Letters – Free Sample Letters

“True charity is the desire to be useful to others without the thought of recompense” – Emanuel Swedenborg.

Charity Letter is a letter given to an individual or an organization for any donations received or given in the form of money or clothes or any form of sponsorships. Say for example if no tangible items are given to an organization but all expenses incurred on a child (her/his education, clothes, food, etc) are all taken care of by a sponsor is also a form of charity.

A Charity Letter is not only an acknowledgement of having received or given something, but it also helps in tax savings as most donations are exempted from tax. So next time you give any money towards charity, take the receipt, present it while filing your income tax returns and you will see that not only have you done good for someone but you have got its benefits too.

Some points that need to be considered while writing a Charity Letter are:

• The letter should specify the form in which the charity has been given
• It should be addressed to the individual or organization from whom the charity has been received
• If the individual or organization has specified the use that this charity should be put to, then that too should reflect in the letter. For example, the desire of the individual or organization is to get a lunch hall in a school for the orphans made from the amount given then the Charity Letter should say that
• If the Charity Letter is being issued by an organization then it should be on the company’s letter head
• The Income Tax Act against which the charity is exempted should also from a part of the letter (if it already is not a part of the printed part of the letter head)
• A Charity Letter should also indicate that the contribution is purely voluntary and has not been given under any pressure
• Specifying that no purchase has been made against the charity is also an integral part of the letter in the absence of which it can be considered as a sale by the charitable institution or an investment by the individual or organization making the contribution

SAMPLE CHARITY/DONATION LETTER

Ms./Mr. ______________ or M/S _____________

Complete address of the individual or organization

Date:

Subject: Acknowledgement of receipt of voluntary contribution

Dear ______________

We are a non-profit making organization working towards the empowerment of orphan children. In your endeavor to support the organization successfully achieving its goals, we thank you and acknowledge receipt of Rs.__________ vide Cheque/Draft no. _____________ dated __________ drawn on _______ in favor of ____________________.

We assure you that as per your desires, the contribution made by you will be used for the construction of a lunch hall at our orphanage so that our children can eat in a covered area, which we are very sure they will love.

We confirm that all contributions made to our organization are exempt of Income Tax under section _____________.

We once again thank you for your valued contribution and we will keep you posted with the lunch hall construction developments as well.

Thanking you

Yours sincerely

(Name and designation of the signing authority)

“Change is the spice of life and the only thing that is constant is change”. The same applies to the work lives of most of the population. People may change jobs either because of better growth prospects or due to relocation to another town/country.

The professional protocol when one changes jobs is to write a Farewell Letter addressed to the colleagues to thank them for their support in her/his individual development and growth.

An Exit Interview also happens when an individual has decided to move on either to another organization or somewhat similar. But whatever one wants to share with the HR department at the time of the Exit Interview in terms of the positives of the organization as well as the areas of improvement is very different from the Farewell Letter. A Farewell Letter is primarily addressed to ones colleagues and superiors as a gesture of gratitude.

Dos and don’ts while writing a Farewell Letter:

• Since a Farewell Letter is being written by an individual leaving the organization, it should be on a plain sheet of paper preferably A4 size
• It should always start as ‘To Whom So Ever It May Concern’ to ensure that it seems addressed to all
• These days due to the influx of the Internet Farewell Letters are also forwarded to all concerned, by email. But definitely the traditional method of sending the hard copy is the best option
• If any special acknowledgements for the extra mileage support needs to be mentioned in the letter, it should be in the Farewell Letter
• Ideally two Farewell Letters should be written – one for the colleagues/superiors/subordinates and the other one for the organization as an independent identity
• A Farewell Letter should always be short and crisp

SAMPLE FAREWELL LETTER (for the colleagues)

To Whom It May Concern

Dear All

It is with a very heavy heart that I am saying farewell to all of you but it definitely is never the time to bid goodbye. It has been a great learning experience for me with my unlimited interactions with each one of you within the limited time available. I have evolved as an individual and the credit for that goes to each one of you and I am grateful to you for the same.

I hope to see you all sometime or the other in the big world that lies ahead of us.

I thank you all once again for all your support and patience.

Yours sincerely

(Name of the individual)

Date:

SAMPLE FAREWELL LETTER (to the organization)

To Whom It May Concern

It is with a very heavy heart that I am saying farewell. It has been a great learning experience for me to be a part of this organization. Lot of what I am today is because of my experiences with the organization as an entity and its people.

The world is a small place so we might be together again until then goodbye.

Thanking you once again.

Yours sincerely

(Name of the individual)

Date:

When an employee is leaving one organization to join another organization but because of her/his good rapport with the present employers asks for aRecommendation Letter from them. This letter should normally speak very well of the employee for whom it has been written. This letter ends up referring an individual to another organization. But all this is possible if the individual has very good relations with the present organization. In the absence of good relationships the present organization just gives a general letter to the individual.

A Recommendation Letter works as the “magic wand” for the individual who is getting it because it helps her/him get a place in the new organization. The language used in the letter should be simple yet convincing. The tone should sound positive and not authoritative. Appropriate adjectives should be used to ensure that the letter is speaking highly of the individual concerned. The Recommendation Letter should carry the employment details of the concerned employee along with her/his positive traits. It should sound as if the new organization is going to have an asset for itself and not that the previous organization is trying to get rid of a liability.

DO’S AND DON’T’S OF RECOMMENDATION LETTER

• A Recommendation Letter can make or break an individual’s career plans in the new organization so the language used should be very positive
• This letter should talk about the profile that the individual was handling in the previous organization as well as about her/his positive traits or qualities
• A Recommendation Letter should preferably be given if you know the person well enough to recommend her/him to another organization. Otherwise it tends to backfire.
• Careful use of adjectives should be done to ensure that only the qualities of the person are being talked about and there is nothing personal that is being covered in the letter
• Before handing over the letter to the individual make sure that there are no grammatical or punctuation errors
• The Recommendation Letter should be addressed to the organization that the individual has finally decided to join otherwise it may be misused for more than one organization
• If the recommended individual has helped bring about a tremendous improvement in the previous organization then that too should be mentioned in the letter

SAMPLE RECOMMENDATION LETTER

Name and address of the organization to which the letter is to be addressed

Date:

Subject: Recommendation letter for Ms/Mr ______________ (name of the employee being recommended)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I would like to recommend Ms/Mr ________ (name of recommended person) for the post of _____________ (designation) in your organization.

Ms/Mr ______________ has worked with our organization for ________ (span of work experience) in the capacity of ________ (designation in previous organization). Ms/Mr _________ is leaving our organization for better job prospects. S/he is a very hard and diligent worker. S/he has been influential in increasing our sales by _____%. S/he will be an asset to your organization.

Ms/Mr ____________ also bears a good moral character and has cleared all her/his dues with us.

Best regards,

____________ (Name of the person recommending)

Hiring and resignation are two sides of the same coin. Both hiring and resignation cannot do without each other. An organization gives a Hiring Letter to an individual at the time of offering the job to her/him and the individual gives a Resignation Letter to an organization at the time of leaving the job. The reasons for leaving a job and giving a Resignation Letter however could be many. Such as health issues, transfer to another city/country, another job offer.

A Resignation Letter is always an official one because an individual will write it for her/his organization that s/he is planning to resign from. So the language of the letter should also sound official. No friendly and casual words should be used. Efforts should be made to ensure that the letter is short and crisp so that it just communicates the resignation part to the individual or HR department. Do not target to attack the organization or an individual in the organization for any other grievance whatsoever.

Make sure that there are no punctuation or grammatical errors in the letter. The letter should be addressed to the correct person responsible for accepting such letters on behalf of the organization. The date when the resignation is being rendered should always be written on the letter. This is important because of the notice period that any employment has attached to it. The date when the individual will leave charge should be clearly mentioned on the letter. The reason for leaving or resigning however may or may not be very clearly mentioned in the letter. It is totally the prerogative of the person who is resigning.

DO’S AND DON’T’S OF RESIGNATION LETTER

• Since a Resignation Letter is an official one, the tone should also be official. There should be no casual tone attached with the letter
• A Resignation Letter should always have the date when it is being given.
• The date by when the individual wants to be relieved should also be clearly mentioned on the letter
• It is always good etiquettes to ask the organization about the person to whom the charge will need to be handed over
• The letter should be short and to the point
• Ensure of no grammatical or punctuation errors
• The reason of leaving may or may not be shared with the organization
• Always leave the contact details on the letter just in case there is a need for the organization to contact you
• It should be addressed to the concerned person who is in-charge of accepting the resignation

SAMPLE RESIGNATION LETTER

Name and address of person who is resigning

Name and address of person to whom the resignation is being given

Date:

Subject: Resignation

Dear Ms/Mr ______________

Due to personal reasons I have decided to move on therefore please accept my resignation from the post of ______________ (designation). I would like to be relieved of my services by ____________ (date). I am aware that the organization has a notice period clause of one month, so this may please be considered as my notice period.

It has indeed been a great pleasure working and being associated with an organization of repute like yours. I have learnt a lot individually and professionally. I am thankful to all those who I have interacted with for being such support to me.

I can always be contacted at _______________ (phone number) or you can write to me at _____________ (email address) for any queries. Please do let me know who do I need to hand over the charge to.

Best regards,

_____________ (your name)

“All good things come to an end” and so must an individual’s work tenure. A Retirement Letter is the one that an individual writes when s/he is retiring from work. The retirement age however differs from country to country and profession to profession. Say for example, the retirement age of government officials is earlier than the ones working in the private sector. In earlier days retirement actually meant that the individual will sit at home and do nothing or might just do some voluntary work. But times have changed. These days people do have some job offers after retirement also that are remunerative for the concerned individual.

A Retirement Letter is the last parting letter written by an individual to either her/his superior in the organization or to the organization itself. It normally used to be written with a heavy heart but not any longer.

A Retirement Letter should be written to indicate that the individual is going to miss working in that particular organization. Efforts should be made to see that the language in the letter is that of gratitude for the staff as well as the organization for their untiring support. A Retirement Letter can be written both as a personal one or an official one. An official Retirement Letter however should have a tone of appreciation and thanks for the organization. No other matter should be discussed or highlighted in the Retirement Letter except for the retirement part.

DO’S AND DONT’S OF RETIREMENT LETTER

• Since a Retirement Letter is the parting letter written by an individual to an organization, it should have a tone of gratitude for the trust that the organization showed in the individual
• No other aspect should be talked about in the letter except the retirement one
• A copy of the Retirement Letter should always be put up on the staff notice board for all employees to know
• The Retirement Letter should also thank the employees of the organization for their untiring support
• Look out for any punctuation or grammatical errors
• It is always better to give a typed Retirement Letter, as that indicates professionalism
• A Retirement Letter should be given by the individual at least a couple of days before the s/he is leaving so that her/his colleagues get a chance to bid her/him a farewell
• A Retirement Letter should be short and crisp. A lengthy letter looses its charismatic touch

SAMPLE RETIREMENT LETTER

TO WHOM SO EVER IT MAY CONCERN

Date:

Dear All

It is with a very heavy heart that I bid a farewell to all of you. ________ (date) will be my last day in the organization. It is time for me to retire, only from work though. It has been a great learning experience for me working with all of you. Even close to my retirement you all have helped me learn a lot.

I would like to extend my deep gratitude to all my colleagues who have always given me the support I needed. I would also like to thank the organization for having that faith in me and restoring it in me time and again.

Leaving for me is very tough with but it is not so difficult especially when I see the number of friends that I have made here.

But I have not gone too far and can always be contacted at __________ (phone number) or my email address _______________ for any help that is required.

I am looking forward to a few days of relaxation and recuperation but then plan to do something voluntary to keep myself occupied.

Thanking you and take care.

_______________ (your name and signature)

Non profit making companies or NGOs that are involved in lot of social work normally do not have the kind of resources that is needed to either run the organization or fund it in anyway. These companies are always looking for sponsorships from other organizations that can afford to support them. A sponsorship however does not always mean financial help. It could also mean volunteers helping in the smooth running of the organization.

A Sponsorship Letter is a letter that is written to ask for support in terms of either financial help or space or help in the form of people. Since it is a letter that is asking for a favor, it should never sound authoritative. It should always state the reason for the sponsorshiprequest. It should also give details of the function if that is the medium against which the sponsorship is being asked for. The tone of the letter should be humble and thankful in nature. A Sponsorship Letter should also give details of how this sponsorship will benefit the charitable organization.

If the sponsorship is in the form of financial help, it should also indicate if the contributions made towards it are exempt from Income Tax under any section. The letter should also specify the amount that has been given as a contribution by the sponsoring organization. If there is a function to support the sponsorship, then the benefit that it will give to the sponsoring organization should also be indicated in the letter.

Careful use of adjectives should be made in the letter. It need not be very lengthy but it should have all the mandatory information.

DO’S AND DON’T’S OF SPONSORSHIP LETTER

• A Sponsorship Letter should not sound authoritative
• The tone should be humble and thankful in nature
• The letter should give all details of the event, if any
• It should specify the need of the voluntary organization, whether a sponsorship is required in terms of financial help or people help or space
• The Sponsorship Letter should also indicate how will the sponsoring company benefit from this sponsorship
• If the financial sponsorship is exempted from any section of the Income Tax, that too should form a part of the letter

SAMPLE SPONSORSHIP LETTER

(This is a sponsorship request letter)

TO WHOM SO EVER IT MAY CONCERN

Date:

Ours is a non-profit making organization that supports the education, health and stay of orphan girls.

We would like to organize a Ghazals night with the Ghazal maestro – Jagjit Singh on __________ (date) at ___________ (place) from _________ (time).

We are looking for sponsors for the following:

• Who can help us book a hall
• Get the tickets printed
• Sponsor the refreshments
• Take care of all the expenses related to the event
• Voluntarily give the proceeds of the event to our organization
• Give cash/demand draft donations

We would also like to inform you that all contributions are exempt from Income Tax under section __________ (detail of section). We will give you a receipt against the contributions.

Please donate generously and help us help these needy girls.

Yours truly,

(Name and designation of signing authority)

A Transfer Letter is the one that is given to an employee when s/he is being transferred to another branch or another department of the same organization. The reasons why this is primarily given to an employee are:

• To complete paper formalities of an organization
• To put it on record of the individual’s file that s/he has been transferred from one branch/department to the other
• To ensure that the individual who has been transferred her/his salary account also indicates the change
• To reduce head count of one department and add to the head count of the other one

A Transfer Letter is an official letter but the transfer could be on mutually agreed terms between the employee and organization or it could also be only the decision of the organization. Most organizations when they get the acknowledgement of the offer letter from the employee, they also put a clause saying that the employee should be open to the idea of being transferred to any branch or department of the organization whenever needed.

A Transfer Letter should be short and brief. Since it is an internal official letter it need not be very detailed. It should basically give the name of the individual being transferred, the department to/from where s/he is being transferred, the effective date of transfer and the name of the person who s/he will be reporting after the transfer.

DO’S AND DON’T’S OF TRANSFER LETTER

• Since a Transfer Letter is an internal official letter it need not be very detailed but should just have the basic information
• It can be in a Memo format also since it is an internal communication
• A Transfer Letter should clearly give the date when it has been issued
• It should also give the date when the employee joins the other branch or department
• If any perks or benefits come with the transfer then that too should reflect in the letter
• It is always better to first verbally inform the individual who is being transferred and the Transfer Letter to be handed over later
• Even though it is an internal letter make sure that there are no grammatical or punctuation errors
• This letter should preferably be given in advance so that the employee can make any arrangements if required
• A Transfer Letter should also give the reason why one particular individual is being transferred
• The support that the organization is due to give to the employee being transferred should also be mentioned in the letter

SAMPLE TRANSFER LETTER

Name and address of person who is being transferred

Date:

Subject: Your transfer to our Mumbai branch

Dear Ms/Mr ___________

You have been an asset to the organization ever since you joined us on ________ (date of joining). Your efforts in helping increase sales or to motivate your team have always been commendable.

You may be aware that our Mumbai branch in-charge is due to leave the organization on _________ (date of leaving the organization). Based on your performance at our Delhi branch, the management has decided to transfer you to our Mumbai branch with effect from ____________ (date).

We acknowledge that you will need some time to settle in Mumbai. Therefore the company will give you a 15-day break for you to settle in.

As a result of the transfer your salary will be increased by __________(details of salary increase). You may contact the HR department for a detailed break-up of the salary component.

Please feel free to talk to us in case of any clarifications.

Wishing you all the best in all your future endeavors.

Best regards,

Name, signature and designation of signing authority

Getting away after doing wrong things is not easy these days. Every organization has its systems in place to keep a tab on what is happening around vis-à-vis their employees. Systems such as surveillance cameras or regular inputs from HR department or organization’s own informers are various ways to keep a check on the happenings around. Salaries have increased manifold and so have the expectations. If an employee falls little short of the expectations, s/he is warned to pull up.

A Warning Letter is a letter that is given to an employee when s/he is not performing up to the mark. It is purely an official letter that is written by a representative of the organization under unavoidable circumstances. A Warning Letter is a red-tag on the employee’s record. But most companies give a few verbal warnings before issuing an official warning letter.

Since a Warning Letter is the one that has been issued because of inappropriate behavior or work pattern by an employee, the tone should be firm but not rude. Only the reason for issuance of the letter should be dealt with in the Warning Letter. Careful use of adjectives or words should be done while writing this letter. Mahatma Gandhi said, “Deal with the problem and not the person”, it is always advisable to address the problem and not to get personal with the individual concerned.

The date of the Warning Letter should also be clearly mentioned. The repercussions of not respecting the warning being given in the letter should also be highlighted so that the individual is aware of the actions that can be taken against her/him. A copy of the letter should always be signed as acknowledgement of receipt by the individual to whom the letter is being issued for any legalities involved.

DO’S AND DONT’S OF WARNING LETTER

• A Warning Letter is purely an official one so the tone should be very firm
• Efforts should be made to only address the problem or issue in the letter
• Do not get personal about the individual to whom the letter has been issued
• Ensure that appropriate adjectives are used in the letter but only the ones that do not sound insulting
• Two copies of the letter must be printed and one should be kept as acknowledgement from the employee
• The Warning Letter should clearly indicate after how many verbal warnings has this letter been issued
• The date on the letter should also be clearly mentioned on the letter
• The letter must be short and crisp so that it retains its impact
• Repercussions of not going or respecting the warning forms an integral part of the letter
• The letter should be very clear with all points taken into consideration leaving no room for ambiguity

SAMPLE WARNING LETTER

Name and address of employee to whom warning is being given

Date:

Subject: Warning letter

Dear Ms/Mr __________

We have given repeated verbal warnings to you regarding coming late to office every other day. The management has noticed that no heed has been paid to those warnings. So we are writing this warning letter to you. You are requested to strictly start following the office timings with immediate effect failing which we will be compelled to start deducting a day’s salary for every day that you come late to work.

Please sign a copy of this letter in acknowledgement of receipt of this letter.

Hope to see you complying with the company rules.

Best regards,

(Name of signing authority)

“Welcome” – a very warm word that brings a smile to your face and warmth in your heart whenever you read or say this word. The Welcome Letter should read and sound exactly as one feels it.

A Welcome Letter is written to show to a group or an individual that their coming has brought about warmth and happiness across. It is the first letter that someone receives on arrival to a new office or new house or new school/college. Needless to say, it makes the long lasting impression on the recipient of the letter. So the letter should be very carefully worded. Appropriate adjectives should be used to ensure that the correct feelings are being conveyed. A lengthy Welcome Letter looses its novelty so make sure that the letter is short and precise.

Preferably a draft of the Welcome Letter should be kept ready so that it is given the moment the individual arrives. It will have its maximum impact only then. A Welcome Letter given late indicates a very casual approach. Just the way they say “A stitch in time saves nine”.

DOS AND DON’T’S OF WELCOME LETTER

• Welcome Letter should be written as soon as a new member joins up or comes in
• Appropriate adjectives should be used while writing a Welcome Letter
• The tone of the letter should be warm and inspiring
• The language should make the recipient feel that s/he will be an asset to the institution
• Please make sure that there are no grammatical or punctuation errors
• A Welcome Letter should be short and crisp. Long letters loose their value and importance
• An official Welcome Letter should always be on the company’s letterhead
• A copy of the Welcome Letter should be put up on the staff notice board to ensure that all employees are aware of the new development
• In a Welcome Letter it is very important that some details or background of the person being welcomed is given

SAMPLE WELCOME LETTER

(This is a sample welcome letter for a new Managing Director who has joined the company)

TO WHOM SO EVER IT MAY CONCERN

Date:

We are extremely glad and welcome Ms/Mr _____________, who is joining our organization as our new Managing Director. Ms/Mr __________ will take charge from Ms/Mr ____________ (name of the preceding MD) on _______ (date of joining).

Ms/Mr. _____________ has _____ (number of years of work experience) with industries such as _____________ (details of industries or organizations where s/he has worked). _________________ (give details of educational background).

We assure Ms/Mr _________ of all the support that s/he would need while settling in the organization and wish her/him all the very best in her/his endeavors.

Management Team

An urge to join a course leads an individual to learning something new that then leads to getting the proof that the course has been successfully completed. This process is called “Certification”.

A Certification Letter is the one that is given to an individual once s/he has completed a course that s/he had enrolled for. This letter works as a proof of having done a particular course. This letter may or may not include the marks that have been secured on completion of the course. A mark sheet may be a totally different document with the same course. Since a Certification Letter is only a document to confirm course completion, it should be short and precise. It should have pertinent information such as name of the person who has completed the course, which course has s/he completed, what was the tenure of the course and how has s/he fared in the course. The language used in the Certification Letter so that it is easily readable and understood by all.

DOS AND DON’T’S OF CERTIFICATION LETTER

• A Certification Letter should be given as soon as the course is completed
• It should give all relevant details such as name of the person who has completed the course, name of the course completed and marks secured
• Since it is an important document that can be used by the individual all her/his life, it should preferably be hand delivered or couriered
• To ensure confidentiality of information the letter should be addressed to and handed over to only the person for whom it is
• Since this is just a certification information, the letter should be short and precise

SAMPLE CERTIFICATION LETTER

Name and address of the person who has certified

Date:

Subject: Certification Letter

Dear Ms/Mr ______________

We thank you for signing up for _____________ (course) that was for duration of _____________ (duration) starting on __________ (start date) and ending on __________ (end date).

We are pleased to inform you that your course has been successfully completed and you have certified with ____% marks. The detailed mark sheet will be sent to you by post within a month from today.

We hope you have achieved the purpose for which you took up this course and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Best regards,

(Name of the signing authority)