Writing a recommendation letter, need help with the salutation

[clh2]

I am writing a recommendation letter to verify someone's volunteer time- and just need help with the "greeting".

I do not know who will be reading the letters, as I understand a panel will be looking at the applications.

Should I start off:

To whom it may concern:

To Whom It May Concern:

Dear Sir/Madame:

Hello,

Anyother suggestions?


Thank you

 

[Cinderella94]

I've always seen them with "To Whom It May Concern:"

 

[kimblebee]

I've always seen them with "To Whom It May Concern:"

I agree with this.


ETA: it should be To Whom it May Concern, you don't capitalize the I in it.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I've always seen them with "To Whom It May Concern:"

This would be correct.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I always just google it, I can never remember.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

When I write them for my students, I find out where they are applying to, and write it to that organization. I write it in a standard business letter format.

A fellow instructor tells the story that after one graduating class departed, he started getting calls from employers asking about the recommend he wrote. The only trouble was, he never had the person that was applying for a job as a student, and had never written a letter for them.

He claims that he received seven other queries, all for people he had never had as students.

After that, I typed a "form letter" with some areas that I could plug in anything special about the student.

 

[NotUrsula]

For that kind of reference I'd go with TWiMC.

For professional references, I normally use "Dear Colleague"

 

[clh2]

Thanks!

I just don't want to sound stupid in the letter...English was never my thing!

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

For my student's letters of recommendation for scholarships, we have the writer specifically list the board/committee they are submitting the letter for.

For example, my "kid" just submitted a scholarship app for a Guild Scholar Award given out by the Jewish Guild for the Blind, to the letters of rec were addressed:

Dear Scholarship Committee,

Good luck!

 

[Best Aunt]

Should I start off...
Dear Sir/Madame:

Well, if you're going to use this one, go with

Dear Sir or Madam:

My dictionary defines Madame as "used as a title equivalent to Mrs. for a married woman not of English-speaking nationality."