Question

Please read the scenario carefully before crafting your bad news message.

Scenario

You are Pat Overbridge, the CEO of Overbridge LLC. Two weeks ago, you announced that all employees will receive a bonus as a thank-you for Overbridge LLC's excellent year. Last week, you received a donation request from Pat Mason, the office manager of the local not-for-profit Habitat for Humanity branch. Because Overbridge LLC's current year donation budget is already established and the monies promised to other organizations based on an employee voting system, you must deny Pat Mason's recent request. In a future year, Overbridge LLC could possibly donate to the agency. However, because employees vote on how Overbridge LLC's charitable donations are distributed, you cannot necessarily guarantee a future donation; it really depends on employees' wishes and available budget each year.

Write a formal business letter to the person who requested a donation in last week's assignment. Inform him/her that you are denying the request. Use the Indirect Approach as outlined in your text book.

Use formal block letter style to write your message.  A video demonstrating block letter style is provided in the Module.   Figure A.3 on p. 404 of the text also shows an example of block letter format.

Be sure to review the entire rubric to understand the expectations and grading method. Here are a few pointers for this assignment.

1. Be sure to include Overbridge LLC's and Habitat for Humanity's address in the correct order. Dates should be written out completely.
2. Start the message with a buffer sentence. The first sentence should not reveal the bad news. “Your request is denied” is not correct. It uses "you-viewpoint" but since the news is negative, use of "your" in this example is incorrect.  Hint: Good communicators spend a small amount of time learning about the recipient and their organization. In your case, a 5 minute visit to the Spokane, WA Habitat for Humanity website will provide you will enough information to write a genuine buffer statement.
3. Next, provide reasoning that would justify the negative news, but do not give the bad news yet! Organizations would like to know that you are possibly willing to work with them in the future.
4. Follow the bad news with positive statement(s) and an alternative way forward. The closing sentence should not refer to the bad news.
   

   Overbridge LLC's Address: 880 Weaver Park Road, Spokane, WA 99220

   Habitat for Humanity's Address: 1805 E. Trent Avenue, Spokane, WA 99220

Answer 1

                                              Pat Overbridge  

                                                       The CEO                                                        

                                                                      Overbridge LLC's

   880 Weaver Park Road

                                                       Spokane

                                                          WA 99220

                                                                                

                                                                                 Dated: January 23, 2019

Pat Mason

The Office Manager

Habitat for Humanity's

1805 E. Trent Avenue

Spokane

WA 99220

Sub: Request for Donation

Dear Mr. Mason:

Good Day!

It was a pleasure hearing from you last week. Habitat for humanity is doing an excellent job in helping the local communities to get access to affordable housing. Your thought and vision to help habitat owners to build their own homes with help of volunteers and to pay an affordable mortgage are commendable. You have given the family a better quality of life and improved their standard of living. We are happy to be associated with you.

The sad news is that our donation budget for this year has already planned for and is already allocated for many activities to support the not for profit organizations which have been voted for by the employees. Further, we are in the process of reworking the employee's compensations and would be giving them a special bonus to congratulate them on their excellent achievements. Taking all this into account we would be unable to support your extremely noble cause this year.

We will ensure that we take your esteemed organization into consideration when we plan the donation budget in the coming year. We will keep it in the list of not for profit organizations which are voted for in the employee voting system.

Meanwhile, I would request your organization to plan a little presentation at our organization sometime during this year. I am sharing your mail with our Administration team who will connect with you on this matter. We are honored to be associated with Habitat for Humanity's.

We look forward to being in touch in the future. Wishing you all the best for your continued help and support to make housing affordable and safe for communities.

Thanking you

Regards,

Pat Overbridge

Overbridge LLC's