Here's the letter I used for student travel grant program fundraising.

Craig

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.ds CO "XXX CORP
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.DE
.LP
Dear XXX:
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.LP
I am writing you on behalf of the ACM SIGCOMM '96 Conference, to invite
\*(CO
to make a contribution of $1,500 or more to our annual student travel
grant program.
.LP
As you probably know, ACM SIGCOMM is the world's most prestigious
annual research conference on computer networking.  We expect to draw over
300 of the finest researchers from around the world to Stanford
in August of 1996 for two days of technical tutorials and three days
of research presentations.
.LP
For the past two years, a select set of sponsors has made it possible for
several outstanding doctoral students to attend the conference.
In 1994, the National Science Foundation provided funding for U.S. students
to attend ACM SIGCOMM '94 in London.  In 1995, under corporate sponsorship,
we were able to expand the program to doctoral students worldwide with
awards to students from Ireland, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom and
the United States.
.LP
Under the program, students apply for travel funding. A committee
reviews their applications and awards grants to the students it believes
will most benefit from attending the conference, with a limit of one student
per university.  In both 1994 and 1995 we had approximately 25 applications
and funded 8 to 10 students.  This year's grant committee will be chaired
by Prof. Lillian Cassel of Villanova University.
.LP
Grants cover the students' travel, lodging, and conference
registration.  In addition, SIGCOMM hosts a dinner for the
students, representatives of the sponsoring corporations, and members of
the grants committee so that the students can get to know each other and
those who made it possible for them to attend.
.LP
Our goal is to raise $10,000 in donations for the program by February 1st,
in individual grants of $1,500 or more.  ACM is a 503(c) corporation and
contributions are deductible to the extent permitted by law.  Donations
should be made by checks to ``ACM SIGCOMM'' and sent to me at the
address below.
.LP
The student travel grant program has proved very popular with everyone
associated with it: the students, the corporate sponsors, the grants
committee and the SIGCOMM membership.  I hope that \*(CO will join SIGCOMM
in supporting some of the world's finest students and it would be my
pleasure to introduce you to those students at the conference dinner in
August.  Please do not hesitate to call me with any questions.
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.LP
Sincerely,
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Craig Partridge
.br
General Chair, ACM SIGCOMM '96
.br
2370 Amherst St
.br
Palo Alto CA 94306-1208
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Phone/FAX: 415-493-5450\ \ \ e-mail: craig