It’s no
secret how much nonprofits rely on donors. Nonprofits appreciate both the donor
and the
donation, but often forget the importance of letting them know. It is
easy to get bogged down by deadlines and reaching goals, however, thanking your
donors is just as crucial as acquiring funds. Writing a thank you will leave
your donors with a strong and lasting impression. If their efforts go
unacknowledged, why would they consider future donations?
Appreciation and gratitude
You know
what a donation means to your cause, so make sure your supporters know it too.
Writing a thank you is an excellent opportunity to show the donor the
organization’s appreciation and gratitude. However, simply stating that you
appreciate the donation isn’t enough. You need to truly show them the importance.
Explain what the funds will be used for and how that impacts the organization.
This shows the donor that their contribution, no matter the size, made a
difference to the cause. When a supporter feels appreciated and knows what kind
of impact their donation made, you are more likely to build a lasting
relationship. These relationships can lead to future gifts in addition to
volunteer support. Considering how costly and time-consuming acquiring new
donors can be, you don’t want to hurt yourself doubly by losing any current
donors.
Maintain legitimacy
The
importance of thank yous goes even beyond expressing gratitude. It proves your nonprofit
is legitimate and organized. Putting forth the effort of a thank you shows
supporters the same amount of effort will be exhibited throughout other aspects
of running the organization. Not only does it show that you are organized, it keeps you accountable to actually be organized. Thank yous help keep your
records clean and up-to-date. This is an easy and effiecient way for your
nonprofit to always know who has recently donated.
Content and Details
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| Taking the time to thank a donor can go a long way. |
While
half the battle is completing the thank yous, the second half is backing up
what you say. Your letters must be sincere and personalized. The very first
to-do of your letter is to address the person individually. There is nothing
worse than hearing how much of a difference you made when the letter-writers
can’t even bother to include your first and last name instead of “Dear Friend.”
This shows your donors that he or she, as a person, matters just as much as
they money. It is also just as important to send the letters in a timely
manner. Within days of receiving the donation, a thank you should be sent.
Going too long without acknowledgement shows that you don’t care about the
funds received. Donors may also wonder if the donation was received, or even
forget
they donated if too long has passed.
What tips do you have for writing donor thank yous? Share your comments below!
