One temptation in writing fundraising thank-you letters is to
make your organization the star of the letter. You feel pressure
to tell your donors how terrific you are, how cost-effective you
are or how broke you are. You are tempted to brag about your
achievements, your success, your volunteers, your new board
member and more.
You need to resist this temptation. The secret to crafting
effective donation thank-you letters is "making the donor the
star of every transaction," as Conrad Squires puts it in his
book, Teach Yourself to Write Irresistible Fund-raising Letters.
The quickest and cheapest way to build donor loyalty and reduce
donor attrition is to tell your donors how much they are
accomplishing in the world through your organization. By making
your donor the hero of every thank-you letter (and every appeal
letter for that matter), you reinforce in their mind that they
made the right decision in supporting your mission. And that
they are right in continuing their support.
How to make the donor the hero1. Use the word "you" more than you use the word "we." Make the
letter all about the donor.
2. Show a direct link between the donor's donation and your
mission. For example: "Thanks to your generous gift of $100, we
fed 52 homeless men last night while the temperature hovered
around -18° outside. Those men are thankful to you. And so am I."
3. Go beyond the donation to the donor, and describe how
grateful you are for the donor as a person, as a supporter, as a
friend of your organization.
4. Make your donors feel special by describing how they are one
in a thousand, or one in ten thousand, by supporting your cause
while others do not.
A sample thank-you letterBelow is a thank-you letter that Doctors Without Borders mailed
to donors during the year that the organization won the Nobel
Peace Prize.
Dear Alan Sharpe:
Two wonderful things happened this month.
We received your donation to our meningitis campaign. And we
received the Nobel Peace Prize for humanitarian assistance.
We received this award because of supporters like you. It's ours
together.
The Nobel Peace Prize is shared by the millions of people who
support the work and principles of Doctors Without Borders. It's
shared by the people who make the right to humanitarian
assistance a reality. People like you.
So thank you for your donation. With your support, we can now
respond quickly and effectively to meningitis epidemics. Even
the best doctors cannot prevent meningitis without vaccinations.
So thank you for your timely gift.
Doctors Without Borders operates only with the continued support
of partners like you. That's why I'd like you to consider
joining our monthly giving program, "Partners Without Borders."
As a member of Partners Without Borders, you help our volunteer
physicians provide vital medical help anywhere, anytime. You
also help us keep our administrative costs to a minimum. Every
dollar we save is a dollar that we can use to fund our medical
projects. Giving every month is more convenient for you. You
make small donations on a regular basis instead of a larger
donation all at once.
Our being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize is international
confirmation of the fundamental right of ordinary people to
humanitarian assistance and protection. Please join Partners
Without Borders today. Simply complete the form below. And thank
you again for your support.
Sincerely,
[signature]
David Morley
Executive Director
More Information:Alan Sharpe is a professional fundraising letter writer, instructor, coach, author and newsletter publisher who helps non-profit organizations to raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors using cost-effective, compelling, creative fundraising letters. Sign up for free weekly tips like this at
http://www.RaiserSharpe.com/ 
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