Thanking your benefactor
University of Minnesota alumni and friends provide scholarships
to help pay for your education at the University of Minnesota because
they believe that students like you can make a difference in the world.
You owe nothing in return, except your gratitude.
We strongly encourage you to express your gratitude to the donor or donors
of your scholarship by writing a thank-you letter. A well-written letter
reflects favorably on you and is important to the scholarship donors,
who appreciate learning about you, your goals, and future plans. Your
letter confirms the value of their contributions, encouraging their continued
support.
The following is a suggested outline of how you might write your thank-you
letter:
Paragraph 1: Thank the donor for their generosity in providing this scholarship.
Tell the donor how this scholarship makes a difference to your education.
Paragraph 2: Tell the donor a little about yourself—where you come
from, why you chose the University of Minnesota, or what field of study
you have chosen for a major.
Paragraph 3: Talk about your goals and future plans after completing your
education at the University of Minnesota.
Paragraph 4: Thank the donor again.
Sample "Thank You" letter
A thank-you letter prototype is given below, based on
what past scholarship recipients have written to their scholarship donors:
(Your current address in upper right hand side of letter)
(Donor's address on left hand side above salutation)
Dear (name the individual who established or is responsible
for the fund) :
Thank you for your generous award to me of $ (name the
amount and type of award) from your scholarship program. Your support
is helping me reach my goal of graduating in (term and year)
with a bachelor's degree in (name your field of study).
My family moved to Minnesota from Ukraine fifteen years ago. As an immigrant,
I cherish the opportunities that living in this country offers to me.
After graduating from high school, I decided to study international relations
with a focus on economic development issues. This semester I am also gaining
valuable experience through an unpaid internship at the U. S. Department
of Commerce International Trade Administration at the Minneapolis Export
Assistance Center. Because academic success is important to me, I have
worked hard to graduate from the University of Minnesota summa cum laude.
Again, thank you for your award. I hope to one day help
others, as you have helped me when I needed your financial support.
With gratitude,
Your first and last name
Email address
