I love my employees (I call them my co-workers!). Towards Christmas last year, I wanted to delight them and show my appreciation for their drive and dedication.
After considering several options, we organized an end of year party and I felt the most endearing way to show how much I love and care about them was to deliver a good speech highlighting what we've achieved together and thank them for their help and support.
But, juggling work and family meant I had little time to spare. Besides, finding the right words was like pulling out a child’s tooth. Looking for help everwhere, I frantically landed on this page you are currently reading and it made all the difference.
This Helped Me Out!
Initially, I was skeptical when Dan and his team said they could help give a great speech even if I hated speaking in public or short on time. Well, I remember the old age nothing ventured, nothing gained. So, I took a leap of faith when I found that I didn’t have to pay first to get my speech and that allayed my fears. I thought I had nothing to lose after all.
Quickly, I got started by first filling out this form. Dan and his team delivered as promised.
Below is the note I sent to Dan after he'd transmitted my speech. (Please you can double click on the image if you can't see it clearly)
On D-day I delivered my CEO speech and my team thanked me profusely for recognizing their efforts.
Now, let’s face it. Being CEO is one of the most stressful jobs on earth. So, you shouldn’t stress out about putting together a great speech which in itself can make you lose your sanity and create an extra burden on your shoulders.
We know most CEO’S are not great with words and we are giving you a chance to come up with something inspiring and memorable without pulling your hair out!
Beth's not the only person we've helped. Please see these notes from some others too.(Please you can double click on the image below if you can't see it clearly)
This is also another letter we got from an old client(Please you can double click on the image below if you can't see it clearly)
Ok, Is This Offer For Me?
Yes, it’s for you if you are overwhelmed by the pressures of work or other things and really don’t have the time to put a beautiful speech together.
Yes you have to get on board; if you don’t know how to start or are not too sure if you can.
Yes, if you are not too eloquent or not too sure if you are on the right track.
Yes, if you feel writing and giving speeches is simply not your thing! You just hate it!
Yes, if you are still struggling to find the right words and ideas to say something memorable.
Yes, if you feel you might make some horrible mistakes!
Yes, if you are a good writer or speaker but you still want someone to look over or review what you’ve come up with!
Need a speech in about 24 hours or less? Trust me, we can deliver! it doesn’t matter if you need your speech today, tomorrow, next week, next month ,next year,... we can make things work for you right now.
Ok, I am Interested, What’s the Cost?
You don’t have to give any $$$$ now!
Why? Are you guys serious? Are you not kidding?
No, we are very serious about this as we want you to be happy with your speech first!
After we have delivered your speech, then you name a fair price for it! That’s all! So, you better not joke with this amazing offer! We are very serious about this!
Oh Ok, How Then Do I Get Started Since I Want To Get On Board Right Away?
After that, we will send you a very short and simple questionnaire to fill out!
Then, you have it sent back to us via email
If something is not too clear, we will ask you to clarify.
If not, we will send you a wonderful draft.
Then, you look it over and tell us if you are okay with it or you want to amend it till you are happy with it — although we always get it right even with the first draft.
Are you the president, CEO, director, or manager of your organization? And are you looking for tips and ideas to help you write and deliver a memorable and inspiring keynote speaker?
If you answered yes to that, then you are at the right place at the right time because I am going to share with you everything you need to know about writing a great keynote address.
So, please stay tuned.
Imagine turning on your email to see a message from a renowned organization asking you to give a keynote address at their annual convention! They have chosen you because of your experience and expertise in your chosen field or career.
You most likely would be excited to read that note or letter. But your excitement can soon fizzle out when you suddenly realize that you are new to this game. Will you give in or try to make this work? Hence, solidifying your reputation.
That happened to Alina when she moved with her family from Ukraine to settle in the US twenty (20) years ago. As new immigrants, life was a bed of thorns for her family. But she worked hard to earn a name for herself in the automobile industry that her accomplishments and novel ideas were legendary.
Once, she was asked to deliver some brief remarks to the Ukrainian community in Denver and this kept her up at night until she’d delivered her CEO keynote address despite the odds.
You see, an overwhelming majority of CEO’s and other bosses often find themselves in Alina’s shoes and even wonder how best they can deliver their keynote presentations with purpose and clarity when they are asked to deliver one.
No matter how you feel about this, this task should be a very proud moment. It shows you are loved, respected and admired for what you do.
In effect, your audience is waiting to hear your story from you. A simple yet profound story about how you made it so they can apply the lessons learned to their own enterprises. However, your content should go in tandem with your presentation skills so you can motivate and inspire them to put those ideas into practical use.
Just like any other kind of speech, there are a few steps or process to follow if you want to write a great CEO keynote speech without breaking into a sweat. There are actually four processes involved here if you want to make this work for you. They include:
The pre-writing process
The writing process
The pre-performance process
The performance stage
Now, let’s start with the pre-writing process.
If you have never delivered a keynote speech before or it's been a while since you gave one, then I recommend that you first watch a few video clips about how they are delivered. Below are two great clips you can watch and learn from.
Here you go:
Keynote Speech Video Sample#1(video)
Keynote Speech Video Example#2(video)
I hope you enjoyed listening to both clips and learned a thing or two from watching them?
Have you thought about this one too?
You see, video clips are not the only thing that can give you an idea about how to deliver your presentation. Guess what? Well-written CEO keynote speech templates or samples do not only give you the structure and format of your message but also furnish you with brilliant ideas and thoughts you can insert in into your speech.
In the next few lines, I am going to share with you a well-written keynote example. In between in the text, I will share my thoughts and insights, so you can figure out what goes into writing a memorable CEO keynote address and do the same.
BRAD SMITH: Good morning. As we’ve already heard this morning, we come together in San Francisco at a remarkable time. We live in a world of constant and at times turbulent change. And when we think about the issues that we're here to talk about this week, when we think about cybersecurity, we are clearly dealing with a growing problem – a problem in need of new solutions. I would like to take a few minutes this morning to ground ourselves in the problem and then talk together about some of the solutions I believe we have the opportunity to pursue together.
But let's start with the problems. The problems are clear. We see them everywhere. We see them in the customers who are worrying about being hacked. We see this in the data about the economic loss that will be suffered. But more than anything, if you think about what has happened over the past year, if you think about the changes in cyber-attacks, I think we should come together and reflect on one thing, one thing that has clearly made the situation even more challenging – that is the entry of more nation-state attacks. We've seen cyberattacks move from enthusiasts to financial thieves to now governments around the world. And think about the decade we are traversing. The decade began with a report about a prominent nationstate attack. We've seen these issues burst into the news in terms of geopolitical controversies.
Comment/Writing ideas: Most writers or speakers or even experienced keynote speakers always recommend that you begin your keynote with something interesting and that’s so true. It could be a joke or a story or a fascinating statistic to kick start your presentation.
But this speaker did otherwise by sharing the challenges the industry is facing. He calls it ''we are clearly dealing with a growing problem.'' Clearly this writer didn’t have the time and patience to entertain his audience. That critical moment demanded that he speaks to the facts because of an imminent threat.
As you may know, your opening remarks set the tone for everything that follows. To make your introduction unique, it should be engaging and inspiring. Are you wondering how you to make a moving one that will make the audience remember what you said for a long time to come?
It’s so easy and I am happy to share with you the following proven tips and ideas so you can hook your audience with a great opener.
First, you can start with an all-time favorite: storytelling. You love stories, right? The former ‘’CEO’’ of America used stories to open his keynote speech at the 2004 DNC Convention keynote speech and his listeners loved every bit of it.
Here’s an excerpt of his introductory remarks that galvanized the delegates to eventually elect him flag bearer.
‘’Tonight is a particular honor for me because, let's face it; my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely. My father was a foreign student, born and raised in a small village in Kenya. He grew up herding goats, went to school in a tin-roof shack. His father, my grandfather, was a cook, a domestic servant.
But my grandfather had larger dreams for his son. Through hard work and perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in a magical place; America which stood as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many who had come before. While studying here, my father met my mother. She was born in a town on the other side of the world, in Kansas. Her father worked on oil rigs and farms through most of the Depression. The day after Pearl Harbor he signed up for duty, joined Patton's army and marched across Europe…’’
Second, you can start with a joke. A good one can lighten a particularly tensed atmosphere. This keynote speaker did that so well at a leadership summit and succeeded in bringing the house down.
Well, there are simple ways of introducing humor into your presentation even if you are not a naturally funny person. You may tease someone or add a little bit of self-deprecating humor. For example, when Mark Zuckerberg gave his annual keynote speech after appearing before congress to discuss data privacy issues, he poked fun at himself by saying:
‘’ Now you're gonna be able to bring your friends together. You can laugh together, and cry together. Some of my friends actually did this! Let's not do that again anytime soon‘’
Well, here are some really cool ways of making your opening remarks humorous.
Depending on the theme of your CEO keynote address, you can come on stage in a rather weird way by dressing like a comedian. Then, you can explain why you had to dress that way to such an important function. You may take it off when you get to the crux of your story.
If you can’t do that, you may probably share a funny story you’ve ever heard if it has some connection to the theme of your keynote speech.Here’s an excellent video example you can watch and learn from by the eloquent customer service manager Mark Sanborn to make your opening address hilarious.
To make your story interesting, you can bring a few props up there and explain why you had to bring them along. Do you remember when Bill Gates released a harmless swarm of mosquitoes to make a point at a TED conference in 2009?
If you don’t have anything to say, you can mention a well-known fact that keeps you up at night. For example, if your industry is experiencing a major setback, you can dive right into that briefly and explain why it gives you insomnia. Let me ask you this simple question: What are you most worried about? Use that to come up with your opening remarks.
Writing tip/homework assignment: Please go back and read the above ideas and see which technique you want to start your CEO keynote speech with. Can you do that?
Ok….we are not done yet…Let’s move on to the body of the example we are currently reviewing.
Cyber attacks move from enthusiasts to financial thieves to now governments around the world. And think about the decade we are traversing. The decade began with a report about a prominent nationstate attack. We've seen these issues burst into the news in terms of geopolitical controversies.
The Sony attack, I believe, in many ways was a turning point. Here was a nation-state attack not for espionage, not related to the military, but to attack a private company for engaging in freedom of expression around, as it turned out, not a terribly popular movie. (Laughter.) But it got our attention. And in the two and a half years since, we've seen these issues evolve even further.
Let's face it, cyberspace is the new battlefield. The world of potential war has migrated from land to sea to air and now cyberspace. But cyberspace is a different kind of space. Not only can we not find it in the physical world, but cyberspace is us.
For all of us in this room, it is us. Cyberspace is owned and operated by the private sector. It is private property, whether it's submarine cables or datacenters or servers or laptops or smartphones. It is a different kind of battlefield than the world has seen before.
And that puts us in a different position. It puts you in a different position, because when it comes to these attacks in cyberspace, we not only are the plane of battle, we are the world's first responders. Instead of nation-state attacks being met by responses from other nationstates, they are being met by us.
And as we think about that change in the world, we should reflect upon one other as well. It's a sobering thing to think about, but consider this: For over two-thirds of a century, the world's governments have been committed to protecting civilians in times of war. But when it comes to cyberattacks, nation-state hacking has evolved into attacks on civilians in times of peace.
This is not the world that the internet's inventors envisioned a quarter of a century ago, but it is the world that we inhabit today. And above all else, I think nation-state attacks call on us as employees, as an industry, as private citizens to ask ourselves one fundamental question: What are we going to do? I think there's three things that we should consider, and I'd like to talk about each of these three this morning.
The first is to start with what each of us has the opportunity to do ourselves, because everybody in this room and every company that is here is doing new and important things. We have all recognized that we each need to do more.
At Microsoft, we're doing many things. In many ways, it starts with an obvious reflection. Just a few minutes ago, before I came on stage, somebody here in the audience tweeted that every company has at least one employee that will click on anything. (Laughter.) That's why 90 percent of intrusions begin, unfortunately, with a phishing email. That's why we as a company, as one of the major email providers in the world, are so focused on strengthening email protection.
Whether it was last year through our Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection that scans email, spots malware and destroys them before they can do damage … or the addition of our Advanced Threat Intelligence that informs enterprises of the nature of attacks and the people who are being attacked and makes recommendations….
Or the announcement that we made last week about advanced data governance tools, tools that include alerts that let enterprise administrators and others know when someone is trying to download an email inbox. But I think we've all learned over the last couple of years that our single biggest advance in fighting all forms of cybercrime is probably not features, as important as they are, but instead, our ability to harness the power of data.
As a company, our datacenters are connected to over a billion end points. We get over a trillion data points each and every day. Our Advanced Threat Protection and our email scans 200 billion emails a month for malware. All of that data is the game-changing defense mechanism in our ability to combat this problem.
At Microsoft, we've built three groups and we've brought them together in what I think is a pretty unique partnership. It relies in the first instance on our Threat Intelligence Center, our reconnaissance arm, our people who are reviewing the data that is coming in from our 200 different cloud services.
When they spot a problem, they hand it off to our Cyber Defense Operations Center so they can go to work not only to protect our own services, but customers as well. And they, in turn, work with our Digital Crimes Unit so we can innovate in legal processes to take action. Starting last summer, we began to see new nation-state attacks that were aimed at creating fake domains, getting people through phishing attacks to click on them, and then using them, as we often see in these circumstances, to use malware to extract email from customers.
We innovated, we went to court, we got a new form of court order so that domain could be transferred to us and the data that was coming back from customers that were infected would go not to the attacker, but to sink holes that we created. Using this approach, we've been able to address nation-state attacks and transfer 60 domains on six continents, letting the customers know that they were the victim of a nation-state attack and helping them clean up their system. That's a step forward.
But more than that, I think we all need to recognize the obvious. We are far away from declaring victory.We are going to need to do more and we are going to need to do more together if we are going to address this problem effectively.
We need to recognize that the time has come for us to come together as an industry around the world to call on the world's governments. We need to call on the world's governments to come together. They came together in 1949 in Geneva, Switzerland, and that is what led to the recognition that they needed the Fourth Geneva Convention to protect civilians in times of war.
Now is the time for us to call on governments to protect civilians on the internet in times of peace. And there is progress on which we can build. Just two years ago, in the summer of 2015, experts from 20 nations came together and put forward a new set of norms, principles that governments could consider. It represented a big step forward in terms of international agreement.
And more encouraging in many ways still was what happened a few months later when the United States and China sat down across the negotiating table, talked directly and frankly about an issue that was important to both of them, and came up with a new pledge and plan to put the cybertheft of intellectual property out of bounds. That was then endorsed by the G20 two months after that. Let's face the obvious.
There are new issues that we need governments to come together and address in 2017. There is an opportunity for a new president in the United States to sit across the table with the president from Russia and take another step forward to address the attacks that concern the world. And we then need to build on that with a global convention.
What we need now is a Digital Geneva Convention. We need a convention that will call on the world's governments to pledge that they will not engage in cyberattacks on the private sector, that they will not target civilian infrastructure, whether it's of the electrical or the economic or the political variety.
We need governments to pledge that, instead, they will work with the private sector to respond to vulnerabilities, that they will not stockpile vulnerabilities, and they will take additional measures.
Comments/Writing ideas: As you are pretty much aware, the body of any keynote speech is fairly easy to write. But most folks struggle to jot down ideas to form a very interesting story because it’s not so easy to bring together your scattered thoughts and emotions to form a very meaningful piece.
To make the presentation of your ideas very fluid, you should first know something your audience. This will help you define and refine the content of your message.
For your message to be compelling, it should be laden with practical tips that will compel your listener to closely examine his or her work in the light of your message. With a view towards making the needed improvements.
It shouldn’t be hard to come up with some action-packed ideas for the body or outline of your speech if you provide answers to these simple questions and use them to formulate the content of your speech.
Who are you going to talk to?
What’s the theme of your message?
Are you going to use any props?
Are you going to work with slides or incorporate other multimedia?
Are you going to weave in anything musical like playing guitar or adding any song to the mix?
Does your presentation involve tons of data or any research work about the topic you are writing about?
Do you want to throw in a few stories to support the theme of your message? What are those stories?
Action Tip: Please go back to the points above and write down as many points you can remember about what you are going to speak about. Then, try to connect your thoughts together to form a logical presentation. You may call that a rough draft. Don’t worry about how it flows because you can always go back to edit your keynote script.
We are not done yet. Let’s continue with this by looking at how to write the conclusion. Please study it carefully.
And, perhaps as much as anything else, we need governments to take a page out of the 1949 Geneva Convention and other instruments that have followed.
What the world needs is a new independent organization, a bit like the International Atomic Energy Agency that has addressed nuclear nonproliferation for decades. We need an agency that brings together the best and the brightest in the private sector, the best and the brightest in academia and the public sector.
We need an agency that has the international credibility not only to observe what's happening, but to call the question and even identify the attackers when nation-state attacks happen. That is the only way that governments will come to recognize that this is not a program that will continue to pay off. That is all in the area of steps we need governments to take.
But there's a third are we should touch upon as well. It also calls on us. It's great that we do so many things alone. We now need to do more together. If you look back at what happened in 1949, the world's governments realized that they could not protect civilians in times of war without a private organization – the International Committee of the Red Cross.
While we don't have the same kind of organization, we have within these walls many people from many organizations.
And as a global technology sector, we need to come together as the ICRC did in 1949. We need to sign our own pledge in conjunction with the world's states. We need to pledge that we will protect customers, that we will focus on defense. We need to be concrete in showing and pledging how we will collaborate with each other to respond to attacks. That we will provide patches to all customers everywhere, regardless of the attacks that they face. That we will do our part to address the world's needs.
In effective, even in an age of rising nationalism, we as a global technology sector need to become a trusted and neutral Digital Switzerland. We need to be a global industry that the world can rely on to play 100 percent defense and zero percent offense.
We need to make clear that there are certain principles for which we stand. We need to be clear that we will assist and protect customers everywhere. That is what we do regardless of the country from which we come. We need to be clear that we will not aid in attacking customers anywhere, regardless of the government that may ask us to do so.
These two principles have been at the heart and soul of what we've been doing at our company, at your company, and across the industry. We need to stay on that path. We need to make the case to the world that the world needs to retain its trust in technology. We need to retain the world's trust.
And regardless of a government's politics or policies or individual issues at any moment in time, we need to persuade every government that it needs a national and global IT infrastructure that it can trust. And the only way it can have that is if it knows that our industry is focused on protecting everyone everywhere, and 14 attacking or assisting in attacking no one, anywhere, at any time.
As we think about all of these things, I think there's a lot on which we can build. Because the truth of the matter is even though we work in a hypercompetitive and fast changing industry, I would say that our industry has never been more united. It is coming together to address new and challenging issues, whether it's the questions around artificial intelligence that the world is increasingly talking about.
We're not just working together in new and important ways, we are learning from each other. I think a sense of humility is a positive force that can affect and help us all.
Certainly at Microsoft, we've appreciated the leadership that Google and Facebook first took with respect to nation-state attacks. And we quite obviously, adopted what was working for them because we believed it would work for everyone. And as we think about the opportunities that we have to work together, as we think about our role in the world today, just as we came together last year at an important moment in time when everyone was focused on the Apple case, there is an obvious issue that is uniting our industry today that I think has some relevance as well.
As the country and the world talk about immigration, they look at the technology sector. And they recognize that as an industry, we in many ways have brought the world together.
We bring the world together through our technology and our products and the connections that we forge with people across borders every day.
But it's more than that. We almost uniquely have brought the world together under our own roofs. At Microsoft in Washington State where I work, a high majority of our employees were born and grew up in the United States. But we also have employees from 157 countries. Every day, when I park my car and I walk into the office, I sometimes reflect upon the fact that I feel that I work at the United Nations of information technology.
And our company is not unique. Every company in our industry is like that. We have brought the world together. And it has put us in a position to forge perhaps almost a unique level of mutual understanding and respect for the needs of people around the planet. As we think about protecting the planet, as we think about addressing nation-state attacks, that is a powerful force that should inspire us, and on which we can build.
Let's use that inspiration. Let's use what we have learned. Let's build on what we can share with each other. And let's go forward and show the world that it needs us to be what we can be when we're at our best – an industry that can serve the world.
An industry that earns everyone's trust every day. An industry that even in an age of nationalism, is a neutral Digital Switzerland on which everyone can depend and rely. Thank you very much. (Applause.) END
Comments/Take home ideas: Your conclusion serves two purposes primarily.
First, to summarize everything you’ve said or end with a note that propels your listeners to take positive action or even come up with new solutions and ideas to their own unique problems. Here are a few ways of wrapping up on strong note.
First, you can end with a note of encouragement. I particularly liked how Alibaba Founder Jack Ma concluded his keynote speech when he addressed his audience at Alibaba’s Gateway’ 17 in Canada. These were his parting words.
‘’ I want to encourage everyone here that using the internet. Do business with China. And whether you do business through Alibaba or Ebay or Amazon or whatever, that’s okay. This is the skill every small business must have. And if you want to open a huge market, China is the market. If you can’t find your customer from 1.4 billion people, then you really have a big problem. ‘’
Second, you can end by asking your audience to support each other to achieve a common goal. President Obama did that with his concluding remarks at that same convention when he said that:
‘’ America, I never said this journey would be easy, and I won't promise that now. Yes, our path is harder, but it leads to a better place. Yes, our road is longer, but we travel it together. We don't turn back. We leave no one behind. We pull each other up. We draw strength from our victories.
And we learn from our mistakes. But we keep our eyes fixed on that distant horizon knowing that providence is with us and that we are surely blessed to be citizens of the greatest nation on earth. Thank you, God bless you and God bless these United States.’’
Third, you can restate the key points of your speech towards the end or how your company is thriving in the midst of challenges. Orica CEO, Alberto Calderon stated this clearly when he addressed the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia.
‘’ We are continuing to control all the elements we can. We are transforming Orica into a leaner, more efficient organization. Efficiencies are being embedded in the business to counteract the cyclical declines in volumes and prices that our industry has experienced.
We have worked hard to ensure that as an organization, we adapt to changing circumstances and shape our destiny over the years. Moreover, we are actively building a culture that supports our people, and that ensures that we work collaboratively with each other and with our customers, to create recognized value for us and them. We are deeply committed to our customers being at the forefront of everything we do, while understanding our value to them is in the assurance of consistently safe, reliable and quality products and services. Thank you.’’
Please Read This Time-Sensitive Message Only If You Really Want to Give a Unique And Memorable CEO speech in record time…ignore this if you still want to make the same boring speech every you speak
Let’s face it. Being CEO is one of the most stressful jobs on earth. So, you shouldn’t stress out about putting together a great speech which in itself can make you lose your sanity and create an extra burden on your shoulders.
We know most CEO’S are not great with words and we are giving you a chance to come up with something inspiring and memorable without pulling your hair out!
This is also another letter we got from an old client
Ok, Is This Offer For Me?
Yes, it’s for you if you are overwhelmed by the pressures of work or other things and really don’t have the time to put a beautiful speech together.
Yes you have to get on board; if you don’t know how to start or are not too sure if you can.
Yes, if you are not too eloquent or not too sure if you are on the right track.
Yes, if you feel writing and giving speeches is simply not your thing! You just hate it!
Yes, if you are still struggling to find the right words and ideas to say something memorable.
Yes, if you feel you might make some horrible mistakes!
Yes, if you are a good writer or speaker but you still want someone to look over or review what you’ve come up with!
Need a speech in about 24 hours or less? Trust me, we can deliver! it doesn’t matter if you need your speech today, tomorrow, next week, next month ,next year,... we can make things work for you right now.
Ok, I am Interested, What’s the Cost?
You don’t have to give any $$$$ now!
Why? Are you guys serious? Are you not kidding?
No, we are very serious about this since we want you to be happy with your speech first!
After we have delivered your speech, then you name a fair price for it! That’s all! So, you better not joke with this amazing offer! We are very serious about this!
Oh Ok, How Then Do I Get Started Since I Want To Get On Board Right Away?
After that, we will send you a very short and simple questionnaire to fill out!
Then, you have it sent back to us via email
If something is not too clear, we will ask you to clarify.
If not, we will send you a wonderful draft.
Then, you look it over and tell us if you are okay with it or you want to amend it till you are happy with it — although we always get it right even with the first draft.
How to write a persuasive donation letter for your charity events that gets you the funds you need from your organization
Are you looking for ideas and tips to help you write an inspiring fundraising letter that will forge a strong relationship with corporate donors and get you cash and other incentives for your charity organization?
Please read on to find out why.
You will agree with me that one of the most difficult things to do is to raise enough funds for your charity. You have to send out several letters and hope that you get some positive response from your donors which doesn’t always happen. Good for you if your response rate is always off the roof!
But, you know that’s only a pipe dream. When it comes to asking for cash and other kind of support from corporate organizations, that can be an uphill task because there are so many process involved in this arena.
In the next few lines, I am going to share with you some proven ideas and tips to help you write your own script. Before we get into that, there are few things you should consider before you write your letter.
Well, if you are raising funds for a corporate sponsorship annual dinner, you might want to know how to deliver a speech since a letter will not work in this regard.
If you have never done that before, then I suggest you look up a few examples on Youtube.com and other video sharing platforms. By the way, here are two great ones, you can watch and learn from.
Fundraising speech example #1---video
Fundraising speech example #2---video
Most fundraisers don’t know this, but well-written examples can furnish you with great ideas that can easily help you to write your message. Below are two great examples. Please read through them carefully. In between them, I will share my thoughts with you so you can figure out what goes into writing a corporate fundraising letter.
Here you go:
Fundraising letter for corporate organizations---example#1
Here's an example of a sponsorship letter for an event:
Dear Beth,
Comment: One of the cardinal rules of direct mail fundraising is to start the letter by adding the name of the recipient to the salutation.When in doubt, call up the organization and ask for the name of the right person. If they won’t pass it on to you for obvious reasons, you can simply start with other alternatives like:
Dear friend
Dear Sir
Dear Madam
Comment: You should avoid this terrible combination: ''Dear Sir/Madam'' since it shows that you didn’t go all out to find out who the gender of this person is, to say the least.
Ok....let's continue with this.
''I hope you're well. My name is Bruce, and I'm the director of development at Small Steps for Change. Our nonprofit organization is on a mission to advocate for youth education by taking small steps towards big change. Our annual 5K is quickly approaching, and we're looking for potential sponsors to help make the event a reality.''
Comment: I suspect that the company that the letter was sent to doesn’t have a working relationship with this charity. Why? Because he began with a brief introduction of who he was and his role at the charity firm.
That’s a nice way of building rapport with an organization you are trying to woo for the first time. If you have a strong relationship with them, it’’s not too necessary to do that.
If you go back to read the above extract, you will realize that it states the aim of the corporation. Well, if you know them like the back of your mind, then you can simply state the purpose of this letter.
Ok....let's continue with this.
''We believe that your company aligns with our mission since you work hard to provide an accurate curriculum for elementary schools in our region.''
Comment: Most companies are like women. They respond best to flatteries.If you want to strike a chord with the firm you are looking for donations from is to state specific ways your mission aligns with their theirs.
Hint: Do a thorough research of your potential donor and find out what you share in common with theirs and start with it or other ways their mission lines up with yours. You may also compliment them on a recent accomplishment or accolade and they will be happy to read on. That’s not all you can start with a heart wrenching story to get your reader in.
Ok....let's continue with this.
''We need your help. In order to make the 5K successful, we are in need of financial and material donations. Some of the things we need most include monetary contributions, supplies such as running bibs and volunteers for the day of the event.
The purpose of the 5K is to raise $10,000 for after-school educational programs for the schools in our local area. With this goal, we hope to provide crucial supplies, pay after-school directors and redecorate the program spaces. If your organization contributes to our cause, we'd like to offer promotional opportunities. Our organization would feature your company in the promotional materials for the 5K, on our website and in the nonprofit's annual report.''
Comment: State how much you are planning to raise and the purpose it will serve. Don't leave everything to chance.
Ok....let's continue with this.
''I plan to follow up with you in the next two weeks via phone call. I'm looking forward to speaking with you and answering any questions you may have.''
Comment: Did you notice that this letter didn’t ask for money right away? There’s a reason for that. And I will explain in the subsequent letters.
Until then, Bruce Director of development
Fundraising letter for corporate organizations---example#2
Here you go:
Dear [sponsor’s name],
Comment: Do you remember what I wrote about the salutation? And can you make that better?
Ok....let's continue with this.
''My name is [name] and I work for the [department] department at [university’s name]. We work hard each year to make sure that our students are receiving the highest-quality learning experiences in an unforgettable environment.''
Comment: Again, do you remember what I said about sending out prospecting letters?
Ok....let's continue with this.
''This year, we’re [project, for example: developing a new program, building a new building, improving food quality, making new study spaces etc.] that we know is going to bring our students [positive impact, for example: amazing experiences, better quality of life, the materials to succeed, etc.].
This has historically caused recurring issues for our university, as students [provide additional context on the purpose of your project]. Addressing it this year will allow our college to focus on growing and our students to focus on learning.
The cost for this [program] is hefty, and that is why we’re asking for your help. As a business [reason why this sponsor is best, for example: is local and witnessed class after class graduate] you know how much of a difference our students can make at [university name] with the right tools and resources.''
Comment: Something is amiss here…do you know what the writer left out? This is it: ‘’The cost for this [program] is hefty’’
You haven’t said anything at all if you only used that word ''cost'' since it’s really ineffective. It’s like being asked to pay just anything for your monthly rent….That would sound absurd, right?
Ok....let's continue with this.
[With a structured sponsorship from your organization, we will be extremely grateful for the opportunity to accomplish our project’s goals and lay stronger foundations for our school’s growth.
If you’d like to donate or discuss our project, please contact me at [email/phone number]. I’d be happy to talk through this partnership with you and to discuss the special perks and incentives our university can offer in exchange for your support.
Thank you,
Comment: I don’t particularly like this conclusion. It should have been the other way round because you don’t expect someone you are asking money from to follow up on you…do you? That’s quite rude!
This next piece will primarily be full of mini assignments. So grab your pen and notepad and answer the questions I am going to ask you and use the answers to formulate your own fundraising corporate letter.
Ok....let's move on to this:
Fundraising letter for corporate organizations---sample#3
My name is [name] and I am the [position] of [museum’s name]. [Give a brief description of your museum, especially if it is not as well known.]
Comment: Is there anything you find wrong here? What can you do to make the above extract great? Let the analysis give you some insight here.
Ok....let's continue with this.
We at [museum’s name] work hard to bring beautiful exhibits like [past successful exhibit] to life and curate programs like [past museum program] for unique and memorable experiences.
Comment: Can you re-write and substitute a few words here and there? You might want to add what makes your charity unique. A hint: You can start by painting a picture of your industry. You may add when the museum was founded and other key associated with it.
Ok....let's continue with this.
We are planning a [program, event, exhibit] and are so excited to launch it. Last year, our programs brought in [amount of people], and we hope to pass those numbers this time around. We hope to bring [give a brief description of your program/event/exhibit and something special and unique about it] for our supporters and other [type of museum, art, science] lovers like you!
Comment: Here, you might add why you are excited to launch it. You might also add the kind of help you are looking for and not just leave it to chance. Thinking of a donation? Ask for volunteers? Just ask and you will receive.
Ok....let's continue with this.
However, we need your help. There are many expenses that come with bringing [program/event/exhibit] to our patrons. With [name a number of expenses], we need [amount of money].
Would you consider helping to sponsor our [program/event/exhibit]? With your support of amount of [ amount], we’d be so much closer to our goal.
If you’d like to discuss our plans and sponsorship options, please contact me at [phone number]. If you decide to become a sponsor, [museum’s name] would like to offer you [incentive, for example: discounted tickets, a plaque, etc].
Thank you so much for any help you may be able to provide, we greatly appreciate it!
[museum’s name]
[phone number]
Comment: Based on our analysis, don’t you realize that something is wrong here? If so, please let me know what it is. A Hint: Do you contact the giver or ask them to contact you? That's a good food for thought.
Let’s face it. One of the most difficult letters you'll ever write is a fundraising or charity letter because most folks hate it when they have to part with money. However, when we ask for cash and use it well for causes so dear to the hearts of donors, they are likely to give their cash and time to support your charity in good times and bad.
Over the years, psychologists have found that donors are moved not by what they read or hear per se. But when certain psychological triggers are applied to your message, donors are moved to support your cause even if the economy is not so great.
When you work with us to craft your fundraising or donation letter, we’ll collaborate to make sure your donors receive not just another letter, but a compelling one that moves the donor to give to your organization generously.
After you’ve filled it out, we will get in touch with you so we can take it from there and work together to create a truly irresistible donor-centered letter that will make you smiling the entire bank.
No, we are very serious about this as we want you to collaborate with you so you can be happy with the letter.
After we have delivered your letter, then you name a fair price for it! That’s all! So, you better not joke with this amazing offer! We are very serious about this!
Oh Ok, How Then Do I Get Started Since I Want To Get On Board Right Away?
After that, we will send you a very short and simple questionnaire to fill out!
Then, you have it sent back to us via email
If something is not too clear, we will ask you to clarify.
If not, we will send you a wonderful draft.
Then, you look it over and tell us if you are okay with it or you want to amend it till you are happy with it — although we always get it right even with the first draft.
Are you looking for ideas and tips to help you write an inspiring donation or appeal letter to solicit funds for your school from parents or other organizations?
Just give me a few minutes of your time and I will share with you practical tips and ideas to help you write a donation letter.
I love to write but nothing gives me joy than to write appeal letters to raise funds. Three years ago, I was asked my friend who is an educator and head of one of top Jewish schools in New york to come up with a speech to raise $10 000.00 for his school. Not an easy task right?
I think i did my best and i understand that a parent actually donated the amount they wanted. I enjoyed working on that script and felt good about it because i felt it was a wonderful way of making a difference in the lives of students whose foundation is rooted in godly faith.
As you know, it’s not so easy to ask people for money. But peolple will give you cash to support you cause if you know the right techniques to use.
One guy used a clever technique and his simple but profound letter helped raised funds from rich guys in a certain part of The US. It was written by an advertising great, Bruce Barton in 1925.
Let’s first look at it. Afterward, we will analyze it and see if we can glean a few ideas from it to help you write your own fundraising letter for your school.
Here you go:
Donation Letter For School Example
In 1925, Bruce Barton, founder of the BBDO agency, wrote a fundraising letter to 24 rich men who all replied with at least $1,000.
Here, in full, is that letter.
Dear Mr. Blank,
For the past three or four years things have been going pretty well at our house. We pay our bills, afford such luxuries as having the children’s tonsils out, and still have something in the bank at the end of the year.
So far as business is concerned, therefore, I have felt fairly well content. But there is another side to a man, which every now and then gets restless. It says: “What good are you anyway? What influences have you set up, aside from your business, that would go on working if you were to shuffle off tomorrow?”
Of course, we chip in to the Church and the Salvation Army, and dribble out a little money right along in response to all sorts of appeals. But there isn’t much satisfaction in it. For one thing, it’s too diffused and, for another, I’m never very sure in my own mind that the thing I’m giving to is worth a hurrah and I don’t have time to find out.
A couple of years ago I said: “I’d like to discover the one place in the United States where a dollar does more net good than anywhere else.” It was a rather thrilling idea, and I went at it in the same spirit in which our advertising agency conducts a market investigation for a manufacturer.
Without bothering you with a long story, I believe I have found the place. This letter is being mailed to 23 men besides yourself, twenty-five of us altogether. I honestly believe that it offers an opportunity to get a maximum amount of satisfaction for a minimum sum. Let me give you the background.
Among the first comers to this country were some pure blooded English folks who settled in Virginia but, being more hardy and venturesome than the average, pushed on west and settled in the mountains of Kentucky, Tennessee, North and South Carolina.
They were stalwart lads and lassies. They fought the first battle against the British and shed the first blood. In the Revolution they won the battle of King’s Mountain. Later, under Andy Jackson, they fought and won the only land victory that we managed to pull off in the War of 1812.
Although they lived in southern states they refused to secede in 1860. They broke off from Virginia and formed the state of West Virginia; they kept Kentucky in the Union; and they sent a million men into the northern armies. It is not too much to say that they were the deciding factor in winning the struggle to keep these United States united.
They have had a rotten deal from Fate. There are no roads into the mountains, no trains, no ways of making money. So our prosperity has circled all around them and left them pretty much untouched.
They are great folks. The girls are as good-looking as any in the world. Take one of them out of her two-roomed log cabin home, give her a stylish dress and a permanent wave, and she’d be a hit on Fifth Avenue.
Take one of the boys, who maybe never saw a railroad train until he was 21: give him a few years of education and he goes back into the mountains as a teacher or doctor or lawyer or carpenter, and changes the life of a town or county. This gives you an idea of the raw material.
Clean, sound timber – no knots, no wormholes; a great contrast to the imported stuff with which our social settlements have to work in New York and other cities. Now, away back in the Civil War days, a little college was started in the Kentucky mountains. It started with faith, hope, and sacrifice, and those three virtues are the only endowment it has ever had.
Yet today it has accumulated, by little gifts picked up by passing the hat, a plant that takes care of 3000 students a year. It’s the most wonderful manufacturing proposition you ever heard of. They raise their own food, can it in their own cannery; milk their own cows; make brooms and weave rugs that are sold all over the country; do their own carpentry, painting, printing, horseshoeing, and everything, teaching every boy and girl a trade while he and she is studying.
And so efficiently is the job done that – o a room rents for 60 cents a week (including heat and light) o meals are 11 cents apiece (yet all the students gain weight on the faire; every student gets a quart of milk a day) o the whole cost to a boy or girl for a year’s study – room, board, books, etc., - is $146. More than half of this the student earns by work; many students earn all. One boy walked in a hundred miles, leading a cow.
He stabled the cow in the village, milked her night and morning, peddled the milk, and put himself through college. He is now a major in the United States Army. His brother, who owned half of the cow, is a missionary in Africa. Seventy-five percent of the graduates go back to the mountains, and their touch is on the mountain counties of five states; better homes, better food, better child health, better churches, better schools; no more feuds; lower death rates. Now we come to the hook.
It costs this college, which is named Berea, $100 a year per student to carry on. She could, of course, turn away 1500 students each year and break even on the other 1500. Or she could charge $100 tuition. But then she would be just one more college for the well-to-do. Either plan would be a moral crime.
The boys and girls in those one-room and two-room cabins deserve a chance. They are of the same stuff as Lincoln and Daniel Boone and Henry Clay; they are the very best raw material that can be found in the United States.
I have agreed to take ten boys and pay the deficit on their education each year, $1,000. I have agreed to do this if I can get twenty-four other men who will each take ten. The president, Dr. William J. Hutchins (Yale 1892), who ought to be giving every minute of his time to running the college, is out passing the hat and riding the rails from town to town.
He can manage to get $50,000 or $70,000 a year. I want to lift part of his load by turning in $25,000. This is my proposition to you. Let me pick out ten boys, who are as sure blooded Americans as your own sons, and just as deserving of a chance. Let me send you their names and tell you in confidence, for we don’t want to hurt their pride, where they come from and what they hope to do with their lives.
Let me report to you on their progress three times a year. You write me, using the enclosed envelope, that, if and when I get my other twenty-three men, you will send President Hutchins your check for $1,000. If you will do this I’ll promise you the best time you have ever bought for a thousand dollars.
Most of the activities to which we give in our lives stop when we stop. But our families go on; and young life goes on and matures and gives birth to other lives. For a thousand dollars a year you can put ten boys or girls back into the mountains who will be a leavening influence in ten towns or counties, and their children will bear the imprint of your influence.
Honestly, can you think of any other investment that would keep your life working in the world so long a time after you are gone?
This is a long letter, and I could be writing a piece for the magazines and collecting for it in the time it has taken me to turn it out. So, remember that this is different from any other appeal that ever came to you. Most appeals are made by people who profit from a favorable response, but this appeal is hurting me a lot more than it can possibly hurt you. What will you have, ten boys or ten girls?
Cordially yours,
Bruce Barton
Great letter, right? Written in 1925 by writer and legend Bruce Barton, this letter incorporated many of the elements that make a fundraising letter ticks.
Small wonder it got a 100 percent response and went on to become one of the most successful appeal letters any school has ever sent out. If you give it one more read, you will discover tremendous insights that you can apply towards writing your appeal letter. We’ll come back to look at it further.
But, first, let’s consider what you should first look at before you even jot down your ideas on paper. If you are delivering a speech, then it makes sense to learn how you can write and deliver a school fundraising speech. That can fairly be easy to write if you have lots of experience in this arena. If you don’t, then you have to spend time to figure out what goes into writing one.
There are several videos you can watch and learn from. You can even go a further by narrowing down your choices. For example, if you are looking for ideas about this: fundraising ideas for high school, you can insert that keyword into the search box of video sharing platforms like youtube.com and others and several videos will pop up.
By the way, here are some idea-rich videos you can watch and take cues from.
Fundraising speech for school example----video#1
Fundraising speech for college sample----video#2
Next, decide what the purpose or intent of your appeal letter. To do that, you can ask yourself the following questions which will serve as useful pointers for your letter.
Are you planning to send a thank you letter to your parents for a kind gesture or some donation?
Are you writing to invite them to help with some kind of project?
Are you asking them to donate some cash to buy school supplies?
Do you want to serve as volunteers?
Are you requesting for some specific items?
Action Tip: Choose one time from the above and do a little brainstorming and first create an outline for your letter.
Now, let’s go back to that masterpiece. We are going to break it down step by step so we can use my observations to put your thoughts together.
First, here’s the salutation or introductory remarks.
Dear Mr. Blank,
Comments: One of the best ways of endearing yourself with your readers is to start with their names. It even makes more sense when you are writing to parents who are your main stakeholders. Well, if you are writing to the entire school and circumstances won’t permit you to address them by name, you can use other alternatives like:
Dear Concerned parents
Dear Cherished parents
Dear Caring parents
I leave you here to explore for more appropriate and endearing ways of connecting with your stakeholders.
Ok….it’s not over yet. Let’s look at parts of the letter.
‘’ For the past three or four years things have been going pretty well at our house. We pay our bills, afford such luxuries as having the children’s tonsils out, and still have something in the bank at the end of the year. So far as business is concerned, therefore, I have felt fairly well content. But there is another side to a man, which every now and then gets restless. It says: “What good are you anyway? What influences have you set up, aside from your business, that would go on working if you were to shuffle off tomorrow?”
Comments: Do you realize how this letter began with events happening where he is. The headline of your letter should do a great job of sucking the reader into the body copy and that’s what this great writer did admirably.
You can always use stories, real or imagined to do that. Stories could be in one or more of the following forms:
Case studies or success stories of how your school has impacted the community
You could share how a student benefited from being educated at your school and their station in life
You could talk about the importance of education by throwing in what happens when students are deprived of quality education
If you are requesting for specific items. You can paint a graphic description of the benefits of those items and what will happen to your school if you don’t get them.
If your fundraising efforts coincides with a bit of history about your school, you can share that bit of history with your reader
Let me ask you this: Do you have in mind any good illustration you can use to enhance your appeal? Think about it.
We are not done yet. Let’s still look at excerpts of the above template.
‘’ And so efficiently is the job done that – o a room rents for 60 cents a week (including heat and light) o meals are 11 cents apiece (yet all the students gain weight on the faire; every student gets a quart of milk a day) o the whole cost to a boy or girl for a year’s study – room, board, books, etc., - is $146. More than half of this the student earns by work; many students earn all. One boy walked in a hundred miles, leading a cow. ….''
Comments: Did you notice how one idea is built on another like building bricks? That’s how it’s done. If you have seen most school fundraising letters, they are more to the point and succinct.
One more thing….you might want to ask your donors to give specific items or specific amounts of cash. It’s common to see most appeal letters riddled with all sorts of solicitations.
For example, in a letter, you might be shocked to see a school asking for school supplies, cash, and building materials in that same letter. Can you imagine that? Unfortunately, that overwhelms the giver and you might end up not getting what your school or organization truly deserves.
The trick here is to ask for one thing at a time. Or you can create multiple campaigns targeting different sections of your house file to ask for what you need.
Now, let’s look at this next example. It needs to be worked on extensively, which is why I included it there. Please go grab your pen and notepad and let's see what we can do about it. I will talk less and give more hints and assignments so you can do a little brainstorming.
Dear Ms. White,
Comment: That’s an excellent salutation. But what are some alternatives you can use instead of Ms. White?
Ok...let's continue with this
This is Harold Owens, representing ‘Open Hands Charitable Society’.
Comment: I think this is a wonderful way of breakingthe cycle of cynicism and creating rapport with the reader.
Ok...let's continue with this
I am writing this letter to you to seek financial donations for supporting a High School located in your community.
Comment: I don’t know. But this letter is being sent to those who don’t know much about this high school. The writer could have written briefly about this school: its vision and mission. You can work this into your own letter if the donor is not too familiar with that you are talking about.
Ok...let's continue with this
We run this school for the poor with the help of donations & other help that we receive from various sources. Presently, we are raising funds for buying uniforms and text books for the underprivileged students.
Comment: They should have included how many students will benefit from this gesture and what the total cost would be like…Then give suggested amounts. This writer asked for any amount. That’s a no...no... no... in fundraising appeals. Never, ever forget that. Specificity always win.
Ok...let's continue with this
We believe that education should be the basic right of every child, and we are making our share of efforts to make it possible, but we always have to seek support from people like you as we are a non-government organization.
We are appealing you to contribute to this noble cause. You can donate any amount that you think is right for this cause. This small action of yours is hugely beneficial to the poor children around you.
We thank you for your kind attention and look forward for your help.
You can reach us at 564-854-5264, or you can also email us at our id given on our website.
Your immediate action will be hugely beneficial for the children.
Comments: It's always a neat idea to include your contact details. But it’s also nice to reinforce what you asked them to give in the closing remarks. You can give them options for giving back: by check, secure online payment gateway or some other payment forms. There seems to be so much distrust concerning the transmission of payments. So, always give your donors several options.
Thanks & Regards,
Harold Owens
(Director)
Open Hands Charitable Society
Let’s face it. One of the most difficult letters you'll ever write is a fundraising or charity letter because most folks hate it when they have to part with money. However, when we ask for cash and use it well for causes so dear to the hearts of donors, they are likely to give their cash and time to support your charity in good times and bad.
Over the years, psychologists have found that donors are moved not by what they read or hear per se. But when certain psychological triggers are applied to your message, donors are moved to support your cause even if the economy is not so great.
When you work with us to craft your fundraising or donation letter, we’ll collaborate to make sure your donors receive not just another letter, but a compelling one that moves the donor to give to your organization generously.
After you’ve filled it out, we will get in touch with you so we can take it from there and work together to create a truly irresistible donor-centered letter that will make you smiling the entire bank.
No, we are very serious about this as we want you to collaborate with you so you can be happy with the letter.
After we have delivered your letter, then you name a fair price for it! That’s all! So, you better not joke with this amazing offer! We are very serious about this!
Oh Ok, How Then Do I Get Started Since I Want To Get On Board Right Away?
After that, we will send you a very short and simple questionnaire to fill out!
Then, you have it sent back to us via email
If something is not too clear, we will ask you to clarify.
If not, we will send you a wonderful draft.
Then, you look it over and tell us if you are okay with it or you want to amend it till you are happy with it — although we always get it right even with the first draft.
How to write a church donation letter that will motivate your church members and donors to give you the funds for your next project
Are you looking for tips and ideas to help you easily understand
How to write a fundraising letter for a church building
How to write a donation letter for your church missions trip or evangelism
How to write an appeal letter for your church charity event
How to write a fundraising letter for church instruments
….plus a whole lot more ideas you can use to motivate your donors to generate towards your charitable causes.
I think we all agree with what the scripture says in Acts 20:35 that is more blessed to give than to receive. It goes on to say in Proverbs 11: 24 that those who give generously receive more.
While that’s so true, it still baffles me how a poor old widow gave less and received more. Just picture this. Jesus goes into the temple and after teaching the folks there, he sits down right by where they put in offerings. He watches intently as the rich and the poor drops in what they have in their hands into the temple treasury.
As expected, the rich among them puts in fat offerings until a poor widow comes along. Not much is expected from her as she sadly drops into the box two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. That was all she had to live on. Yet, she gave it all away to the Lord.
The messiah beams with excitement as she walks away. Her purposeful giving touches the heart of Jesus so much that he remarks to the disciples that she gave more than everyone around.
Really? Even more the rich? The disciple seems to ask. But in response, the master says she gave all she had. But the others gave out of their sheer abundance. Though not recorded in scripture, I am sure Jesus would seek her out and bless her, knowing how compassionate the savior is.
I am sure you’ve heard this story over and over again as preachers like to quote it when the church has to raise funds for one project or another.
The moral of the story is that everyone has something to give. It doesn’t matter if you think you are or rich, you can still give to the Lord and expect him to bless you. But on one condition: it should be from your heart. That’s the kind of giving that honors the lord and not one done for just fanfare.
Before we start looking at easy ways to help you write a fundraising speech or letter for your church building, charity event or any other project, let’s first see a few things you should know before you even try to jot down your ideas for your next church donation appeal.
You first have to decide if you are going to write a short or long letter. Here’s my opinion on this. Short letters are favored by most pundits and even donors.
But, it doesn’t always outperform long letters when you are raising funds for specific purposes. For example, let’s say, you are raising $20, 000.00 to complete a church building,right? Are you going to do that onto a single page?
Well, if you are able to cram the main points onto a single sheet and raise the amount you need, then you are a real genius.
But let's face the fact. How many writers are that gifted? If you are sending it to those who have never heard about your ministry, you will have to delve deep into matter and convince them as to why you need to solicit those funds.
This subject is always opened for discussion. So, you shouldn’t listen to the vocal majority. When in doubt, you should test the content of your letter by sending a short one to probably your house file, and a longer one to those who don’t know the mission and vision of your organization and the results will speak for itself! Everyone’s story is different, so always test by sending out different versions of your letter to your recipients.
Next, you have to decide the purpose and intent of the letter. What do I mean by that? Ok, I will explain. You have to decide on the kind of letter you wish to write as that will set the tone for the rest of your message.
Questions like these can help you get started?
Is your letter going to solicit funds for your church building project?
Is the choir in need of musical instruments? Asking for cash to buy them or asking musical instruments stores to donate them?
Are you going on a missions trip somewhere in Africa and you need donors to come to your aid?
Have you seen a rather pathetic story and do you want to raise a little cash to support that cause?
Do you wish to embark on a charity drive in your local neighborhood?
What’s on your mind?
Please note: Just pick out one from the above list and start doing a little brainstorming about why you need to write this and who you are going to send those letters out to. At least, this mental exercise gives you an idea of what to do.
One more thing. If you are going to deliver a speech at let’s say a dinner to raise funds. Then, it’s best to look at how to make a compelling fundraising church speech that will make you laugh all the way to the bank and videos can help you warm up your brain.
By the way, here are two of such videos to inspire your creative thinking. Don’t just watch them. But put down ideas and tips you think you can incorporate into your own speech as you watch.
Please click on both videos and watch them once or twice before you move onto to other sections of the speech. If you are not going to deliver one, just skip both clips and read the text below them. Enjoy and learn from them and prosper!
Fundraising speech video: example #1
Fundraising speech video: example # 2
Now, I am going to share two fundraising letter templates with you…in between them, I am going to explain and share with you ideas you can use to write something persuasive that brings you the cash you are looking for to fund your projects.
Here you go:
Fundrasing letter sample for a church
Derrick Holmes Holmes International Inc. Unit 4, Elessdale Business Park Stainton, 5650 15 January 2009
Request For Funding And/Or Building Material
Dear Mr. Holmes,
Comment: A nice way of endearing yourself to anyone is to call them by their name and that’s what we see there. I suspect that this church is a small congregation where everyone knows each other like family or it could also be that they have a well-organized database. I once reviewed a church letter asking for funds and the salutation was: Dear Sir/Madam.
Unfortunately such examples abound in 7 in every 10 letter. As much as possible, start your letter by attaching the person’s name to the title(Mr or Mrs or Miss)
Well, if the letter is going to non-church members whom you don’t know too well, then it’s best to add an extra appeal to the salutation with one or more of these salutations :
Dear……
Dear……
Dear…..
Dear….
Dear….
Ok...Let's continue with the letter.
I was at a highest of highs a couple of Sundays ago, as I sat on the lawn with our Sunday school youth group, teaching and preaching about God's grace. The kids were all full of interest, laughter and singing. It made me feel so proud of what we had achieved so far at our small Baptist church here in Stainton.
AND then the rain came down... And I realized how much we really needed to add onto our small building to accommodate for our ever growing number of youth members!
Comment: I love this letter for one thing. It begins with something we all love and can you guess what it is? A good story!!!! You can quote stats and even embellish your letter with pictures. But nothing beats a captivating story.
So, as you write your appeal to raise funds for your church project, it’s best to engage your readers with a story. Whether true or imagined.
Let me ask you this: Would you like to start with an anecdote? And if so, what is this story?
Hint: What you go for should be connected to the message you will put out there just as this writer has captured beautifully.
In some instances, you may use imaginary tales if the church board won’t permit you to use a real life account. But, you shouldn’t give in. You should try to convince them and let them understand why you should use it. If it’s very sensitive, then please stay clear off it.
Ok...let's continue reading other aspects of the letter
''And this is the reason why I am writing to you now, to request your help, with either a donation of funds or a donation of building material, towards the extending of our Church building. ''
Comment: I hate this section for one thing: it lacks specifics. When raising funds, we ask for just one thing at a time. Else you will overwhelm the giver.
When asked to make several choices in a letter, the receiver will experience paralysis. This writer asked the recipients to either donate funds or building materials.
As i leafed through that portion, i was saying to myself thatI don’t have building materials now! But I can give some few dollars to buy those stuff? I am sure that’s what’s going througn your mind too.
Guess what? One single letter can serve multiple purposes but with caution. For example, if you want to raise funds, then you should profile your members to find out how can sit down and write you checks. Then, you can also figure out from your house file or database those who can contribute the building materials.
If everything is lumped together, then your response rate will drop to the ocean floor.
Again, if you are asking for money, then you can ask donors to contribute specific amounts like $50, $70, $ 80, $100…etc. Or ask them to give a generous amount. In the fundraising world, specifics always outshine generalities. That’s what most believe people. But you have got to send series of letters to test if that assertion is true since it may not apply to your peculiar situation.
Question to ponder over: Do you want your donors to give suggested amounts?
Ok... still on other parts of the letter
For the past two years now we have placed great emphasis on attracting and building our number of youth members, as we believe that that the youth in any church is of extreme importance! I'm sure you know of how important the youth is to any community... They are the future after all.
This development has been a great success and our youth group has slowly grown to a number that we can now be proud of! But unfortunately, it has also grown to a size that we cannot accommodate for anymore in our small Church Building. So the time has now come for us to do some developments and extend the building.
Comments: Most people don’t share it. But a great way of getting more from your solicitations is to send out brochures of what their previous or past giving has done. This project would have achieved maximum impact if they showed how crowded the church is when the youth comes together for service.
We are still on the letter
But we can obviously not do this without the help of outside funding. So please would you be able to help us by sponsoring a section of the building extension or by donating some of the building material needed for it!
The cost to build this extension is going to be (amount), and to raise these funds we have broken the structure up into five different sections of which we are looking for sponsorships for each! Each section is going to cost (amount for section) and as a reward for sponsoring the section you will receive a plaque placed in the building entrance.
All sponsors will also receive free advertising on our website and in our newsletters.
Comments: As you know, those who give always receive. So, it’s imperative that you give frequent donors something as a keepsake. You can’t always be taking from them without giving anything back. So, let me ask you this. What do you intend to give back to your regular donors as well after you’ve gotten their donations? That’s something you should seriously consider as put your campaign together.
We are still on the letter
By sponsoring and helping us build this extension you will be helping the kids in such a big way! Being a Christian yourself, I am sure you will understand the importance of giving our children a good grounding in our beliefs about Christ and the Lord, and this is what our Church's main goal is! We want to teach the children in the best way possible and help them to develop into strong and honest Christian adults.
With this new extension we will be able to provide for these kids in a much better way. There will be no more interruptions or cancellations due to weather, the cold during winter will be less of an issue, and quite simply an indoors building with seats and proper facilities will just mean so much for the children, they will feel so much more wanted!
As Sally Galtrea, a 12 year girl from our youth, says, "Sunday school is something which I can't wait for each week. I get to see all my friends, laugh, play and learn about Jesus! The stories that are told are so exciting and I love learning about Jesus and all the things he did. He is my Superhero! But then there are some days when the weather is ugly and our Sunday school gets cancelled... Those are my boring Sundays."
So by helping us build on to our Church you will be providing a huge service to all the children, like Sally, at our Sunday school. Please either sponsor a section of our building or donate building material towards it.
If you would like to sponsor then please contact myself, Gary Redman, on (Phone number), or via email at gary@stainton-baptist.com . We have plans to start construction on the 04 May, so please could you RSVP by the 20 April as there will still be much planning to be done!
I thank you for the time you have taken to read this letter.
Yours sincerely,
Gary Redman
P.S. Please remember that by helping us build this extension to our Church, you will not only be doing a big favour towards our Youth Group, but will also be helping the entire Church, its organization and members.
This is because the extension will also be used for many other things, other than Sunday school, like all meetings, band practices, fundraising events and much more. So please help us out!
Comments: The conclusion of your letter should remind them why it is so essential that they look into their wallets and give to support the work of the Lord. Here, you can reiterate if you want them to give suggested amounts or leave it open. Again, it should include ways they can reach you and who the contact person is.
Let’s face it. One of the most difficult letters you'll ever write is a fundraising or charity letter because most folks hate it when they have to part with money. However, when we ask for cash and use it well for causes so dear to the hearts of donors, they are likely to give their cash and time to support your charity in good times and bad.
Over the years, psychologists have found that donors are moved not by what they read or hear per se. But when certain psychological triggers are applied to your message, donors are moved to support your cause even if the economy is not so great.
When you work with us to craft your fundraising or donation letter, we’ll collaborate to make sure your donors receive not just another letter, but a compelling one that moves the donor to give to your organization generously.
After you’ve filled it out, we will get in touch with you so we can take it from there and work together to create a truly irresistible donor-centered letter that will make you smiling the entire bank.
No, we are very serious about this as we want you to collaborate with you so you can be happy with the letter.
After we have delivered your letter, then you name a fair price for it! That’s all! So, you better not joke with this amazing offer! We are very serious about this!
Oh Ok, How Then Do I Get Started Since I Want To Get On Board Right Away?
After that, we will send you a very short and simple questionnaire to fill out!
Then, you have it sent back to us via email
If something is not too clear, we will ask you to clarify.
If not, we will send you a wonderful draft.
Then, you look it over and tell us if you are okay with it or you want to amend it till you are happy with it — although we always get it right even with the first draft.
If you are looking for tips and ideas to help you write a very inspiring lifetime award acceptance speech, then you are at the right place at the right time.
Just give me a few minutes of your time and I will share with you everything you should know about sharing your wisdom through your lifetime award achievement award speech.
Now, let’s start with this. Nothing compares to the pride and joy of working so hard for many years and being presented with a lifetime achievement award. A distinctive honor and privilege, right? Of course! But such an award doesn’t come on a silver platter.
Sidney never thought someday he too would honored by his country and even be presented with one. Life was quite hard for him and his family back in the 1940’s.
His parents moved to the USA before he was born in 1927. He was the youngest son of seven children. He was a premature baby and was not expected to survive but his parents nursed him to health.
When his parents arrived in Miami, they were farm hands and worked to sell tomatoes and other farm produce to wholesalers in Miami and beyond. Growing up, Sidney lived with his brother’s large family but found it impossible to adjust to the racism in the Jim Crow era.
When he was 16 years old, he moved to New York City where he held a string of jobs as a dishwasher even as he honed his acting skills on the side. His first attempt at acting failed due to his inability to fluently read his script.
After a series of failures and rejections, he retreated to perfect his acting talents further and ended up playing leading roles in a 1949 movie ‘’ Edge of The City’’ that the industry couldn’t ignore.
Sidney Poitier eventually won so many awards and recognitions (including a presidential medal of freedom given by President Obama) that in 1999, the Screen Actors Guild Awards honored him with a lifetime achievement award.
At that event, he delivered a very thoughtful and emotional lifetime achievement award acceptance speech I would like to share with you. I hope it inspires you to come up with your own script.
Here you go:
Lifetime Achievement Award Speech Example/Sample by Sidney Poitier
I came from a faraway place, across 73 years to stand here tonight. And here, at the outset, I wish to state clearly that mine was not a solo flight. I’ve had company all the way here, because the hands of many people go into the making of a life.
First among all my traveling companions across the years was a mother and a father who brought me as far as they could over the rockiest of roads – when they had to stop to take their rest - they sent me on with the hope that Guardian Angels along the way would keep an eye on me.
Though I never saw even one of them, I knew they were there doing exactly that. Because of countless numbers of them keeping an eye on me, I’ve grown to be an aged person in this business. Therefore, to accept this honor with the grace it deserves I must share it – first with those unknown forces who have been keeping an eye on me; and then with my Mom and Dad who believed in them and in me.
Needless to say that my heartfelt thanks and deepest appreciation also go to that small distinguished collection of filmmakers who were the engines behind the incredible journey of 51 years that I was privileged to make as a professional actor in American motion pictures. They were producers, directors, and writers who needed the world to be better than it was and had the courage to take a hand in shaping it.
Without them standing tall in difficult times, some of us might be in different places than we are, especially me. They were, unquestionably, traveling companions all; yet, each was on a journey of his own. I’m hopeful that history will never let it be forgotten that they passed this way.
Finally, to my fellow actors with whom I worked whose individual brilliance made me look good enough to be thought of for this most distinguished honor; a special thanks to each and every one of you.
Along the way I have accumulated no words of wisdom; and have, therefore, arrived with no message of importance. But I will leave you with a simple observation: The rewards were in the journey and there were many. Because of my traveling companions, the world is better than it was. And because of many of you, I am confident it will be better than it is. Thank you
I am sure you enjoyed reading that address and you are wondering how you can also write something like that, if not better. I am happy to share a few proven tips and ideas to help you write whatever lifetime achievement award acceptance speech you have in mind.
On the surface of things, writing such an example seems like a cinch. But putting that together involves more than the eyes can ever see. There are actually a few steps you have to follow if you want to come up with great and cool ideas to enhance your message.
If you have never delivered such a speech before, you might find yourself going through reams of information before you really find something that is not only acceptable but also worthy of your attention. You need not worry about spending so much time looking for the right ideas because videos can give you a fair idea of what to say and what not to say.
Hence, I always recommend that you first watch a couple of video clips. There are so many of such clips on youtube.com and other video sharing platforms.
But it’s always best to narrow down and pick the good ones that resonate strongly with you. For example, if you are nurse and are going to be honored with a lifetime award, then you obviously should type in something like: ‘’nursing lifetime achievement award acceptance speech’’ into the search bar and the best videos will pop up first.
If you are honored for your lifetime contribution in say business, then you should use these keywords: ‘’ business lifetime achievement award acceptance speech’’ I hope that gives you an idea of how to get the best videos you want.
By the way, I got these videos for you. You should have your notepad or journal by your side. Then, spend a few minutes watching them, and write down ideas that jump out at you. It’s that simple!
Here you go:
Lifetime achievement award acceptance speech example: video #1
Lifetime achievement award acceptance speech sample: video #2
Video examples are not the only helpful resources you can use. Well-written speech examples can also help you to easily and quickly write a stellar lifetime achievement award acceptance speech because they contain several ideas and tips you can adapt for your own presentation.
Now, I am going to share with two (2) expertly crafted examples. Afterward, I will break one of them into bits and pieces so you can figure out how to start and end an inspiring lifetime achievement award speech like a pro even if you are not great with words.
Here is the first written sample:Lifetime Achievement Award Achievement Speech….Example #1
John Doerr NVCA lifetime achievement award acceptance speech
Monday, March 11th 2019
On February 27, 2019, John Doerr was honored by the NVCA with its Lifetime Achievement Award in venture capital. The Award honors those who have made significant contributions to foster innovation, advance technology and drive new company formation.
Thank you Mary. And thanks to all of my partners, to the founders we serve, to all the friends here tonight, and to Bobby and the NVCA team. Also, I want to thank all the members of the Academy, my mother, and of course all of tonight's award winners.
I'm going to tell you the story of two mentors (and one very fortunate mentee — that's me, the luckiest engineer from St. Louis, Missouri). I came to Silicon Valley in 1974 with $50, no job, and no place to live. I interviewed with all the venture capitalists for a summer internship, hoping to learn about starting companies. And just what do you think happened? You guessed it: They all turned me down — wisely.
But Brook Byers agreed to meet while running around Stanford's track. He told me, "John, forget VC, and get a real job at a tech company, like Intel." We stayed in touch. Five years later, I left Intel to work for Frank Caufield and Brook Byers, reviewing business plans and, with their support, writing my own business plan.
Frank and Brook took a big chance, and they promised to back my dream to start a venture. Together we started Silicon Compilers, and @Home. But those are stories for another night. Since 1980, we've also started 29 Kleiner funds, with three generations of leaders raising over $11 billion.
I'm incredibly proud of the latest, Kleiner Perkins 18, which is led by Ted, Mamoon, Wen, Ilya, Bucky, and joined by Annie, Monica, and Josh. I'm also very proud of the Kleiner alumni who in aggregate have raised nearly $2 billion in 10 new funds. I'll shout out those with us tonight: Kevin & Doug at Radar; Aileen with Cowboy; Beth with West Lake; Lynne with Define; Mary, Noah, Mood and Juliet with Bond; and Joe Lacob's Warriors Innovation fund! What an amazing alumni network.
Years ago, Andy Grove at Intel gave me a great gift which I offer to you tonight. It's a handbook, a dozen stories about goal setting called "Measure What Matters" — what matters for your firm, your ventures, or even your family. Do grab a copy on your way out this evening.
It is dedicated to two mentors who left us too soon, opening with Andy Grove, and closing with Coach Bill Campbell. You know, we are discouraged from bringing love into a business setting — but that was Bill's most distinguishing trait. Somehow the Coach was always your best friend.
His tough love inspired everyone from Steve Jobs to the third graders at Sacred Heart. And me. Bill Campbell was the ultimate player-coach. The servant leader. And a great model for us who want to be "servant VCs". We have an awesome opportunity to serve entrepreneurs, our country, and the fragile, threatened planet we call home.
To those of you early in your VC career, choose and focus on a field where you can differentiate and serve with distinction. Network like crazy. Incubate a venture with co-founders — as Swanson did with Genentech, or Byers with Hybritech. Take a sabbatical, gain startup experience ...and respect for it.
Assist entrepreneurs as a business builder, not a buyer and/or seller.
And don't lose your soul in the chase for "deals" — indeed, don't talk or even think that way. Because as we all know, those "deals" are in fact the hopes and dreams of the founders who will change the world.
I'm an optimist. I believe there are very few problems that can't be solved by leaders and teams who share the right goals for the right reasons.
Friends, even as we worship together at the altar of innovation, let's never forget: ideas are easy, execution is everything. And it takes a team to win.
Thank you
Now, let’s move on to the second example:Lifetime Achievement Award Achievement Speech…Example #2
Delivered by Roberto Ricossa while receiving the Award at the Frost & Sullivan Gala in 2015.
Roberto Ricossa - Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient 2015
Good evening, boa noite, muy buenas noches a todos
It is a great pleasure and an honor for me to be with all of you tonight, on this very special occasion.
I want to start by thanking Dave and the entire staff at Frost & Sullivan for this humbling recognition, as well as all of my colleagues, friends and of course my family: my beautiful twin girls Monica and Pia, and especially my wife Monica, for always being there for me, and most importantly for being here tonight celebrating with me.
Without all of you, nothing is possible, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you (Monica) and thank you all.
When I first got the call that I was being nominated for a Lifetime achievement award, I thought.. What? A Lifetime Achievement award? That is typically for old people.. People who's careers are at the tail end... Why me? And then I got interviewed a couple of times by Melody, an analyst from Frost, whom with for some reason we started talking about age...so, suddenly she told me she was around 24 years old.
And then when she asked me how old I was, I said .. I'm 46. Which she replied.. "Oh! That's so funny, My Dadis 46 as well!" And at THAT time I understood everything about the lifetime achievement award and why I was receiving it!
So anyhow, when I reflect back into the various roles and situations I've been through and the people I've had the pleasure to work with I thought: what is the common thread in all? And so I came up with my very own formula for success and these has 4 basic learnings or recommendations:
First and foremost, be passionate. You cannot be successful in anything unless you are passionate about something. And by passionate I mean consistently passionate, not only on the good times, but most importantly on the not so good times when passionate leadership is needed the most.
I went through good and bad times, company mergers, acquisitions and even bankruptcies. And in all, there is always something to learn and experience as long as you have the passion to want to keep on going forward and inspire others. Inspire others not only to follow you, but inspire them to follow their own dreams.
Second, care for others. You can never be successful by yourself. A true leader is not only one that is always open and frank with others and gets the best by developing other leaders, but most importantly, one that genuinely cares for others.
And here, I want to thank the many folks I've worked with throughout time and that have always pushed me to be better, every time. Because of that, you not only helped me be a better leader, but most importantly to be a better person.
Third, attitude. Be positive, don't look at the “why not” or the “I can't”... But always look into HOW can I make it happen and find a way to do it.
That's exactly why I start my mornings with a "good morning in the morning"... because I want to make every morning a good morning and then turn it into a wonderful day, and son on!
And last but not least, stay true to the real objective of why WE ALL work so hard. The true Ultimate Goal: Your Family
You can change jobs, roles, and trust me, everything will keep on changing around you, but at the end of your day, your family is what stays with you forever. Don't let a single day go by without you being WITH THEM AND FOR THEM... THAT is what matters the most.
So, bottom line...if you have the passion, if you engage and care for others with the right attitude and always keep your ultimate objective in mind, you and your family will be happy.
And that, when you boil it down to the essence, is the ultimate lifetime achievement GOAL we should all aspire to reach...
So Be happy, life is good!
Thank You very much!
I am sure you will agree with me when I say that both are great examples of what lifetime achievement award acceptance speeches should be like.
Ok, let’s start by analyzing the second example. I don’t know about you. But I remember back in High School, my English tutor used to say that there are three main sections of an essay or speech…Do you have any idea what they are?
Ok, every write-up has an introduction, body, and conclusion. If you go back and read both examples, you will realize that all the three elements are inherently present in all the examples on this page.
Ok…let’s start by looking at the introduction. Let’s recap parts of it so you can understand better how to write a great opener.
'' Good evening, boa noite, muy buenas noches a todos
It is a great pleasure and an honor for me to be with all of you tonight, on this very special occasion.
I want to start by thanking Dave and the entire staff at Frost & Sullivan for this humbling recognition, as well as all of my colleagues, friends and of course my family: my beautiful twin girls Monica and Pia, and especially my wife Monica, for always being there for me, and most importantly for being here tonight celebrating with me. Without all of you, nothing is possible, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you (Monica) and thank you all...''
Now, let me ask you this question. Was there anything you noticed about that extract? Most speeches begin with a note of appreciation. However, there are several other unique and appealing ways of starting your introduction as it's primary purpose is to hook the audience into your presentation.
Let’s look at some tried and tested ways of starting your speech with a bang.
First, you can talk about how you felt when you were called up for the award or even when you received a note that you would be honored for your specialty. It's depicted in this example.
I stand here amazed at the sea of faces I see here tonight. I know it is your expression of love and kind regard towards me.
Thank you very much for being here when you had the choice to stay back home due to the rains pouring down outside.
I would like to thank the Management Association for selecting me for the Best Entrepreneur Award.
Second, you can start off with a question someone asked about what you do. And you can see that amplified in the next example by Lois Lowry.
“How do you know where to start?” a child asked me once, in a schoolroom, where I’d been speaking to her class about the writing of books.
I shrugged and smiled and told her that I just start wherever it feels right. This evening it feels right to start by quoting a passage from The Giver, a scene set during the days in which the boy, J onas, is beginning to look more deeply into the life that has been very superficial, beginning to see that his own past goes back farther than he had ever known and has greater implications than he had ever suspected…..
''Thank you so much for this honor. I am truly humbled to be in the company of people who have inspired me, who have helped shape my thinking,who have helped me realize the potential of our profession to truly make a difference.
Thanks to the Arthur W. Page Society, I am fortunate to consider so many members friends. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the chairmen -- Roger Bolton, Maril McDonald, Jon Iwata, Bill Margaritas, Gary Sheffer and now Dave Samson -- with whom I have had the honor of serving as a member of the Trustee committee.''
''I want to start by thanking Dave and the entire staff at Frost & Sullivan for this humbling recognition, as well as all of my colleagues, friends and of course my family: my beautiful twin girls Monica and Pia, and especially my wife Monica, for always being there for me, and most importantly for being here tonight celebrating with me,.
Without all of you, nothing is possible, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you (Monica) and thank you all.
When I first got the call that I was being nominated for a Lifetime achievement award, I thought.. What? A Lifetime Achievement award? That is typically for old people.. People who's careers are at the tail end... Why me? And then I got interviewed a couple of times by Melody, an analyst from Frost, whom with for some reason we started talking about age...so, suddenly she told me she was around 24 years old... And then when she asked me how old I was, I said .. I'm 46. Which she replied.. "Oh! That's so funny, My Dadis 46 as well!"
Now, let’s see…
How You Can Write the Body of Your Speech
The body is undoubtedly the easiest part you can write. But with so many years of memories distilled into a very short presentation, it can get really hard if not overwhelming to know which anecdotes you can draw from.
The trick here is to first create an outline for your lifetime achievement award speech before fill the gaps in. How do you do that? Here are some simple you can simply follow to bring your ideas on board even if you are not a great writer.
First, focus on the kind of message you wish to deliver? Here are pointers to help you chose which type you really want to go with?
Do wish to use the storytelling approach? If you want it to sound funny, you can include one or two hilarious moments.
Do you want to share with the audience what the journey has been like? Can you share the high and low moments of your personal or professional life?
Since you’ve been in the game for long, you can probably do a little introspection and share the lessons learned. What do you think though?
Here’s how Roberto Ricossa captured it in the above example.
‘’ So anyhow, when I reflect back into the various roles and situations I've been through and the people I've had the pleasure to work with I thought: what is the common thread in all? And so I came up with my very own formula for success and these has 4 basic learnings or recommendations’’
Well, if you can expertly combine a. b. c ideas to write something epic, then your speech will be a massive hit.
And with that, let’s look at...
How to Write the Ending Of Your Lifetime Achievement Award Acceptance Speech
I cringe when most speakers end their speeches with such clichés as: ‘’Thank you’’, ‘’Thank you for listening’’ ‘’Thanks for your time’’ There is nothing wrong with that. But you can always go further to make your closing remarks stand out by delivering something that’s out of the ordinary.
There are actually a few tips to help you wrap up on a very memorable note and I am happy to share just a few with you.
Paul Polman's four CRITICAL messages for all businesses:
Polman ended his acceptance speech with four “critical points” that he believes all business should champion now and in the future:
1) Do things differently - “We need to redefine what critical boundaries look like and work in a much higher degree of partnership to reach these tipping points. It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.”
2) Turn the volume up – Polman called on business to get vocal in demanding new policies are introduced that enable an accelerated transition to a green economy.
3) Put people first – Polman said that behind every stat was an individual and that people were suffering because of a collective “ineptitude to take action”. He called on attendees to be courageous when putting people at the heart to everything a business does.
4) Take individual responsibilities – Alluding to the old proverb No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible, Polman said that individual actions can change the world and kickstart new agendas. It is the role of the sustainability professional to step up, he said.
... And, for any sustainability professional that feels the task at hand is too daunting, Polman did have one final message: "If any of us think that they are too small to make a difference, I encourage you to go to bed with a mosquito in the room and you’ll see the difference! I can only ask you to ramp up your ambitions, set your goals high and hopefully we can create a world one day where we leave no one behind.”
Second, this is not actually done. But you can take questions from the floor. Your audience can tap into your rich experience and learn from you.
Third, anything that comes to your mind? You just have to do a little brainstorming and you will get them.
Dear Award Winner,
Let’s face it. One of the most prized possessions you will ever get in life is to be rewarded for a job well done.
It gets even sweeter when you have worked hard so hard your whole life and have been recognized for making a positive contribution to humanity.
Nonetheless, it’s not an easy thing when you are asked to deliver a few remarks after receiving your award. Your audience love, admire and respect you and are expecting you to tell them how you made it.
With all eyes on you and everyone applauding you for your excellent work, you might be a blubbering idiot if you don’t prepare very well ahead of time or even decide to wing it. No matter what you feel about speaking in public, you can make a difference if we work together with you.
If you have never made one before, then we are giving you a chance to come up with something inspiring and memorable without pulling your hair out!
Award ceremony around the corner? Or happening in less than 24 hours? Trust me, we can deliver! it doesn’t matter if your speech is today, tomorrow, next week, next month ,next year,... we can make things work for you
Ok, Is This Offer For Me?
Yes, it’s for you if you are overwhelmed by the pressures of work or other things and really don’t have the time to put a beautiful speech together.
Yes you have to get on board; if you don’t know how to start or are not too sure if you can.
Yes, if you are not too eloquent or not too sure if you are on the right track.
Yes, if you feel writing and giving speeches is simply not your thing! You just hate it!
Yes, if you are still struggling to find the right words and ideas to say something memorable.
Yes, if you feel you might make some horrible mistakes!
Yes, if you are a good writer or speaker but you still want someone to look over or review what you’ve come up with!
Ok, I am Interested, What’s the Cost?
You don’t have to give any $ for now!
Why? Are you guys serious? Are you not kidding?
No, we are very serious about this since we want you to be happy with your speech first!
After we have delivered your speech, then you name a fair price for it! That’s all! So, you better not joke with this amazing offer! We are very serious about this!
Oh Ok, How Then Do I Get Started Since I Want To Get On Board Right Away?
After that, we will send you a very short and simple questionnaire to fill out!
Then, you have it sent back to us via email
If something is not too clear, we will ask you to clarify.
If not, we will send you a wonderful draft.
Then, you look it over and tell us if you are okay with it or you want to amend it till you are happy with it — although we always get it right even with the first draft.
Have you been elevated as the CEO, Manager, Director, or President of your organization or club?
And are you looking for easy-to-follow ideas and tips to help you write an inspiring thank you acceptance speech for that new position?
Just stick with me for a few minutes and I will share with you helpful tips and ideas to help you express your exact thoughts and emotions into very beautiful words.
''People don't get promoted for doing their jobs really well. They get promoted by demonstrating their potential to do more''- Tara Jaye Frank
That quote beautifully captures the story of this hardworking woman who rose through the ranks to head a business community after many years.
Having worked with several women’s groups and initiatives since 1977, Lorraine had seen firsthand what women go through in different stages of her life. So, her life’s mission had always been to empower women and give them a strong voice.
After half a century of relentless passion and determination of being a women’s advocate, she was tapped to head The Catalyst group in 1999 and at a dinner, she gave what was possibly the most important and memorable speech of her life. A speech she remarked was in her mind the whole time she’s been working with the Eve’s of the modern world.
In the next few lines, I am going to share with you the acceptance speech she delivered at the awards dinner so you can learn from her and adapt the lessons learned to write your own script.
After we have looked it over, I will break it down bit by bit like finely grounded stone particles so you can figure out what to say and what not to say when you are called upstage to deliver your thank speech for that new position
First and foremost, I would urge you to grab your journal and notepad and take notes as we go through it like two best friends. Are you ready to get started? Ok, here’s Lorraine’s entire speech.
Here you go:
Acceptance Speech for a New Position (Example/Template)
Good Evening. I am thrilled to be here. Thank you, Cathy.
I am deeply honored, humbled, and incredibly excited to be standing here before you tonight as the new leader of Catalyst because the power and commitment of this community—of all of you—is extraordinary. I want to thank the Catalyst board, staff, and Supporters.
These events: the Conference today on the Future@Work and the Dinner tonight would not be possible without you. Your commitment and passion for our mission are remarkable and it inspires me every day.
Thank you, Bank of America, Deutsche Post DHL Group, Eli Lilly and Company, and Schneider Electric. Your bold and forward-thinking initiatives are this year’s recipients of the Catalyst Award.
Thank you for showing us that we can make real change through intentional commitment to action. I’d also like to thank our Lead Conference Sponsor: Target. (A 4-time Conference Sponsor!)
Our Future@Work Trend Session Sponsors.Our Dinner Chair Sponsor, Chevron and Mike Wirth.
Our Champions For Change Reception Sponsor: Nationwide and Gale King – who is also a Women On Board alum.
Our Board Reception Sponsors: Shell Oil Company and Sodexo.Our Highest Donors, that are listed on the screen.
And all of you tonight who have enabled us to raise $4.92 million to support our mission.
I also want to give a special thanks to Ilene Lang. Your support has meant so much to me during this transition. I pledge to do my best to honor your legacy and take it forward.
WHY I CAME TO CATALYST
I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead this community in support of my lifelong passion: advancing women in the workplace.
I have benefited from the work of Catalyst for my entire career. And I am honored now to have this amazing platform to pay it forward.
When I joined IBM—our 4-time Award winner—in 1977 they already had a progressive culture that enabled women to successfully advance in the workplace. So much so, that I decided to return after taking a leave to get my MBA at Harvard.
And it was the right choice. IBM invested in me valued me and I had role models that inspired me like Ellen Hancock who was an executive at IBM in the ’80s and later became my mentor when I was an executive in Silicon Valley. She is in the audience tonight at the Colgate-Palmolive table where she has been on the board since 1988 and I would like to thank her.
Throughout my career, I have worked to pay it forward whether by serving on the board of Watermark, one of the top women’s leadership organizations in Silicon Valley at the US Department of State creating their Global Women’s Entrepreneurship initiatives or at the New York Academy of Sciences advancing girls in STEM.
As Jacquie Hinman, a Catalyst Board Member, said to me during the interview process “I bet you feel like you have been preparing for this all of your life.”
And yes, that is exactly how I feel.
SEIZE THE MOMENT
I’m especially excited to be leading Catalyst at this pivotal moment in time.
We are at an historic moment in the evolution of workplaces and gender equality. There’s so much energy and momentum on this topic right now.The MeToo movement has been incredibly important because it has raised our collective awareness that there are still systemic issues and barriers for
Since I entered the workplace in the ’70s on the heels of the women’s movement, there has not been such momentum and we need to seize this moment.
GENERATIONAL SHIFT
We’re in the midst of a generational shift in the makeup of our workforce. Millennials already outnumber baby boomers.
A recent survey stated that 77% of millennials in the U.S. think there should be gender balance at home and at work.
And I have seen this very personally. My highly accomplished son, who is expecting his first child in May, plans to take a three-month paternity leave and is moving to Boston for his wife’s career. He even did the baby registry! I can tell you that did not happen in my household in the ’80s.
As leaders in the business community, you more than anyone see the forces shaping the workplace. The war for talent is real and it’s only going to get tougher.
In the coming years, talent retention is going to be a bigger and bigger issue, because the global workforce is shrinking and is more mobile. So, if you want to continue to attract the best talent, your organization needs to be a place where employees want to be.
And that means a place where they feel like they belong. Diversity and inclusion are more critical now than ever before. When people feel safe, they feel free to express themselves, to take risks, to speak up about concerns.
They become more engaged and that drives innovation, competitiveness and financial. Social movements, globalization, changing demographics and rapid technological change are impacting everything.
It’s time to redefine what work looks like to create a more equitable, inclusive and fulfilling workplace, where everyone has equal opportunity to reach their full potential.
This is one of our most important priorities To help define the future of work. To help shape that discussion. Today’s conference is just the beginning. Everyone in this room gets it.
You are the leaders in this space and together we have an enormous opportunity, to lead the way. How we respond at this critical moment in time can have a profound effect on that future. It’s going to take all of us, working together, to make the right change happen.
PARTNERSHIP
When I was working in Silicon Valley, I learned a great deal about technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship but the most valuable skill I learned … was partnership. I observed that the companies that were the most successful built an ecosystem of partners.
And that is how I think about our work at Catalyst. Catalyst has a great legacy of pioneering research and thought leadership. We’re going to keep building on that with you, our partners, the Catalyst community.
We will be expanding our research on the intersection of gender, race, and ethnicity globally. And we will continue our work on Creating Inclusive Work cultures.
One of our new initiatives is the Catalyst Inclusion Accelerator which we just launched today. It is a premier diagnostic that helps companies identify how employees and teams experience inclusion, so they can make real change.
It’s been piloted with 15 supporters and is informed by decades of Catalyst research.
With this data, we are going to continue to learn from you, evolve our understanding and share the learnings back.
We want to make sure we keep developing programs that are practical, actionable and scalable…so we can impact change across as many organizations as possible.
With the launch last month of our new web site, we are enhancing the support of our community through better navigation and enabling virtual communities where all of our supporters can share best practices and learn from each other. Please give it a try. You will be amazed at the depth of content.
And we will continue to champion the mission through initiatives like hashtag bias correct that we launched with all of your help on International Women’s Day.
And, we are privileged to be partnering with all of you to make it happen.
CEO ACTIVISM
Never before has so much been asked of CEOs and senior leaders.
In addition to running your companies, you are expected to provide guidance on key economic and social issues.
People are distrustful of so many institutions, but they trust their employers, and they expect them to comment on critical issues.
This means that you—our corporate leaders—are more important than ever in setting the direction for our collective future.
By instituting policies and programs that support diversity and inclusion and by role modeling the right behaviors you are influencing millions and millions of people around the world.
In an era of increased fragmentation, together we can show the world how it’s supposed to be.
We can show the world what a safe and inclusive environment looks like and what it feels like.
As partners in this journey, we can create a future that works for women, and for everyone.
As I said at the beginning, I’m thrilled to be leading Catalyst at this historic moment in time.
And I’m excited to have such great partners to work with like our four Award winners.
I’m also so fortunate to have such a committed board of CEOs who truly walk the talk and are playing key roles in advancing women in the workplace.
Tonight’s board member and Dinner Chair Mike Wirth, the CEO of Chevron, is also an extraordinary example of leadership in this area.
He has been a supporter of our Men Advocating Real Change or MARC programs for years.
He intuitively understood that to make change happen, you can’t leave men out of the conversation.
And, we all know that despite what the headlines would have you believe the vast majority of men are good, honest individuals who want to help. They want to be part of the solution.
They just don’t know how to participate.
So, Mike embraced our MARC program and he adapted it to Chevron, creating “MARC Teams.”
And you know what?
He pushed it farther and made it more successful.
And he brought those lessons back to all of us.
So we can learn, adapt, be better and share the learnings with all of you.
That’s the true meaning of partnership, how together, we all are going to move the needle.
Thank you, Mike, for your commitment to Catalyst and to our cause.
And I also want to give a big thanks for your generous support of Catalyst.
Chevron has just invested $5 million to help scale MARC 10x. Our largest investment ever!
Thank you all so much for your time and support. I look forward to working with each of you over the coming years and encourage you all to support our mission.
I’d now like to turn the program over to Mike.
That is inspiring, right? Now, let’s dive right in by analyzing what went into creating this passion-empowered acceptance speech. As you are pretty much aware, every speech has an introduction, body, and conclusion.
I think we can make this fairly easy to write by starting with the introductory address. To make things fairly easy to write, we are first going to look at excerpts of it before I share my thoughts on it.
Here you go:
‘’ Good Evening. I am thrilled to be here. Thank you, Cathy.
I am deeply honored, humbled, and incredibly excited to be standing here before you tonight as the new leader of Catalyst because the power and commitment of this community—of all of you—is extraordinary.
I want to thank the Catalyst board, staff, and Supporters.
These events: the Conference today on the Future@Work and the Dinner tonight would not be possible without you. Your commitment and passion for our mission are remarkable and it inspires me every day.
Thank you, Bank of America, Deutsche Post DHL Group, Eli Lilly and Company, and Schneider Electric. Your bold and forward-thinking initiatives are this year’s recipients of the Catalyst Award.
Thank you for showing us that we can make real change through intentional commitment to action.
I’d also like to thank our Lead Conference Sponsor: Target. (A 4-time Conference Sponsor!) ‘’
Is there anything you learned from that? If you go back and read this carefully, you will realize that the opening remarks is purely based on extending gratitude to people who have helped you reach thus far in the corporate field.
No matter what kind of acceptance promotion remarks you wish to say, your opening address should be infused with notes of gratitude. You didn’t get to where you are due to how hard you’ve worked but also the contribution of positive-minded personalities who have sacrificed their all so you can reach the top.
So, it’s absolutely necessary to mention who they are and their influence in your life. You can mention people like:
Your own parents
Your children
Your spouse
If you are taking up a position at a church, workplace, or at a school, you can add extra personalities to the list. At a church, you can mention and thank God, the pastor, elders of the church, spiritual guides, and the entire congregation.
At a club or society, you can mention and thank your forerunners, mentors, fans, and so on.
At a workplace, you can express gratitude to your predecessors, the board of directors, employees and staff and customers.
Afterwards, you can outline your vision for the organization and encourage everyone to work hand in hand with you to achieve the objectives of the firm. This can be worked into your script if you just want to deliver a thank you acceptance speech for a promotion.
Well, if you wish to delve deep into the speech like Lorraine accomplished, then you can elaborate on your introductory remarks. Once again, let’s go back to our example and consider the following lines carefully.
''I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead this community in support of my lifelong passion: advancing women in the workplace…
When I joined IBM—our 4-time Award winner—in 1977 they already had a progressive culture that enabled women to successfully advance in the workplace. ''
On a closer look, you will notice that the above extract comes right after her thank you note to the catalyst board, staff, supporters and conference sponsors. They are actually part of that introduction.
That’s how most speakers start their promotion speeches. But, there are other proven ideas you can start with and I am happy to share a few of them with you.
First, you can start by sharing how you felt when you were promoted. I think it's easy to write that, right?
Second, you can start with a story that has some similarities with what you are going to talk about. It could be a story about how you joined the firm, what happened on your first day of work or why you decided to take up that position.
Third, you can start with a few quotes. Here are some really good witty lines you can use.
'' You were hired because you met expectations, you will be promoted if you can exceed them '' ~ Saji Ijiyemi
'People don't get promoted for doing their jobs really well. They get promoted by demonstrating their potential to do more''- Tara Jaye Frank
A successful career will no longer be about promotion. It will be about mastery.Michael Martin Hammer
Promotions will come and go, but your hard work will always shine and show.Anonymous
You cannot just expect a promotion to come from the sky.Jesse White
Can you start your intro with any of those quotes? Can i help you out? Ok..let's go
My elevation as CEO reminds me of a quote by Jesse White that says that you cannot just expect promotion to come from the sky. I read it before i got my first job 30 years ago when i was a newspaper boy...
Did you notice i used to accomplish that task? That's how it's done.
If you are stuck for ideas on how best to start or you simply have no clue, you may watch a couple of videos like these ones to help you get started.
Acceptance speech for a leadership position---example #1
Acceptance speech for a leadership position---sample #2
Now, let’s see….
How to Write the Body or Content of Your Speech
Once again, let’s go back and draw inspiration from the body of our example.
‘’ I’m especially excited to be leading Catalyst at this pivotal moment in time.
We are at an historic moment in the evolution of workplaces and gender equality.
Since I entered the workplace in the ’70s on the heels of the women’s movement, there has not been such momentum and we need to seize this moment.
We’re in the midst of a generational shift in the makeup of our workforce. Millennials already outnumber baby boomers.
A recent survey stated that 77% of millennials in the U.S. think there should be gender balance at home and at work….
As leaders in the business community, you more than anyone see the forces shaping the workplace…..
In the coming years, talent retention is going to be a bigger and bigger issue, because the global workforce is shrinking and is more mobile…
Diversity and inclusion are more critical now than ever before…
Social movements, globalization, changing demographics and rapid technological change are impacting everything.
It’s time to redefine what work looks like to create a more equitable…’’
If you ask me or anyone which part of your acceptance promotion speech is the least difficult to write, I will look you in the eye and say ‘’the body. ‘’ Why?
It’s so because it’s a narration of events that have really transpired over the years. But here’s the thing. Your thoughts on paper can be a real mess if you have no idea where to start from and that can bog you down with no end in sight.
The trick is to get a proven plan you can work with and stick with it until your ideas are exhausted. If you want to make this aspect of your speech less demanding, you first should create an outline for your message. These pointers can help you develop one.
So, ask yourself these questions and write down answers next to each one of them.
How many years have you been at your church or workplace or school?
Do you remember when you first set foot there?
What were your goals and vision from the time you arrived?
Has working there been your lifelong dream?
What are the changes you’ve seen in the organization over the years?
Are there any shifting trends over the years? If so, can back your claims with some form of evidence?
How impactful has your place of work or association impacted your life or your co-workers?
What has been the overall impact of its activities on your team members?
Do you have a memorable story you wish to share?
What do you bring on board and how are you going to rally your co-workers to work harder to achieve the goals of the organization?
Having looked at that, let’s now look at…
How to End Your Thank You Acceptance Speech with a Bang
As usual, we will recap the last few lines of Lorraine’s message.
‘’ Thank you all so much for your time and support. I look forward to working with each of you over the coming years and encourage you all to support our mission.
I’d now like to turn the program over to Mike.’’
That'snot too bad. Not great either because it sounds cliché. Let’s put on our thinking cap and try to come up with some cool and new ways of ending on a memorable note.
If you have nothing to say, just end on a gracious note by accepting the position and pledging to work with everyone.
Second, ................................
Third, can you think of any other way to close your acceptance speech?
Please Read This Time-Sensitive Message Only If You Really Want to Give a Unique And Memorable CEO speech in record time…ignore this if you still want to make the same boring speech every you speak
Let’s face it. Being CEO is one of the most stressful jobs on earth. So, you shouldn’t stress out about putting together a great speech which in itself can make you lose your sanity and create an extra burden on your shoulders.
We know most CEO’S are not great with words and we are giving you a chance to come up with something inspiring and memorable without pulling your hair out!
This is also another letter we got from an old client
Ok, Is This Offer For Me?
Yes, it’s for you if you are overwhelmed by the pressures of work or other things and really don’t have the time to put a beautiful speech together.
Yes you have to get on board; if you don’t know how to start or are not too sure if you can.
Yes, if you are not too eloquent or not too sure if you are on the right track.
Yes, if you feel writing and giving speeches is simply not your thing! You just hate it!
Yes, if you are still struggling to find the right words and ideas to say something memorable.
Yes, if you feel you might make some horrible mistakes!
Yes, if you are a good writer or speaker but you still want someone to look over or review what you’ve come up with!
Need a speech in about 24 hours or less? Trust me, we can deliver! it doesn’t matter if you need your speech today, tomorrow, next week, next month ,next year,... we can make things work for you right now.
Ok, I am Interested, What’s the Cost?
You don’t have to give any $$$$ now!
Why? Are you guys serious? Are you not kidding?
No, we are very serious about this since we want you to be happy with your speech first!
After we have delivered your speech, then you name a fair price for it! That’s all! So, you better not joke with this amazing offer! We are very serious about this!
Oh Ok, How Then Do I Get Started Since I Want To Get On Board Right Away?
After that, we will send you a very short and simple questionnaire to fill out!
Then, you have it sent back to us via email
If something is not too clear, we will ask you to clarify.
If not, we will send you a wonderful draft.
Then, you look it over and tell us if you are okay with it or you want to amend it till you are happy with it — although we always get it right even with the first draft.
Have you been nominated to receive a business award? And are you looking for ideas and tips to help you deliver the best business award acceptance remarks ever?
If you answered yes to that, please stay tuned because I am going to share with you with tips and ideas about:
How to write a business award speech
How to write a business award thank you speech
How to use company award speech examples to write your own message
I have always had this thought that no one ventures into business just to win awards. Passion, purpose and hardwork drives business sucess and after you’ve worked at it for a while, you might be nominated for an award.
Is This An Example Of A Success Story?
Danik’s parents were economic migrants from Ukraine and when they arrived in the USA, the great depression had ravaged the economy. He got his first job working in a factory that provided his family’s daily bread but was forced out of it when the shop suddenly closed down.
But Danik didn’t give up hopes entirely. When the economy got back on his feet, started selling vegetables from door to door and eventually set up a local store that grew into fifteen(15) stores when the economy had picked up steam.
In recognition of his hardwork and drive, he got awarded for being the most celebrated business person and had no to give a few remarks which he had no clue about.
Luckily, with the help of his wordsmith friend, he ended up writing one of the best ever business award acceptance remarks.
At the end of his presentation, the audience gave him a standing ovation. The audience didn’t expect him so speak so beautifully because he was a stammerer. The unique insights about his personal struggles and life inspired so many people that several people went on to start their own businesses.
You see, writing a business award acceptance speech is not as difficult as most people imagined it to be. But let’s face it. How many business executives have the gift of gab? A handful I guess!
Whether you are blessed with the gift of words or hate speaking in public entirely is not something you should be worried about because in the next few lines I am going to share with you proven tips, ideas and guidelines you can use to prepare your own script.
There is this wise quote by the great motivational speaker Zig Ziglar that says ‘’ unless you have definite, precise, clearly set goals, you are not going to realize the maximum potential that lies within you.”
Guess what? Many business executives struggle to write an inspiring company or business award acceptance speech because they clearly have no definite plan about what to say and what not to say. To make the whole process much easier, you need to have a plan and stick to it.
It begins by first watching a few video clips about company or business award speeches are made so you can figure out how such presentations are delivered. However, you should be looking for videos that are specific to your needs.
For example, if you are accepting a business award on behalf on someone, then you should be looking for videos about that topic on Youtube.com or somewhere else similar to that.
Well, I got these videos for you. Please press the play button, watch, and learn from them before you continue reading the rest of the script.
Business award acceptance speech: Video example#1
Company award acceptance speech: Video example#2
Did you enjoy both videos? That’s not all. After you’ve seen a couple of videos, you can then go on to the writing process. To do that, you should first decide what kind of business award speech you are going to deliver. So, please ponder over these questions.
Have you been chosen as the employee of the month or year? Then, you should consider delivering an employee recognition or appreciation award acceptance speech.
Are you accepting an award on behalf of someone? Then you should consider looking for ideas about award acceptance on behalf of a company or co-worker.
Are you being honored for your work in the community? Then, you should look for ideas about community service award or recognition acceptance speech.
Have you worked so hard at your company for many years? Then, you probably consider looking for great ideas about how to write a long service award acceptance speech.
Action Tip: Let me ask you this: Which of the above are you going to go with? Please decide. After you have chosen your own style, you can then go on to study well-written business award acceptance or recognition examples because they contain so many ideas you can borrow and adapt to write your own remarks.
So, for now, I am going to share with you some business award speech examples or templates. You can go through them and decide an example that best resonates with you. Afterward, I will break one of them down bit by bit so you can use my ideas to write an inspiring business or award acceptance speech.
Here you go:
Example # 1: Company Award Acceptance Speech
Michele Buck
President & CEO
On September 26, our CEO, Michele Buck accepted the Committee for Economic Development's Corporate Citizenship Award. What follows is an abridged version of her acceptance speech.
It is an honor for me to accept the prestigious Corporate Citizenship Award on behalf of The Hershey Company and the approximately 16,000 Hershey team members who make our company the remarkable and special company that it is.
I want to thank my Hershey colleagues for being here with me tonight. You exemplify what is at the heart of our company. A passion and the fight to win in the marketplace. And a compassion and a purpose-driven mindset that brings goodness into everything we do. This award is truly a testament to your leadership.
I also want to acknowledge my family, who makes all of this possible. It is my role as mother to three amazing children that enhances my ability to lead a company with thoughtfulness, ingenuity, and compassion. Thank you for your support, for keeping me grounded, and your unending enthusiasm for the goodness we create together.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME
Since taking the reins at Hershey 18 months ago, I have met and talked with our employees at all levels and across every function. During one of these listening sessions at our Hazleton, PA manufacturing facility, I met two women that work on our Kit Kat line, Michele and Kathy. They asked if I would sign their bump caps as they told me what an inspiration it was to have a woman as the company’s CEO.
As a small-town girl from Carlisle, PA, I am humbled and incredibly proud that as Hershey’s first female CEO, women across the company can “see themselves” in their CEO while they do the front-line work of making the products that our consumers love. That representation is powerful. It speaks to why diversity and inclusion is so important to us.
We’ve ingrained a focus on diversity and inclusion into every aspect of our organization. We are proud to have women leading in critical roles across the business – CEO, CFO, Chief Growth Officer, Commercial Integration, our Kit Kat business, our Walmart customer lead and head of U.S. Supply Chain, to name just a few.
Diversity and inclusion are strategic advantages that are integral to who we are as a company and I am excited about our leadership in this space.
A FIERCE COMPETITOR WITH GREAT COMPASSION
Many of you may not know this, but Hershey has always been about more than just chocolate. One of the first things our founder, Milton Hershey and his wife Catherine, did after starting the company was to establish Milton Hershey School, a cost-free school for disadvantaged children.
So, you see, social responsibility has always been woven into the fabric of our company’s DNA. We know that if we are successful, it directly supports the school and our ability to make an impact to important societal issues. That is an incredible motivator for us to aim higher and work harder.
WHERE HERSHEY COMES FROM
From the beginning, Milton Hershey intended to use profits from his business to enrich communities and make a difference. That commitment has been unwavering for nearly 125 years.
He started by making chocolate, a luxury in 1894, accessible to everyone at an affordable price. He built a town with homes for employees and opened Hershey Park, so his employees could have a balanced life that included both work and play.
He was ahead of his time, working to safeguard the environment by developing a cogeneration factory that minimized its environmental footprint. He knew that creating a community that was healthy and thriving would support the business for years to come.
And his greatest gift, Milton Hershey School.
This spirit – the pride that goes into our brand portfolio but also how we share goodness – shapes nearly every decision we make from product innovation to our supply chain. The more successful we are at innovating for our consumers, the greater impact we can make in our communities.
WHERE HERSHEY IS GOING
As we near our 125th anniversary, we are proud of the business we have built and are excited about where we are headed. Our vision is to be an Innovative Snacking Powerhouse and we have a portfolio of brands that consumers love – Hershey’s, Reese’s, Kisses, Ice Breakers, Twizzlers as well broader snacking brands – Skinny Pop, Paqui and Oatmega.
That vision is coupled with our Shared Goodness Promise – a focus to work on some of society’s most pressing challenges that we are capable of help solving. Our Shared Goodness Promise is anchored to our business, our planet, our community, and our future – and it is activated by our remarkable people.
One example our Shared Goodness Promise is our recently launched cocoa sustainability strategy, Cocoa for Good. Earlier this year, we pledged to invest half a billion dollars by 2030 to help create a thriving ecosystem that meets the needs of farmers, their local communities, and the environment.
In cocoa-growing communities in Ghana, Hershey provides 50,000 school children with ViVi every day, a groundnut-based snack, nourishing them with the fuel they need to make the most of their education. That’s more than 10 million snacks a year.
We’ve joined with other cocoa manufacturers and suppliers to support the Cocoa & Forest Initiative, a commitment to end deforestation in cocoa and invest in agroforestry and forest rehabilitation.
Supporting farming family livelihoods is critical to the future of cocoa and we’re providing training on good agricultural practices, so farmers can improve their land and cocoa trees, as well as providing support for women’s income generating activities, which both increase the family income, and give women a stronger voice in their communities.
But our most important work is to do good for the future, for our children. That connection to children is rooted in our relationship with Milton Hershey School. Our employees teach classes on science, technology, and business, and we connect directly with the children socially by creating relationships with group homes, allowing employees to get to know a small group of students and spending time together outside of school and work.
We also are excited about the work we are doing more broadly across the U.S. as we launch The Heartwarming Project. You may have seen our new Hershey’s campaign showcasing its power to create connections and melt the distance between us. In honor of our founder’s greatest heartwarming act – helping kids succeed through the Milton Hershey School – our company recently launched the Heartwarming Project to help kids, parents, and teachers build more meaningful connections and create a more inclusive and empathetic community. We are partnering with leading organizations, like the Boys and Girls Club and We.Org, to provide programs and grants to create a future where social and emotional connections are central in our everyday world. It’s an ambitious goal, but so was inventing a low-cost chocolate bar 125 years ago.
IN CLOSING
I would be remiss if I didn’t share a little bit about the remarkable people who make all this good work possible. Milton Hershey didn’t start a school by himself – it was a passion shared with his wife, Catherine, that made its creation possible. Likewise, Hershey employees across the business are constantly innovating about the future of snacking and sustainability and their impact on the world.
It’s their creativity, passion and energy that makes what I do possible. It’s this energy that gives me the resounding confidence that Hershey’s best days are ahead of us.
Again, I want to thank the Committee for Economic Development for recognizing The Hershey Company in such a meaningful way. It is truly a privilege and an honor to serve as a torchbearer for one of America’s most trusted companies. I am humbled and grateful for the honor.
Example #2: Best Employee Award Recognition Speech
Thanks, Leslie.
I really am both humbled and honored to receive this award, particularly because of the company that I'm keeping here. The other recipients, I certainly feel, are more deserving than myself.
I'm accepting this award on behalf of myself and particularly on behalf of my colleagues in the Sunday Independent who have encouraged me and supported me in my investigative work whilst I've been working in the paper.
It is very unusual to hear that an Irish reporter has been shot or intimidated. Unfortunately, because of the ever-rising crime problems in Ireland, a number of reporters -- not just myself -- have been subjected to death threats and to intimidation on a daily basis. So, for my colleagues in other newspapers and in the broadcast media, I'm grateful that the CPJ [Committee to Protect Journalists] have decided to honor an Irish and European journalist.
Unfortunately, in -- in Ireland, journalists there also have to face the -- the threat of possible imprisonment. And I welcome this opportunity to highlight the appalling case of a colleague of mine who works in the Irish Independent. And she, too, is facing, like Fred M'membe, here -- she's facing a possible jail sentence.
And the reason that she's facing possible imprisonment is because she published a document which was widely circulated in the -- within the police force in Ireland about the suspects of the bank robbery which I reported the day before my -- which I reported on the day before my shooting.
Now, Liz Allen is -- is my colleague who's facing a possible jail sentence. She's -- it's alleged -- [breached the] The Official Secrets Act. We have to face, you know, we write under ridiculous restrictive laws in Ireland. It's a wonderful country, great place to visit, but unfortunately for journalists the most difficult thing that we have to work within are our restrictive libel laws.
It's difficult for our publishers because they're the people who have to pay the lawyers the massive amounts of money on a daily basis in courts.
These are the issues that I feel that I have to highlight here. It's not the fact that journalists may be shot. But it is the "legitimate" restrictions that we work within. And I thank you, I thank the Committee for The Protection of Journalists for giving me the opportunity to highlight this.
I really am humbled and honored to accept this award. In doing so, I want to thank two people who have encouraged me, despite an incredibly difficult last twelve months. And they are my husband, Graham, and my son, Cathal. Because I can assure you that if they hadn't supported me, I wouldn't be doing it.
Thank you very much.
Example #3: Acceptance Speech On Behalf of someone else or company
by Matt Burghdorf
Thank you very much.
I am very proud and pleased to accept this award on behalf of California State Parks and my colleagues. We have indeed been able to implement innovative and secure wireless solutions through the state park system.
These low cost, last mile connections have brought the benefits of our enterprise network to hundreds of parks employees in remote locations throughout the state. Also, a wireless solution has been a lifesaver in many of our very large park units where copper or fiber optic connections within the park would have been prohibitively expensive to complete.
The task of bringing connectivity to our employees included a number of unique challenges. Spanning the huge expanses, isolation, and heat of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park; networking one hundred and fifty year old buildings at Marshall Gold and Columbia State Historic Parks while protecting the structures’ historic integrity; transporting data across Millerton Lake in the Sierras and across San Francisco Bay to Angel Island; dodging dirt bikes at Prairie City Off Highway Vehicle Park and dodging amorous elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Reserve; all of these while working within the parameters of the state park budget are but a few of the tests we have confronted.
It really is very satisfying to work in these beautiful places at the same time by helping the State Parks accomplish its mission. Again, on behalf of our team, thank you very much for this award!
Example #4: Community Service Award Acceptance Speech
JILLIAN SPINDLE
Thank you — this award means so much to me, and I’m so grateful to have spent the past decade at MEDA.
When I started MEDA ten years ago, I couldn’t have imagined that our organization would be where we are today — growing our asset building programs, launching the Mission Promise Neighborhood, becoming a housing developer, a CDFI lender, our policy and advocacy work and now sharing our successful models with other communities.
Looking around the room, I remember the many conversations that became shared visions that are now realities. It took the hearts, minds and persistence of so many of you here tonight to make it all happen.
I want to thank my MEDA colleagues: Your brilliance, leadership and dedication to this work inspire me every single day.
And thank you, Luis. I’m grateful for your mentorship and your friendship. You are one of the most visionary and courageous leaders I know.
So I’d like to share this “Community Impact Award” with all of you: clients, community members, nonprofit partners, government officials, funders, MEDA staff and Board, and my friends here tonight who have supported me and MEDA along the way. We have definitely shown that together we can make anything happen.
All great examples, right? I hope you learned a thing or two from all those templates. Well, I promised to help you write the best ever business acceptance speech using one of the above examples.
So, I am going to use example #.....to do just that. Please watch me carefully as I break it down bit by bit so you can understand it better.
As you are pretty much aware, speeches like the ones above have three main components. Do you know what they are? Ok…They include an introduction, body or outline, and conclusion.
Here's an excerpt from example#1 to get us thinking about our next step.
''On September 26, our CEO, Michele Buck accepted the Committee for Economic Development's Corporate Citizenship Award. What follows is an abridged version of her acceptance speech.
It is an honor for me to accept the prestigious Corporate Citizenship Award on behalf of The Hershey Company and the approximately 16,000 Hershey team members who make our company the remarkable and special company that it is...''
Here’s what your introduction should do. It should capture the attention of the audience right from the get go and also set the tone for the rest of your presentation.
Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of business award acceptance speech have very boring opening remarks with one or more of these or even a combination of them:
'' Thank you for coming''
'' It's an honor to accept this award''
'' I couldn't make it without you''
While there’s nothing wrong with that, I think we can go a step further by introducing unique ways of starting your speech with a bang. I am happy to share a few proven ways of engaging your audience from the onset.
Here you go:
First, you can mention how you felt when you heard you have been nominated for an award. Below is an example of how to work that into your own speech.
Acceptance Speech: Best Entrepreneur Award Winner Speaks from the Heart
I stand here amazed at the sea of faces I see here tonight. I know it is your expression of love and kind regard towards me.
Thank you very much for being here when you had the choice to stay back home due to the rains pouring down outside.
I would like to thank the Management Association for selecting me for the Best Entrepreneur Award….
Second, you can add a touch of intrigue and suspense by starting with a question someone asked about what you do. Please see an example below
''Newbery Acceptance Speech Lois Lowry June, 1994 “How do you know where to start?” a child asked me once, in a schoolroom, where I’d been speaking to her class about the writing of books. I shrugged and smiled and told her that I just start wherever it feels right.
This evening it feels right to start by quoting a passage from The Giver, a scene set during the days in which the boy, J onas, is beginning to look more deeply into the life that has been very superficial, beginning to see that his own past goes back farther than he had ever known and has greater implications than he had ever suspected…''
Third, you can express your appreciation to the award organizers and say how honored you are to receive the business award. The snippet below is culled from this example.
''Thank you so much for this honor. I am truly humbled to be in the company of people who have inspired me,who have helped shape my thinking,who have helped me realize the potential of our profession to truly make a difference.
Thanks to the Arthur W. Page Society, I am fortunate to consider so many members friends. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the chairmen -- Roger Bolton, Maril McDonald, Jon Iwata, Bill Margaritas, Gary Sheffer and now Dave Samson -- with whom I have had the honor of serving as a member of the Trustee committee...''
Fourth, you can start on a funny. The audience couldn’t help it when Will Ferrell came to accept his award and this was his introductory remarks.
Oh, boy, okay. Um, wow, thank you, thank you, so much for that warm ovation. As I stare at this magnificent bust of Mark Twain, I’m reminded of how humbled I am to receive such an honor and how I vow to take very special care of it. I will never let it out of my sight.
I will find a place of honor in my house for this magnificent bust. If my children try to touch it or even look at it, I will beat them. It means that much to me. In fact, I told my wife that maybe I should buy it its own seat for the plane right home, and no, no I’m not done, I’m not done, I’m not, I’m not, no. No, I just started the speech, why would you think I’m done?
I want to sincerely thank the Kennedy Center for this prize and this – and the fine folks at PBS for airing this special. I am the 14th recipient of the Mark Twain prize. And you’re probably asking yourself, why did it take so long? Well, for 13 consecutive years, I have been begged by the Kennedy Center to accept this award and for 13 consecutive years, I have emphatically said, no. For years, I had many questions about this Mark Twain, the first being, who is he? It’s been donned on me that, since I was a small boy I have thoroughly enjoyed his delicious fried chicken.
Then my wife informed me that I was thinking of Colonel Sanders not Mark Twain. It turns out that he is considered America’s finest author and humorist, but that his real name is not Mark Twain, it was Jerry Goldman. Before that, it was Judy Blume, and before that of course, we all know the name, Samuel Langhorne Chimmins.
Despite my failings to grasp the importance of Mark Twain and what exactly he did, I decided to accept this award because of the prize money, $1 billion dollars, paid out over the next 10,000 years. To say that I’m thrilled to be here is a complete understatement, and to make this evening even more thrilling, I have just been informed that, I’m only the 11th Caucasian to receive this prestigious award...''
Now, let’s look at how to put together the body or outline of your business award or company award speech. Let's look the body of the speech under review to guide our steps.
'' Since taking the reins at Hershey 18 months ago, I have met and talked with our employees at all levels and across every function. During one of these listening sessions at our Hazleton, PA manufacturing facility, I met two women that work on our Kit Kat line, Michele and Kathy. They asked if I would sign their bump caps as they told me what an inspiration it was to have a woman as the company’s CEO.
As a small-town girl from Carlisle, PA, I am humbled and incredibly proud that as Hershey’s first female CEO, women across the company can “see themselves” in their CEO while ''
To formulate the ideas for the content of your speech, you have to first decide on the kind of speech you wish to deliver.
For example, if you are going to make an employee recognition speech, then your outline would be different from what you will say if you are going to make a company award speech.
In the next few lines, I am going to share with you helpful tips and pointers you can use to create the outline or body no matter the kind of business award speech you want to make.
I will take it one step time at a time.
HERE ARE IDEAS FOR THE BODY OF EMPLOYEE RECOGINTION SPEECH
How long have you been working at the company?
Do you remember your first day at work?
What are some useful lessons you’ve learned on the job?
Who’s inspired you the most and what do you want to tell those personalities?
What does the award mean to you?
What do you wish to tell your bosses and co-workers?
HERE ARE IDEAS FOR THE BODY OF RECEIVING A SPEECH ON BEHALF OF A COLLEAGUE
On whose behalf are you receiving this award?
Why is the award recipient not around in person to receive it?
Did the receiver share any story about the award? Probably a story you the award recipient of both of you?
What does the award mean to him or her?
HERE ARE IDEAS FOR THE BODY OF YOUR COMPANY AWARD SPEECH BY PRESIDENT OR CEO OR MANAGER
Why did you get into business?
What drives you in your line of work?
What are some memorable stories you wish to share?
Any setbacks you wish to share and lessons learned?
What does the award mean to you?
What do you want to tell the award organizers, board of directors and staff?
What does the future hold for your company and the industry?
HERE ARE IDEAS FOR THE BODY OF YOUR LONG SERVICE AWARD SPEECH
What does that award mean to you?
What does it mean remind you of?
Can you share a very memorable account of the time you spent working in your career or field of endeavor?
Who’s inspired you most and what were the lessons you learned from that person?
Any word of advice for the audience?
What do you wish to say to the event organizers?
HERE ARE IDEAS FOR THE BODY OF YOUR COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD SPEECH
What does that award mean to you?
What does it mean remind you of?
What keeps you up at night?
Can you share a very memorable account of the time you spent working in your career or field of endeavor?
Who’s inspired you most and what were the lessons you learned from that person?
Any word of advice for the audience?
What do you wish to say to the event organizers?
Writing assignment: Now, this is what I want you to do right now. Go back and reflect on the questions above and write down the kind of speech you are going to make. Then, provide answers to the questions beside them.
Using your answers , write a rough draft of your presentation and keep fine-tuning it until you are very happy with the end result.
Now, let us how you can end your speech on a memorable note. Aside from ending with such clichés as ''thank you'' and ''thank you for listening '', you can spice your concluding remarks with one or two of the following ideas to make yours a little different.
First, you can end by thanking a few individuals who have helped you in your professional journey.
Here’s how the speech we are looking at ended his.
‘’I would be remiss if I didn’t share a little bit about the remarkable people who make all this good work possible. Milton Hershey didn’t start a school by himself – it was a passion shared with his wife, Catherine, that made its creation possible. Likewise, Hershey employees across the business are constantly innovating about the future of snacking and sustainability and their impact on the world…’’
Second, you may end with a touching poem about your storyline. Do you have one in mind?
Dear Award Winner,
Let’s face it. One of the most prized possessions you will ever get in life is to be rewarded for a job well done.
It gets even sweeter when you have worked hard so hard your whole life and have been recognized for making a positive contribution to humanity.
Nonetheless, it’s not an easy thing when you are asked to deliver a few remarks after receiving your award. Your audience love, admire and respect you and are expecting you to tell them how you made it.
With all eyes on you and everyone applauding you for your excellent work, you might be a blubbering idiot if you don’t prepare very well ahead of time or even decide to wing it. No matter what you feel about speaking in public, you can make a difference if we work together with you.
If you have never made one before, then we are giving you a chance to come up with something inspiring and memorable without pulling your hair out!
Award ceremony around the corner? Or happening in less than 24 hours?Trust me, we can deliver!it doesn’t matter if your speech is today, tomorrow, next week, next month ,next year,... we can make things work for you
Ok, Is This Offer For Me?
Yes, it’s for you if you are overwhelmed by the pressures of work or other things and really don’t have the time to put a beautiful speech together.
Yes you have to get on board; if you don’t know how to start or are not too sure if you can.
Yes, if you are not too eloquent or not too sure if you are on the right track.
Yes, if you feel writing and giving speeches is simply not your thing! You just hate it!
Yes, if you are still struggling to find the right words and ideas to say something memorable.
Yes, if you feel you might make some horrible mistakes!
Yes, if you are a good writer or speaker but you still want someone to look over or review what you’ve come up with!
Ok, I am Interested, What’s the Cost?
You don’t have to give any $ for now!
Why? Are you guys serious? Are you not kidding?
No, we are very serious about this since we want you to be happy with your speech first!
After we have delivered your speech, then you name a fair price for it! That’s all! So, you better not joke with this amazing offer! We are very serious about this!
Oh Ok, How Then Do I Get Started Since I Want To Get On Board Right Away?
After that, we will send you a very short and simple questionnaire to fill out!
Then, you have it sent back to us via email
If something is not too clear, we will ask you to clarify.
If not, we will send you a wonderful draft.
Then, you look it over and tell us if you are okay with it or you want to amend it till you are happy with it — although we always get it right even with the first draft.
How to easily write an inspiring and heartfelt award acceptance speech that will earn you several rounds of generous applause.
You are in the right place at the right time if you are looking for tips and ideas to help you write an memorable award acceptance speech.
Just stick with me for a while and I will show you....
How to write a speech for accepting an award
How to use award acceptance speech samples to say something sweet when you mount the podium to receive an award
How to write a funny speech for an award ceremony
...plus a whole lot more ideas you can incorporate into your script
Some folks believe that some people are born lucky. Some others believe we are destined to make it. And a few others believe that hard work makes all the difference.
Is This True About Success?
Do you believe in any of that? Well, I think success is a combination of all these views. Guess what? Even if you think you’re not gifted or not very lucky in life, hard work and perseverance can make you a shining star no matter what your lot in life is.
Take the story of this legendary basketball player: Michael Jordan. When he first entered the league, his jump shot wasn’t good enough. To perfect his craft, he spent his off season taking hundreds of jumpers a day until he became better at it and won several awards in his career.
Speaking of awards, remind me of this quote by actor Tom Cruise.
‘’ Awards are wonderful. I've been nominated many times and I've won many awards. But my journey is not towards that. If it happens it will be a blast. If it doesn't, it's still been a blast ‘’
Tom’s quote is absolutely true. Guess what? No one gets to work on something in high hopes of getting an award or some kind of recognition.
But, when you make an impactful contribution to humanity, you are bound to be rewarded for a great job done. Let’s face it. If you have been nominated alongside with other nominees and you hear your name mentioned as the eventual award winner, that can be quite shocking in itself.
Afterwards, the applause will die down and all eyes will be on you. Then, everyone would be expecting nothing but a brief statement from you.
You only have a few minutes to inspire your audience. Now, the cameras are on you. What are you going to say after you have mounted that podium to accept your award?
You see, your award acceptance speech is a platform not only to showcase what you have done with your mind and hands but also a platform to inspire those who may have similar goals and aspirations like you.
So you shouldn’t just wing it. But you should prepare and plan for it as though your whole life depended on it. I am sure the first question you might want to ask is:
How Can I Deliver An Impressive Award Acceptance Remark?
If you have never made one before, then I recommend that you first get your feet wet by watching a couple of award recognition speeches videos to get a fair idea of how such remarks are delivered.
Youtube.com has several of such video clips. On that platform and elsewhere, you can niche down further by popping your desired keyword into the search box. For example, you can input the keyword ‘’ nursing award acceptance speech’’ or ‘’ music award acceptance speech’’ if you are looking for information in that specific category.
Here are two good videos that can stimulate your writing and thinking abilities with.So, please grab your journal and pen, hit on the play button, sit back and jot down a few ideas that resonate best with you as you feast your eyes on them.
Here you go:
Award Acceptance Speech Video Example #1
Award Acceptance Speech Video Sample #2
Videos are not the only thing that can show you what to say and what not to say at the award ceremony. Best or well-written award acceptance speech examples are also proven tools that can easily help you express your thoughts with clarity and purpose, even if you are not a natural speaker.
For the purpose of this study, I am going to share with you at least three short but brilliant examples. Afterward, we will break at least one down step-by-step so you can figure out how to write your own award recognition remarks.
Please bear in mind that the insights and writing ideas you will discover from our analysis can be applied to your own script even if you are looking forward to delivering a humanitarian, marketing, military, film or movie, honorary doctorate, employee, award recognition speeches…you name it.
If you are in a hurry, then please scroll down to the last example as my comments/analysis starts right from there. By the way, you can jot down ideas you think you can work into your remarks as we review them.
Thank you all, so much, for this wonderful and unexpected recognition.
But perhaps more importantly, thank you for the opportunity to celebrate the empowerment of women and minorities.
Back in the 1980s, when I ran the Dayton operation of Ohio Works – a program that moved women from welfare to work – I hired a young African-American man by the name of Robert E. Johnson.
After a year, I told Robert I wanted to promote him to my second-in-command – quite a well-deserved promotion!
He just stared at me.
His slow-to-arrive response was, “I just don’t think I can do that job.”
I said, “Robert – I know you. When you try hard enough, there isn’t anything you can’t do.”
Today Robert E. Johnson is not only a Ph.D. – but he is the president of Becker College in Worcester, Massachusetts. Not long ago I caught up with Robert, who told me something I’ll never forget.
He said to me, “you are the reason I have advanced to this point.”
“You are the person who told me I could do whatever I wanted to do.” “Your encouraging words changed my life.”
I was so surprised.
In fact – I had even forgotten our conversation so long ago.
But it made me think:
Imagine the impact you can have on someone with just a few simple words of encouragement.
So today, I encourage you to do the same. I encourage you to tell someone you know that they are important. They are worthy. And that you recognize the goodness that lies within them. Tell them that you respect them.
Because the first step to empowering each other is respecting one another. And in our society today, respect is HUGE. And very much needed.
People become empowered when they believe in themselves. So if you can help someone believe in themselves today – you might be helping them change their life tomorrow.
Distinguished guests, officers, soldiers and friends of The Salvation Army.
On behalf of the men and women of Citibank and Citicorp, I accept this Citation of Merit with great pleasure. In the complicated society in which we live, so filled with big institutions, big government, big media and big problems, it is easy to forget that at the center of our society is the individual. While we often speak of organizations or even countries as good or bad, what we really mean is the value system represented by the individuals who make up those organizations or countries. No one has ever heard of state freedom or state morals. These are the exclusive province of the individual.
At the very center of those values stands religion and a belief in the infinite worth of the individual. The Salvation Army, whose centennial in the United States we celebrate this year, has been for more than a century a force for good in the world. It has stood for the equality of men and women, black and white, and lived by those precepts long before the words, "equal opportunity," were coined. The Army, in the words of the Scripture, "will maintain the fabric of the world."
The Army began in this country in 1880 when Commissioner George Scott Railton and seven women officers arrived to found the Army's first mission on this side of the water. At that time, half of New York's population crowded into tenements on the Lower East Side--an area that accounted for 70 percent of the city's deaths.
The Army did not wait for the creation of a city planning commission to cope with the problem; it did not wait for a government grant. They went to work with the situation as they found it, and began in this country their classic work of helping people to help themselves.
The fact that America is a volunteer society has confounded observers for generations. Those who say we must make democracy work, misunderstand our society. Democracy is an idea, an abstraction. It is not possible to make an abstraction work-- only men and women work.
The idea that you and I , and millions like us, can make a difference was commented upon 150 years ago by Alexis de Tocqueville: "These Americans are a peculiar people," he said. "If in a local community a citizen becomes aware of a human need . . . he discusses it with his neighbors . . . (and they) thereupon begin to operate on behalf of the need . . . . It is like watching a miracle, because these citizens perform this act without a single reference to any bureaucracy, or any official agency."
The "peculiar" people who work "miracles" is what America is all about, and what The Salvation Army practices.
The Army does not depend on the government for support. It depends on local efforts from the private sector, on personal caring of one human being for another.
Its concern for others is assistance with a human face. There are no endless forms to fill out, people to see, questions of standards or requirements to meet before assistance is provided. The Army is out in the streets living with the people it helps. Its men and women know what needs to be done from personal experience.
It long ago learned that human problems cannot be solved just by throwing money at them. It takes hard work, determined efforts and continuing and effective programs to combat social evils. From soup kitchens to hospitals, community centers, alcohol and drug rehabilitation programs, emergency and disaster services, social work centers and recreational facilities, the Army takes its fight to where it's happening every day of the year, year in and year out.
It is written that God "created man in His own image." The Army acts on that belief in its work for all men and all women, and our democracy also rests on that idea. It is what Reinhold Neibuhr meant when he wrote, "Nothing that is worth doing can be accomplished in your lifetime; therefore, you will have to be saved by hope.
Nothing that is beautiful will make sense in the immediate instance; therefore, you must be saved by faith. Nothing that is worth doing can be done alone, but has to be done with others; therefore, you must be saved by love."
It is a singular honor to be associated with those who practice that philosophy, and we are grateful that such an organization would find in the men and women of Citibank some kindred spirits. On their behalf--I thank you.
"Thank you. Thank you, that is, that’s incredibly kind. Thank you so much. They only gave me a few minutes so I wanna say a very special thanks to Miss Viola Davis, who is nominated tonight and doing this. Thank you, thank you, I really appreciate it. To the Board of Governors, especially to Whoopi Goldberg, Ava (DuVernay).
"You know when I set out to help someone, it is my intention to do just that. I’m not trying to do anything other than meet somebody at their humanity. Like a case in point, this one time I remember I was, maybe it was about 17 years ago. I rented this building and we were using it for production and I was walking to my car one day and I see this woman coming up out of the corner of my eye and I say, she’s homeless, let me give her some money.
"Judgment. I wish I had time to talk about judgment. Anyway, I reach in my pocket and I’m about to give her the money. She says, 'Excuse me sir. Do you have any shoes?' It stopped me cold because I remember being homeless and having one pair of shoes and they were bent over at the heels. So I was like, 'yeah.' So I took her into the studio.
She was hesitant to go in, but we went in. We go to wardrobe and there all these boxes and everything around the walls and fabrics and racks of clothes. So we ended up having to stand in the middle of the floor. So as we’re standing there in wardrobe, we find some shoes, we help her put them on.
I stand up, I’m waiting for her to look up and all this time she’s looking down. She finally looks up. She’s got tears in her eyes. She said 'Thank you, Jesus, my feet are off the ground.'
"In that moment I recall her saying to me 'I thought you would hate me for asking.' I’m like, 'how can I hate you when I used to be you?' How can I hate you when I had a mother who grew up in a Jim Crow South in Louisiana, rural Louisiana right across the border from Mississippi, who at 9 or 10 years old was grieving the death of Emmett Till. And she got a little bit older.
She was grieving the death of the Civil Rights boys and the little girls who were in the bombing in Alabama. She grieved all this all these years and I remember being a little boy and coming home, and she was at home like, 'what are you doing home? You supposed to be at work.' She was in tears that day. She said there was a bomb threat and she couldn't believe that someone wanted to blow up this place where she worked. Where she took care of all these toddlers. It was the Jewish Community Center.
"My mother taught me to refuse hate. She taught me to refuse blanket judgment, and in this time, and with all of the Internet and social media and algorithms and everything that wants us to think a certain way, the 24-hour news cycle, it is my hope that all of us, we teach our kids and I want to remember, just refuse hate. Don’t hate anybody.
I refuse to hate someone because they are Mexican or because they are Black or white or LGBTQ. I refuse to hate someone because they are a police officer. I refuse to hate someone because they are Asian.
"I would hope that we would refuse hate and I want to take this Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and dedicate it to anyone who wants to stand in the middle, no matter what’s around the wall. Stand in the middle ’cause that’s where healing happens. That’s where conversation happens.
That’s where change happens. It happens in the middle. So anyone who wants to meet me in the middle, to refuse hate, to refuse blanket judgment, and to help lift someone’s feet off the ground, this one is for you too. God bless you and thank you Academy. I appreciate it. Thank you."
Award Acceptance Speech Example #4
Frances Mcdormand delivered this hilarious award speech during the 2018 Academy Awards as best actress.
Okay, so I'm hyperventilating a little bit. If I fall over, pick me up cause I've got some things to say. So I think this is what Chloe Kim must have felt like after doing back-to-back 1080s in the Olympic halfpipe. Did you see that? Okay, that's what it feels like.
"I want to thank Martin McDonagh, look what you did. We are a bunch of hooligans and anarchists but we do clean up nice. I want to thank every single person in this building. And my sister Dorothy. I love you, Dot. And I especially want to thank my clan, Joel and Pedro "McCoen." These two stalwart individuals were well-raised by their feminist mother. They value themselves, each other and those around them. I know you are proud of me and that fills me with everlasting joy.
"And now I want to get some perspective. If I may be so honored to have all the female nominees in every category stand with me in this room tonight, the actors—Meryl, if you do it, everybody else will, c'mon—the filmmakers, the producers, the directors, the writers, the cinematographer, the composers, the songwriters, the designers. C'mon! Okay, look around everybody.
Look around, ladies and gentlemen, because we all have stories to tell and projects we need financed. Don't talk to us about it at the parties tonight. Invite us into your office in a couple days, or you can come to ours, whatever suits you best, and we'll tell you all about them. I have two words to leave with you tonight, ladies and gentlemen: 'inclusion rider.'"
A promise is a promise, right? Ok, I promised to show you how award acceptance speeches are written. And I am going to use that last sample or template to help you understand how the whole thing works.
To make things fairly easy to understand, let’s start by breaking it down into the following parts: the introduction, body or content, and conclusion.
First, let’s look at the introduction. You can see excerpts of it from the screenshots below to guide us forward. Please study it carefully.
''Okay. So I'm hyperventilating a little bit. If I fall over pick me up because I've got some things to say. So I think this is what Chloe Kim must have felt like after doing back-to-back 1080s in the Olympic halfpipe. Did you see that? Okay, that's what it feels like. I want to thank Martin McDonagh; look what you did. We are a bunch of hooligans and anarchists but we do clean up nice. I want to thank every single person in this building. And my sister Dorothy. I love you, Dot...''
The purpose of your introductory remarks is to grab the attention of the audience and set the tone for the rest of your speech. However, most speakers have become accustomed with saying a few words of gratitude because from childhood we are taught to say thank you to anyone who gives us a gift.
But, who can you blame for this? No one, of course! It’s always a nice feeling to thank someone for their kindness and be thanked too. If you just want to thank a few people and wrap up, then you might simply deliver a gratitude-based award acceptance speech.
If you wish to do that, then you can simply write down the names of the people who have helped you reach thus far. You can mention personalities like:
Your own parents
Your spouse
Your kids
Your co-workers
Your professional acquaintances…including your co-nominees
The organizers of the event
If you are very religious person, you can begin with a note of gratitude to God for what he’s done for you.
In an emotional award acceptance speech, the 2019-2020 NBA MVP player, Giannis Antetokounmpo started off his speech by thanking God for blessing him with his ball-handling skills. These were his actual words.
‘’First of all, I want to thank God for blessing me with this amazing talent. I wouldn’t be in this position without his help and support. Thank God for putting me in this amazing position I am in today. Everything I do, I do it through him and I am extremely blessed!’’
That’s not the only way to start your award acceptance speech. There are several engaging ways of opening your speech with a bang and I am happy to share a few ideas with you.
First, you can share how you felt when you were nominated for the award.
‘’ When Jennifer told me that she nominated me, I was astounded. Me? Really? And then I got used to the idea… When I was told that I was being granted the award, I immediately felt humbled. Me? Really? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not giving it back. But reading the nomination and receiving this award is humbling, a privilege, and the biggest honor I’ve ever received. It also serves to remind me what I love about being a pharmacist.’’
‘’Why? Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. Oh my God. So many other songs deserve this. I’m sorry. Thank you so much. This is my first Grammy’s. I never thought this would ever happen in my whole life. I grew up watching them and this is my brother, Finneas, and he’s my best friend…’’
Third, you can start your opening remarks on an emotional note by paying special tribute to someone who contributed massively to your accomplishments but is no longer around. This is how Alicia Keys paid tribute to Kobe Bryant in her speech.
‘’Here we are, together on music’s biggest night, celebrating the artists that do it best. But to be honest with you, we’re all feeling crazy sadness right now because earlier today, Los Angeles, America, and the whole wide world lost a hero. And we’re literally standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built. Right now, Kobe, and his daughter Gianna, and all of those that have been tragically lost today are in our spirit.
They’re in our hearts. They’re in our prayers. They’re in this building. And I would like to ask everybody to take a moment and just hold them inside of you. Hold them inside of you, and share our strength and our support with their families…’’
Fourth, you can make your opening remarks funny by sharing a joke or making funny comments as Adam Sandler portrayed when he walked up stage to accept his comedic movie award. You can crush it if you are a naturally funny person or have a story to tell.
‘’ "While I might not remember all of your names, teachers, I remember you, because you're forever in my heart. Thank you so much, to the nice, short teacher with the weird glasses from kindergarten.….’’
Fifth, if you have a good story to tell, then go for it because the memory can linger. The anecdote could be about anything as long as it’s somewhat connected to the theme of your message. Here’s how a very eloquent writer captured a story poignantly.
‘’I grew up in Versailles, on my grandparents’ dairy farm. Every day after school, I helped my Aunt Peg carry milk to the calves. It wasn’t easy! But I’d do anything for Aunt Peg, who was physically disabled and used leg braces to walk. She always asked about my day – how school went, and what my friends were up to.
''But then one day I came home – and Aunt Peg wasn’t there. Because of an aneurysm, she had suffered a stroke. And a week later she passed away – at age 35. Today, that story would have ended differently because of the work we’re doing at Mound Laser… ‘’
Sixth, how about starting on a very heartfelt note as Rihanna did when she accepted the NAACP’s highest honor, the President’s Award, in recognition of her charitable work and ongoing dedication to philanthropy.
Action Tip/Homework assignment: Which of these opening remarks do you want to go with? Can you try your hands on one right away using any of that as an inspiration?
Now, let’s look at this:
How to Write the Body or Content of Your Speech
The body is a naturally progression of events that you mentioned in the introduction. No matter how eloquent you are or have no idea who the eventual prize winner would be, you always should have prepared even if you are not the ultimate winner.
To do that, you should first figure out what kind of speech you wish to deliver and create an outline for your award acceptance speech. Ok, let’s pause for a brief moment and carefully analyze these questions:
What kind of remarks do you really want to say?
Do you just want to thank a few people and go back to your seat?
Or you just want to wing it?
Whatever route you take, you should tell a story or two since stories are the heartbeat of any speech.
It could be stories about your own life as the above examples depict.
You may share stories about your struggles you’ve had to face every step of the way.
You may share technical details if your industry borders on that and share how your work has contributed towards making significant progress in your field or sector.
Here’s an excerpt of how you can use scientific research to enrich your presentation.
‘’ As long as there have been societies and physicians to treat them, there have been specialists whose sole purpose was to prepare and administer medicinal treatments. No matter the ancient civilization one studies, there will be evidence of organized and skillful application of pharmaceuticals.
Although we have seen much development of the profession of pharmacy, the profession’s core continues to remains the same – to treat those who are ill and act in the service of our community.
I’ve read studies conducted by the Association of American Medical Colleges that show us that America is producing a consistently stagnant number of doctors each year relative to our continually growing population. Since 1980, the U.S. population has grown by 70 million, and the number of U.S. graduates with M.D. degrees has remained flat at about 16,000 per year. Experts have warned that there won’t be enough doctors to treat the millions of newly insured people under healthcare reform laws. At the current graduation and training rates…’’
Whatever style you wish to go for, the writing process can be a breeze if you do a little thinking and share a story or research work that is in sync with the theme or message of your award acceptance speech. Never, ever forget that.
Finally, let us consider…
How You Can End Your AcceptanceSpeech on a Memorable Note
What you say before you exit the stage is as equally important as your opening remarks. But I sometimes wonder why most speakers end rather timidly. They wrap up with words like ‘’Thank you’’ and ‘’Thank you for listening’’
Not too bad. But you can always go beyond that and make yourself proud by introducing one or two unique ways to climax . Your audience trusts you. So shake them up and don’t leave anything to chance. Below are a few guidelines to help you end on a great note.
First, you can make your ending lines very inspiring by asking your audience to unite in the face of seething hurdles and strive to achieve excellence. Here’s how one writer encouraged other pharmacists.
‘’ One last thought: regardless of where we have chosen to practice the profession – hospital, community, retail, consulting, ambulatory care, clinical – we are one profession…I promise you this… We’ve kicked up a whole lot of dust behind us, but there’s a whole lot of trail left in front of us. Hold steady the course. We’ll not only make it, but we’ll be that much better for it. ‘’
Second, you may use your words to bring about a radical shift in mindset or attitude or even call for some kind of empowerment. When Oprah Winfrey won the Cecil B. Demille Award, she masterfully used this technique when she called for women empowerment in these brief but poignant lines.
‘’ In my career what I’ve always tried my best to do is to say something about how men and women really behave, to say how we experience shame, how we love and how we rage, how we fail, how we retreat, persevere, and we overcome…
So I want all the girls watching here, now, to know that a new day is on the horizon! And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to ensure that they become the leaders that take us to a time when nobody has to say “Me, too,” again.’’
Third, is there anything you can think of?
Dear Award Winner,
Let’s face it. One of the most prized possessions you will ever get in life is to be rewarded for a job well done.
It gets even sweeter when you have worked hard so hard your whole life and have been recognized for making a positive contribution to humanity.
Nonetheless, it’s not an easy thing when you are asked to deliver a few remarks after receiving your award. Your audience love, admire and respect you and are expecting you to tell them how you made it.
With all eyes on you and everyone applauding you for your excellent work, you might be a blubbering idiot if you don’t prepare very well ahead of time or even decide to wing it. No matter what you feel about speaking in public, you can make a difference if we work together with you.
If you have never made one before, then we are giving you a chance to come up with something inspiring and memorable without pulling your hair out!
Award ceremony around the corner? Or happening in less than 24 hours? Trust me, we can deliver! it doesn’t matter if your speech is today, tomorrow, next week, next month ,next year,... we can make things work for you
Ok, Is This Offer For Me?
Yes, it’s for you if you are overwhelmed by the pressures of work or other things and really don’t have the time to put a beautiful speech together.
Yes you have to get on board; if you don’t know how to start or are not too sure if you can.
Yes, if you are not too eloquent or not too sure if you are on the right track.
Yes, if you feel writing and giving speeches is simply not your thing! You just hate it!
Yes, if you are still struggling to find the right words and ideas to say something memorable.
Yes, if you feel you might make some horrible mistakes!
Yes, if you are a good writer or speaker but you still want someone to look over or review what you’ve come up with!
Ok, I am Interested, What’s the Cost?
You don’t have to give any $ for now!
Why? Are you guys serious? Are you not kidding?
No, we are very serious about this since we want you to be happy with your speech first!
After we have delivered your speech, then you name a fair price for it! That’s all! So, you better not joke with this amazing offer! We are very serious about this!
Oh Ok, How Then Do I Get Started Since I Want To Get On Board Right Away?
After that, we will send you a very short and simple questionnaire to fill out!
Then, you have it sent back to us via email
If something is not too clear, we will ask you to clarify.
If not, we will send you a wonderful draft.
Then, you look it over and tell us if you are okay with it or you want to amend it till you are happy with it — although we always get it right even with the first draft.
Lots of gifts and best wishes are going to come your way. Well, you can also give back a very special gift that will live in the hearts of your family and friends forever.
Guess what that gift is? Words! Whatever you give will fade sooner rather than later.
But your words will forever live in their hearts and ultimately propel them to be wonderful people down the road.
Unfortunately, many mom-to-be's are not so good with words and it gets a bit terrifying when you imagine what to say before your own family, siblings and loved ones who will be looking forward to hearing from you a very heartfelt baby shower toast. I think you shouldn't go through so much stress since carrying a baby in itself can be a very stressful experience.
Well, we know how hard coming up with the right words that will help you say something sweet and memorable, which is why we are giving you a chance to come up with something inspiring, funny and memorable without pulling your hair out!
Just imagine how you would feel when your friends and family comes up to congratulate you after you have given a great baby shower speech!
Yes, if you are expecting nothing less than a very special, beautiful, unique and memorable baby shower speech.
Yes, if you don’t have much time to write a perfect speech because of work demands and other life's pressure or even sick?
Then, let’s take care of it and the guests will definitely sing your praises.
Yes, if you are overwhelmed by the pressures of work and don’t have the time to put together a very meaningful speech, so you can have peace of mind
Yes, if you want your family, your siblings, your friends, and other party guests to shower you with very sincere compliments…just imagine how you will feel
Yes, if you are not good with words and you feel you’re not a natural writer and you are struggling to find the right words but still want to give a great baby shower speech.
Yes, if you get so scared anytime you’re asked to say something before an audience and you really want to save yourself from any form of embarrassment on your very special day.
Yes, if you are not too eloquent or not too sure if you are on the right track.
Yes, if you absolutely hate speaking in public or feel this is not your thing but you want to make yourself proud on your special day.
Yes, if you have a day or less to the party and you are worried that you might make some horrible mistakes
Yes, if you are a good speaker but you still want someone to look over or review what you've come up with!
Just imagine leaving your entire presentation in the hands of skilled speech consultants who will take away your pain of spending hours thinking hard and long about what to say and what not to say.
Also, envision being patiently guided to say something that will leave a favorable impression on the mind of your listeners.
And also imagine the thrill and feeling of excitement and pride you’re going to experience when the audience leap onto their feet and scream and shouts and even sing your praises…..your friends and family will be so proud of you
Won’t you love that? I hope you will...
Baby shower party not too far away? Or happening in less than 24 hours?Trust me, we can deliver!it doesn’t matter if your speech is today, tomorrow, next week, next month ,next year,... we can make things work for you
Ok, I am Interested, What’s the Cost?
You simply pay what you want after you’ve got your beautiful speech or letter.
Why? As you know, the current health crisis has caused severe hardships for most people.
Precious lives have been lost, jobs wiped out and families displaced, leaving everyone wondering what the future holds.
Yet, baby shower celebrations are going on and people have to still inspire and motivate your family and friends and guests with the right words.
Nonetheless, not everyone could afford our services even before the pandemic suddenly hit us.
So, we have dropped our normal rates so you can simply pay what you want after you have got your beautiful speech.
Please note: When life gets back to normal, this offer will be scrapped for good.
So, please take advantage of it now even if the event is in the future.
Even though we are going through this crazy time, if you do a poor job at it, your speech will be captured on video and viewers will forever remember what you said and would not attribute your poor performance to the fact there was a deadly disease in town.
So, please take advantage of it now even if the event is in the future by simply paying what you want after you get your beautiful speech.
Oh Ok, How Then Do I Get Started Since I Want To Get On Board Right Away?
After that, we will send you a very short questionnaire to fill out via email! You only have to check your email a few hours after you have made your request
Then, you fill out the questionnaire sent through your email, and please have it sent back to us…
We will confirm receipt of it…If something is not too clear, we will ask you to clarify….
If not, we will send you a wonderful draft in a couple of hours if this on very short notice….If not, after a few days
Then, you look it over and tell us if you are okay with it or you want to amend it till you are happy with it--although we always get it right even with the first draft.
Then, we ask you to pay for it. It's as simple as that!
Just a reminder of what you pay after it’s duly completed.
Ok, I am Interested, What’s the Cost?
Why? As you know, the current health crisis has caused severe hardships for most people.
Precious lives have been lost, jobs wiped out and families displaced, leaving everyone wondering what the future holds.
Yet, baby shower celebrations are going on and people have to still inspire and motivate their family and friends with the right words.
Nonetheless, not everyone could afford our services even before the pandemic suddenly hit us.
So, we have dropped our normal rates so you can simply pay what you want after you have got your beautiful speech.
Please note: When life gets back to normal, this offer will be scrapped for good.
So, please take advantage of it now even if the event is in the future.
Even though we are going through this crazy time, if you do a poor job at it, your speech will be captured on video, and viewers will forever remember what you said and would not attribute your poor performance to the fact there was a deadly disease in town.
So, please take advantage of it now even if the birthday is in the future by simply paying what you want after you get your beautiful speech.
Please note: Your speech draft comes with a proven and simple tip to master your speech or remember your speech just as you want it without carrying a paper with you.
Just see what someone said about that great tip that's proven to calm your nerves and help you speak with purpose, poise, and clarity!
''Hi Dan,
The speech went very well, I modified it a bit and practiced it as you suggested (great advice). Thanks for all your help and if I need a prepared speech again I’ll definitely contact you.
All the best,
Matt''
Please note: Don’t fill out this form if you’re a dishonest individual. This offer is for a limited time.
You don't have to worry about paying our per speech for now.
Forget about money and let’s write something for you. We believe in the values of honesty and integrity and we think you should be happy with our work first.
So, Here Are The Benefits You Get When You Get On Board!
A great speech written by our wedding speech consultants that reflects what you want to say exactly
We coach you on how to use your voice to make your speech very exciting.
We show you a simple but often overlook strategy to rehearse your speech even if you have a very poor memory. This method is used by great speakers like Obama and was used by Abraham Lincoln and his compatriots
The most effective way to get your entire speech into your head without memorizing your speech. Guaranteed to help you even if you have a very poor memory or your memory is like a goldfish…most of our clients still wonder where we got this idea from. This ensures that you don't read off a sheet of paper...
Just see what someone said about that great tip that's proven to calm your nerves and help you speak with purpose, poise, and clarity!
''Hi Dan,
The speech went very well, I modified it a bit and practiced it as you suggested (great advice). Thanks for all your help and if I need a prepared speech again I’ll definitely contact you.
All the best,
Matt''
Ways to include humor in your speech and what it takes to do so