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Sustainability
Start Your Year on the Right Note
January 2009 |
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Dear
“Thank You Note” Colleague,
Welcome
to 2009! The new year is a great time to express gratitude
with the right thank you note for the contributions
of donors and volunteers. Research shows that stakeholders
who feel appreciated by social-profit organizations
are more likely to respond the next time with increased
support. Click on the titles on the right to learn more
about demonstrating your appreciation to your donors.
Read…
12 Ways to Thank Your Supporters
Schedule a Thank-a-Thon
Tips
on Writing an Effective Thank You Note
Do
you have questions or ideas about showing appreciation
to donors? Contact us through Sustainability@CampaignConsultation.com
for more information. You can still access previous
issues of On-the-Go eTA by clicking on the back issues
at the bottom of the page.
12
Ways to Thank Your Supporters
Supporters
– donors, volunteers, partners, etc. – who
are thanked effectively know that they are valued. Creative
and intentional efforts to thank donors result in a positive
response when you come to them again for another gift.
Here are twelve ways you can continue to say thank you
to donors throughout the year:
1.
Send a formal thank you note
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A
written statement of the gift is required by law
for gifts over $250 and is a good idea for all donors.
Personalize the salutation and always have a real
human being sign the letter.
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2.
Recognize upgrades and/or cumulative giving
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In
responding to increased support, acknowledge specific
growth in giving: "Thanks for increasing your
annual donation to $100."
Also, when thanking a long-time donor, do some math
and total her lifetime gifts to your cause: "Since
1992, you've contributed $520. Thank you! We really
appreciate your continuing enthusiasm for our work."
These notes can be incorporated into the body of
the letter or added by hand.
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3.
Solicit informal notes from board members or volunteer
leaders
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At
least twice per year, circulate the names and addresses
of top donors to your board or Advisory Council.
Ask them to write thank you notes, on personal stationery,
to any donors they know, and even to those that
no one knows. The thank you impact is even stronger
if it’s a “stand-alone” and not
associated with an appeal
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4.
Use the phone immediately upon receipt
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For
exceptional acts of service and contribution, it
is vital to use the phone (not e-mail) immediately
to thank a supporter for his generosity. Even if
your message is left on voice-mail, people know
they’re loved (yes, loved!) and appreciated.
Use volunteer fundraisers’ to make thank you
phone calls. A supporter will appreciate hearing
a thank you message from a peer and the action also
helps build your volunteer fundraisers’ confidence. |
Click
here
to read eight more ways to thank donors.
Schedule
a Thank-a-Thon
In
the midst of a recession, it is necessarily important
to reach out to supporters. They need to know you still
value them even though they were unable to give like they
normally do in 2008. Now is the time to:
- Let your supporters know that you are thinking of
them which helps to assuage them of any guilt they
may have for any cut-back in support … people
need to feel positive about what they are able to
do
- Reassure supporters that your organization is responding
to the needs of the community
- Share with contributors that you will continue in
the future because they have stood by you in the past.
At
the top of a very short list of things that influence
donor retention and gift value is “being acknowledged
in a personal and meaningful way.” Phonathons and
e-athons are solicitations by a group of non-paid staff
made by telephone or the web.
Thank-a-thons, on the other hand, do not solicit support,
but serve to tell supporters how much their gifts of time
and resources mean to your organization or program. This
activity is relaxed, fun and gratifying for volunteers
who get a break from asking and for donors who are pleased
that they are so appreciated. Also, thank-a-thons are
a great way to acclimate fundraising volunteers to the
giving culture.
Tips
on Writing Personal a “Thank You” Note
The
personal “thank you” note for a gift is
the most vital expression of appreciation to a donor.
Donors expect it – especially Boomers –
and they want it in a timely manner. Here are some essential
elements for an effective thank you note.
| What
to do |
How
to do it |
Example |
| Write
it now |
A thank you note should go out as soon as the gift/service
is received. You don’t have to wait until
the gift is deposited and the check has cleared.
|
Send it out within 24 hours of opening the envelope/or
learning of the service if possible.
|
| Hand
write it |
At the very least, hand sign the letter and add
a handwritten note. You also may ask a volunteer
leader or someone who benefited from the gift to
add a handwritten note.
A handwritten envelope with a stamp shows personal
attention, too.
If you receive many gifts, you may reserve this
for your larger gifts or for gifts that come from
a special donor. |
If a gift came as a result of a contact by an Advisory
Council member, that member can add his own thanks.
If this will significantly delay sending
out the note, prepare a separate note for the member
to add his/her personal thanks. |
| Make
it personal to the donor |
Use a name in the salutation, not “dear friend”
or “dear donor.” First names are appropriate
for long-time friends or those donors you know.
If you are aware of any special interest or concerns
of the donor, these may also be mentioned in the
note.
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Dear Marsha,
I know that you, as a retired teacher, are concerned
about the reading skills of young children.
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| Be
specific |
A
thank you note often serves as proof of the gift
for tax purposes. Be sure to include the amount
of the gift, the date it was made, and an acknowledgement
of any special instructions for the gift. |
Thank
you for your gift of $200 received on December 21,
2008 for the Delta Family Support Center. Per your
request, we are directing your funds to our Breakfast
Club. |
| Tell
how the gift is used and its impact |
Donors
want to know how their gift will make a positive
impact on their priorities. |
Your
gift means that 40 children will start the school
day well nourished for the daily lessons ahead. |
| Allude
to future needs |
Donors want to know that you will continue to do
good work and there is a role for them to play in
the future success of your project.
|
With more than 250 families currently in the program
and the many thousands more in need of our services,
we hope you will continue to support the Breakfast
Club. |
| Say
thank you again |
Reinforce
your appreciation of this donors’ gift. |
Marsha,
thank you again for your generous support of the
Delta Family Support Center’s Breakfast Club.
|
| Add
a P.S. |
Use this opportunity to promote a success, publicize
a future event, or highlight a new activity.
|
P.S. We hope to see you at our annual Read-a-thon
event in March. This year, the Waters Foundation
will provide a book for each child to keep. |
Click
here
to download the sample thank you letter from the Delta
Family Support Center.
Let
us know
Contact
Sustainability@CampaignConsultation.com
We would be happy to answer questions or to give you
more support.
Thank you for your interest in On-The-Go eTA. We encourage
you to send this and other issues of OTG
eTA
to friends and colleagues who would benefit from the
information. Also, if you’re on information-overload,
you may request email
removal.
Otherwise OTG e-TA will be back soon with another edition.
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12
Ways to Thank Your Donors (cont.)
5.
Acknowledge donors, volunteers, partners, etc. in your
publications and on line
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List
the names of supporters in your newsletters, annual reports,
websites, etc. Be sure to give everyone the option to
remain anonymous.
Occasionally, mistakes will happen. Include a disclaimer
on any donor list, i.e., “If we have misspelled
your name, or made an error in your listing, please let
us know by calling _____ or emailing ___________ so we
can correct the error and please accept our apologies.
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6.
Invite donors to tour your facility
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The
best way to engage people in your work is to show them,
first-hand, what you do all day. If appropriate, have
them meet the clients and/or beneficiaries of your programs.
Even if donors decline they will be impressed that you
wanted to make time for them.
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7.
Invite contributors to join you in one of your activities
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Ask
them to join you at your annual meeting, rally, performance,
press conference, and community workshop, whatever. Use
every opportunity to showcase your group in action. Try
making a telephone call to invite them personally to join
you at an event you think they would most enjoy.
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8.
Involve supporters in different ways
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Encourage
donors to volunteer and volunteers to donate. Some will
refuse but will appreciate your desire to involve them
in the cause differently. Everyone, however, loves to
express their opinion. Show your respect for supporters
and ask for their thoughts related to the wellbeing of
your program.
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9.
Send special program updates
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Two
or three times per year, write reports specifically for
your top donors, including foundation and corporate grantmakers.
Keep these reports brief – no more than two pages
– and informal. Create a sense of intimacy; make
the reader part of your "inner circle" by sharing
information about emerging strategies and opportunities.
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10.
Send "comp" tickets to your next benefit event.
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While
it doesn't make sense to give away too many tickets, consider
"comping" your best donors and prospects.
For example, Native Seeds/SEARCH, a cultural restoration
organization in Tucson, organizes a big "Chile Fiesta"
each fall. All donors of $100 or more receive a pair of
admission tickets (worth $5) to encourage their attendance
and reinforce their relationship with the organization.
Once at the festival, people end up spending money on
food, crafts, and other items which increases income as
well as commitment.
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11.
Share the good news
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If
you receive welcome coverage in a newspaper or magazine,
get any necessary authorization from the publisher, clip
and paste the story up with the publication's masthead
and make photocopies. Send these to top donors with a
note: "Thought you might enjoy this. Thanks for your
support.” Supporters are always pleased to be associated
with third party endorsed winning causes.
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12.
Send informal photos of your group in action
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Send
action pictures – planting the community garden,
repairing the abandoned house. Put a note on the back:
"Your gift makes this work possible. Thank you!"
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Adapted from “12 Ways to Say Thank You.” Andy
Robinson, National Housing Institute
Resources
The National ASK (Awareness, Skills, Knowledge) to Sustain
Institute, sponsored by Corporation for National and
Community Service, provided by Campaign Consultation, Inc.
1998, 2002
The
CNCS Resources Now! National Institute, sponsored by
Corporation for National and Community Service, provided by
Campaign Consultation, Inc. 2005-07.
Learning
Products and Services
LEADline:
(Learning Experiences At a Distance) LEADline
is designed to give information fast. Have a resource &
fund development question? Use LEADline and within 24 hours
you will receive response and advice from a fundraising
professional.
Contact us Sustainability@CampaignConsultation.com
GIZMOs:
(Giving Information for Zooming Mission Objectives)
GIZMOS are resource and fund development tools for you and
your volunteers. They are tangible products in packets,
pocket brochures, CD-ROMs, games, etc. They feature a myriad
of fundraising topics such as The Case for Support, an interactive
online resource. View and use our newest GIZMOs at www.CampaignConsultation.com/gizmosplash
The
Chronicle of Philanthropy:
Everyone who comes to a Resources Now! National Institute
gets a free subscription to the Chronicle for a year. Participants
in CNCS Campaign Consultation workshops receive the latest
issue free of charge plus a $20 discount on one year’s
subscription.
Workshops/Clinics:
The Corporation for National and Community
Service (CNCS), through its T/TA service provider Campaign
Consultation, Inc., offers a three-hour workshops and clinics
for those interested.
Online
Courses/Webinars:
Web course delivery of topics pertinent to resource
development such as — Build Fundraising Volunteer
Champions and Cause Related Marketing and
Corporate Partnerships.
Available
through the Resource Center at http://www.nationalserviceresources.org
Read
Back Issues of OTG e-TA
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