therefore, out of concern for their feelings, I’m afraid I can’t accept your invitation.
- I’ve always been the sort of person who brings great enthusiasm to her interests; I’ll have to be honest enough to say I just do not feel that strongly about the illiteracy matter. I suggest, therefore, you find others who would have much more success for you.
- Thank you for your confidence, but I simply do not feel I have the broad appeal such an issue deserves.
- I’m sorry to say I cannot lend my name to such a project unless I can actively participate in it, and such active participation is out of the question for me at this time because of health problems.
- In other instances, as you may be aware, I have permitted my name to be used. Unfortunately, some groups made decisions and used advertising methods of which I did not approve. Because of those situations, I simply have decided I must refrain from such use. I hope you understand.
- I’ve already permitted two other groups this year to use my name in their efforts. Therefore, I fear “overkill” for the public. Please forgive me for not agreeing this time.
- Express appreciation for the honor shown by the request.
- Thank you for the invitation, and I hope you understand my concern.
- I appreciate your thinking of me, and I’m sorry I cannot help in this instance.
- Your request is a compliment, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness in contacting me.
- Receiving your request has been an honor that I appreciate. I know others will be eager to help you in this way.
- Thank you for the confidence you have shown by this request. I’m flattered.
- Extend best wishes for the project’s success if you can do so sincerely.
- I wish you overwhelming success in your efforts.
- May you have the best of success in this matter.
- I commend you on your enthusiasm and efforts.
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[tab name=’Example 1′]
Example 1: Decline request letters for honorary position
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Ms. Jones:
I appreciate very much your extending to me the invitation to participate in the President’s Tutorial Program. My associates and I think this would be a marvelous opportunity for a young person in today’s business world. In fact, when I look back on the matter, I would like to have had the opportunity myself in my earlier career.
Unfortunately, however, we cannot grant the use of our name to your organization. Because of past experiences, we have established a policy against such use.
We hope you understand our position, and we appreciate the recognition your request implies. Best wishes for every success with the student program.
Sincerely,
[/tab]
[tab name=’Example 2′]
Example 2: Declining Request
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Ms. McAlister:
Thank you for your offer to make me an honorary member of the board of trustees of Urban Health Initiative. I respect the work your volunteers accomplish despite limited funding. In particular, I admire your recent efforts to provide AIDS education to the homeless people of Newark and New York.
While I am flattered by your interest, I am afraid I must decline your offer. However worthwhile, your organization’s stance on needle exchange programs is very controversial. Associating my name with it so publicly will adversely affect other organizations and businesses with which I am involved.
I am sorry I cannot offer my public support at this time. I wish you the best.
Sincerely,
[/tab]
[tab name=’Example 3′]
Example 3: Declining Request
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Mr. Chamberlain:
I appreciate your interest in making me an honorary Global Forest activist. I wholeheartedly agree with your conviction that we must work with world governments to improve forestry and industrial practices. Unfortunately, my beliefs are not in line with the methods Global Forest employs to affect environmental change.
I believe the most substantial change can only take place through education, diplomacy, and legislation. In my experience, holding disruptive protests only antagonizes the people who have the power to implement new policies.
As I’m sure you understand, I only put my name behind organizations I can support without reservation. Thank you for the offer. I hope you can appreciate my concerns.
Sincerely,
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[end_tabset]