Matching Scholarship Fund Raising Sample Letters
Need help getting started with reaching out to your support network? Here are some examples of letter templates to get you started when writing to potential partners to invite them into your partner network. You will want to personalize them with your own details and personal testimony of why you are pursuing studies at Westminster. Remember that this is about building relationships and support that you will take into ministry after seminary.
Template #1: To Church Members
Dear RECIPIENT NAME,
Over several years, many of which I’ve spent in community here at CHURCH NAME, I’ve sensed a calling toward vocational ministry. After many conversations with family members and spiritual leaders at our church who have confirmed this calling, I’ve decided to pursue the path that I feel God is calling me toward. [INSERT SPECIFIC MINISTRY CALLING IF KNOWN] I don’t want to take this calling lightly, which is why I’m reaching out to you.
The work of ministry is far greater than anything I can do alone. It’s a profound call, and I want to do what I can to be prepared to serve faithfully and effectively. Scripture passages such as 3 John 1:5– 8 remind me that ministry can’t succeed as a solo endeavor. Any ministry effort relies on Christ’s church coming together in support of one another and in ultimate reliance on God. As I pursue a life of ministry, partnership will be essential in how I approach both my preparation and service to Christ’s church. I’m excited to share with you that I am pursuing a seminary education at Westminster Theological Seminary. I strongly align with Westminster’s point of view that the profound call to ministry requires profound preparation—a belief they demonstrate through providing training that is both rigorous and practical, with a deep connection to all of Scripture. I believe Westminster is the best place for me to prepare for a life of ministry, and I’m looking forward to starting there on YOUR START DATE.
As I begin seminary, I want to be intentional in building a network of partners who will come
alongside me to pursue God’s call. Westminster has already agreed to partner with me through
providing training, mentorship, and a scholarship of $_____ per year. I am committed to focusing my time and energy over the next NUMBER OF YEARS to gaining a solid foundation from which to serve, and plan to contribute $_____ per year of my own money toward my education. That leaves $_____ per year in tuition need, and I am looking for partners to help me close that gap. I am hoping you will consider this.
Would you be willing to partner with me as I pursue a life of ministry? A financial contribution would be extremely helpful, but I see partnership as much more than that. I want you to be a part of God’s call for my life—through relationship, prayer, and encouragement as I seek to serve the church in seminary and beyond. Thank you so much for all the ways you’ve supported me already, and thank you for considering partnering with me as I move forward into this new chapter of what God has planned.
If you would like to partner with me, I’d love to connect. Feel free to reach out at PREFERRED
PHONE OR EMAIL. If you would like to partner financially, you can contribute to my tuition need using this portal (Insert your ministry match link). Again, thank you so much for considering partnering with me.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
Template #2: To Family and Friends
Dear RECIPIENT NAME,
Over several years, I’ve sensed a calling to dedicate my life to Christian ministry. After many conversations with family members and spiritual leaders at CHURCH NAME who support this direction, I’ve decided to pursue the path that I feel God is calling me toward. [INSERT SPECIFIC MINISTRY CALLING IF KNOWN] I don’t want to take this calling lightly, which is why I’m reaching out to you.
The work of ministry is far greater than anything I can do alone. It’s a profound call, and I want to do what I can to be prepared to serve faithfully and effectively. The Bible describes ministry as an act of partnership, with any effort relying on people coming together in support of one another and in ultimate reliance on God. As I pursue my own life of ministry, I want to embrace that mindset.
I want to pursue this calling in a way that serves people well and honors God. To do that, I need preparation, and I’m excited to share with you that I will be attending Westminster Theological Seminary to pursue a DEGREE NAME. The Westminster experience also relies on partnership— between faculty, students, and other committed members of the community—and they take ministry preparation very seriously by providing training that is both rigorous and practical, with a deep connection to Scripture. I believe Westminster is the best place for me to prepare for a life of ministry, and I’m looking forward to starting there on YOUR START DATE.
As I begin seminary, I want to be intentional in building a network of partners who will come
alongside me to pursue God’s call. Westminster has already agreed to partner with me through
providing training, mentorship, and a scholarship of $_____ per year. I am committed to focusing my time and energy over the next NUMBER OF YEARS to gaining a solid foundation from which to serve, and plan to contribute $_____ per year of my own money toward my education. That leaves $_____ per year in tuition need, and I am looking for partners to help me close that gap. I am hoping you will consider this.
Would you be willing to partner with me as I pursue a life of ministry? A financial contribution would be extremely helpful, but I see partnership as much more than that. I want you to be a part of God’s call for my life—through relationship, prayer, and encouragement as I seek to serve the church in seminary and beyond. Thank you so much for all the ways you’ve supported me already, and continue to do so, and thank you for considering partnering with me as I move forward into this new chapter of what God has planned.
If you would like to partner with me, I’d love to have a conversation. Please reach out at
PREFERRED PHONE OR EMAIL. If you would like to partner financially, you can contribute to my tuition need using this portal (Insert Ministry match link). Again, thank you so much for considering partnering with me.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
Template #3: To Social Media Connections (as a post)
Hi everyone,
I’m excited to share that I’ve decided to pursue a life of Christian ministry. I’ve felt that God has
been putting this calling on my heart for a while now, and I want to pursue it in a way that honors
God and serves people well. I don’t want to take this calling lightly, which is why I’m reaching out to you.
As part of my preparation for ministry, I will be attending Westminster Theological Seminary, where I will pursue a DEGREE NAME starting YOUR START DATE. Another part of my preparation is building a network of partners. The work of ministry is not designed to be done alone, and so I want to be intentional in partnering with people who will come alongside me as I pursue God’s call at seminary and beyond. Would you consider partnering with me?
A financial contribution would be extremely helpful, but I see partnership as much more than that. I want you to be a part of God’s call for my life—through relationship, prayer, and encouragement. If you would like to partner with me, I’d love to have a conversation. Feel free to DM me or reach out at PREFERRED PHONE OR EMAIL. If you would like to partner financially, you can contribute to my tuition need using [the link in my bio/the attached link/this link].
Thank you for considering being a part of my ministry journey!