Donor Thank You Letters

There’s no question that Law School alumni and friends who make scholarships available through generous contributions deserve thanks. In appreciation for the scholarship donor’s generosity, the school kindly requests that each scholarship recipient write a thank you letter to the donor.

Getting Started

Scholarships are created by donors to provide meaningful assistance to students. Donors want to learn about the students who receive their gift and, specifically, how it helps. To aid in this process, please consider the following information for your letter:

Tell the donor about the specific ways in which their support has helped you reach your professional and educational goals.

  • Did the scholarship allow you to take advantage of an externship, study abroad, or join a volunteer organization?
  • Did the support help you and your family deal with difficult financial burdens?
  • If you received aid because of outstanding grades, how did you feel to see your efforts rewarded?

Tell the donor about you as a person.

  • Where are you from?
  • Are your goals short-term, long-term, or both?
  • What are your interests outside of the classroom?
  • Why is John Marshall important to you, and how did coming here influence your life?

Tell the donor about the impact of their gift today and as you see it potentially affecting your future.

  • How are your career plans being shaped by the donor’s financial assistance?
  • In what direction do you see your career heading?
  • Did the support given by the donor allow you to experience things that change or helped shape your plans?

Content

Please include the donor’s name and the name of the scholarship, as indicated on your award notification, and be mindful of grammatical and spelling errors. The staff will review your letter before it’s mailed, and if your letter contains errors, it will need to be corrected, reprinted, and signed before mailing. Finally, please include your return address and email address, so the donor may continue to correspond with you, if he or she chooses.

Letter Submission

Please submit your thank you letter to:

Maridonna Schaal
Director, Stewardship & Advancement Services
Office of Alumni Relations & Development
300 S. State Street
Chicago, Illinois 60604

No outer envelope or stamp is required; the Law School will mail the letter to the donor for you. In fact, we respectfully request recipients do not send their letter directly to the donor.