Affinity groups are made up of people who share a common background or interest.  Working through partnerships with affinity groups can be an effective way to get to a large group of people who have an interest in your work.  Below is template language for email communication with the leaders of affinity groups to begin establishing partnerships.

Email Subject:  We’re looking for a few good Mentors!

Dear [name],

I’m writing to offer the [affinity group] the opportunity to get involved with an extremely rewarding volunteer experience.  [iMentor] builds mentoring relationships that empower students from low-income communities to graduate high school, succeed in college, and achieve their ambitions. Our mentors help their mentees achieve personal, academic, and career goals and many mentees become the first in their family to attend college.

At [iMentor] we seek out people with natural leadership skills and a passion for civic engagement.  Your organization stands for all of these virtues and we believe your members would serve as an inspiration to our students.  It’s likely that your members are where they are today because someone believed in them at an early age – getting involved with [iMentor] is a great way for them to pay it forward.  

We are eager to cultivate a partnership with the [affinity group] and I hope that I’ve sparked your interest in our program.  [iMentor] is able to offer public recognition of our partner organizations at events, in newsletters, and on social media platforms. 

I look forward to the opportunity to speak to you further about the potential of this collaboration and please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions at [phone number] or [email address].  Thank you for your time!

Best regards,
[name]