The most important thing about your donation thank-you letters
is not what you say or how you say it but how quickly you say it.
According to Stephen Hitchcock in
Open Immediately!, for
many donors, a brief thank-you note pre-printed with just the
amount and date of the gift can be more effective than
long-winded thank-you letters that arrive long after the donor
mailed you a gift.
Your gift acknowledgement notes and cards need to leave your
office within 48 hours of receiving a donor's gift. Never take
longer than a week. You need to be prompt with your gratitude
for a number of reasons.
1. Being prompt is being polite. We all like dealing with people
who are thankful
2. Your donors need to be reminded that they made the right
decision in sending you a gift. They have many choices about
where they can send their charitable donations. You need to
remind them that their donation to your organization was the
right choice. The longer you take to send that message, the less
likely donors are to feel a kinship with your mission (and give
again).
3. One of the prime reasons that donors lapse (stop giving) is
that they feel unappreciated. The easiest way to show your
appreciation is to thank your donors quickly, appropriately and
enthusiastically.
A word about thanking major donors
Donors who send you particularly large gifts in the mail deserve
a phone call or a personal visit. Which usually causes a problem
with promptness. These donors are usually flagged, taken out of
the daily receipting and thank-you process, and placed in a
to-do pile for later follow up by the executive director,
director of advancement or the person who signed the fundraising
letter that prompted the gift.
And that's where the problem arises. Donors who are taken out of
the regular thank-you system tend to be thanked in person,
eventually, but much later than is ideal. I recommend that you
follow the advice of Stanley Weinstein. In his book,
Complete
Guide to Fundraising Management, Stanley recommends
including major donors in your usual gift acknowledgement
process. Mail them the same thank-you letter, note or card that
you send to everyone else. That way they are thanked promptly.
Then follow up with a more personal thank you note (perhaps
hand-written), a phone call or a personal visit.
New Handbook shows you how
Need help with writing terrific thank-you letters? Read
Boost
Your Revenues and Donor Loyalty with Effective Donation
Thank-You Letters. The fifth Handbook in the Hands-On
Fundraising Series features tips on common mistakes to avoid, a
line-by-line analysis of a donation thank-you letter, and a
helpful list of things you can show your gratitude for other
than the gift alone. If you need to master the art of writing
the single most important letter in direct mail fundraising,
this new Handbook is for you. It's available for immediate
download. Learn more by visiting the link below.
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/ 
Categories
