Here's an e-card you can copy and paste into an email to a friend. Personalize it as much as you'd like:
Hi (their name here or something like "friends" if you're sending it to more than one person),
I'd like to tell you about an organization that helps the homeless in Chicago - Franciscan Outreach Association. They do a lot of good work but they need your help. Please read their Summer letter at www.franoutreach.org/summerletter1.htm and make a donation through their secure server. You can look through their web page at www.franoutreach.org.
To encourage people to spread the word about the work they do, they're having a "Fishing for Friends" contest. Two winners will win a basket of photo frames. I'm contacting you because I believe that they're a good organization, and not because of the contest, but it might be fun to win. The contest rules are at www.franoutreach.org/contestrules.htm. If you make a donation on-line , send an email to mail@franoutreach.org with my name in it telling them that your donation is to be credited to my contest total.
Your gift will help the homeless of Chicago find the emergency services they need to survive from day to day and the one-on-one help they need to build a better life.
If you want to confirm that this email is really from me and that I'm inviting you to get to know this organization, feel free to send me an email asking: "Did you send me this?"
Thanks!
(your name here)